Editing and proofreading

In addition to the translation services we offer, you can also order proofreading or editing from tolingo. The source text is first translated, then polished by a second translator. But what’s the difference between proofreading and editing, anyway?

Proofreading involves examining the formal features of a text. This includes not only correcting general grammar mistakes such as awkward syntax or errors with singular and plural forms as well as tenses, but also checking the accuracy of the content. These quality-control measures improve readability as a whole and ensure that the target text is both more effective and easier to understand for the reader. Proofreading is automatically included in the price for specialist translations offered by tolingo in line with ISO 17100.

When editing a text, other key features are checked in addition to the aspects covered by proofreading. This includes paying attention to the writing style – either what is predominantly used in the respective industry or what is suitable for the target group – and optimising the text accordingly. For example, a text for a law firm requires a more objective and reserved tone, whilst a marketing text should have a more expressive style.

As well as this, the entire text is checked for consistent use of specialist terminology (e.g. by comparing it with a glossary). The final check is another important aspect of editing; at this point, the text is reviewed to catch any issues regarding content and ensure it is written coherently and logically as a whole (i.e. it has a ‘common thread’).

• Completeness
• Content accuracy (Accurate representation of the source text’s meaning)
• Readability of the target text (syntax, punctuation)
• Style, tone and register of the target text (pragmatics)
• Specialist vocabulary/terminology and language (semantics)
• Briefing (contains the client’s specific requirements)

Only a native speaker can truly master all the idiomatic expressions, turns of phrase, and knowledge of the specific culture or country and thus ensure the necessary level of quality. An edited translation, with its enhanced readability, improves the quality of a text and excludes the possibility of error. If you’ve decided to have your text professionally edited, then you’ve already taken the first step towards improving the quality of your document.