Translation Memory Have every sentence translated only once.
Your translation memory stores every passage you have translated. When it comes up again, it is reused rather than recalculated. That lowers your costs and keeps your wording consistent for years. Talk to us now about your translation memory.
Four ISO certificationsTranslation partner for companies with high standards
- What it is: A store of the sentences you have already had translated, checked automatically against every new order.
- Who it's for: Companies with recurring or similar texts, such as product data, documentation, contracts or web content.
- What it delivers: Up to 70% off repetitions, consistent wording and shorter delivery times.
- The difference: The memory stores retrospectively what has already been translated. Terminology management sets, in advance, what your terms are called.
What you actually pay for
Every sentence is checked against the memory
Before every order, your text is split into segments, usually single sentences. Each segment is compared with the store, and the degree of overlap sets the price. So at heart you pay for each piece of wording only once. As a translation agency with its own technology, tolingo makes this comparison the standard, not the exception.
The sentence has already been translated identically. It is carried over and not charged in full again.
The sentence resembles one in the store. The translator adjusts only the difference, and the price is heavily reduced.
No hit in the store. The sentence is translated at the full price and then filed in the memory, for next time.
What that saves in practice
A worked example with recurring content
A company has a 10,000-word product documentation set updated. Much of it appeared in the previous version already. The comparison with the memory shows:
| Segment type | Share | Billing | Cost from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% matches | 4,000 words | from heavily reduced to free | approx. €0 to €40 |
| Fuzzy matches | 2,000 words | discounted per-word rate | approx. €120 |
| New words | 4,000 words | full per-word rate (from €0.12) | approx. €480 |
| With a memory | 10,000 words | Total | approx. €640 |
| Without a memory | 10,000 words | full per-word rate throughout | approx. €1,200 |
In this example the cost falls from around €1,200 to about €640, with no compromise on quality. These are guide figures and depend on the share of matches, the language pair and the quality level you choose. We produce an exact calculation once we have run the comparison on your text. More on per-word rates on the prices page.
When a memory pays off most
Wherever content repeats or resembles itself
The more your texts resemble each other over time, the stronger the effect of the store. Typical cases:
Ranges that differ only in the details. In e-commerce, the same building blocks recur constantly.
Manuals and instructions with fixed text blocks. Ideal for technical translation across several versions.
Clauses and standard passages that are the same in many documents. Legal translation benefits from stored wording.
Recurring modules, product pages and notices. Your website translation stays consistent across every language.
UI texts that stay stable across releases. In software localisation in the technology sector, that saves with every update.
Reply templates and help articles with fixed wording that should sound consistent in many languages.
Your memory, your asset
Kept secure and available at any time
The translation memory belongs to your company. It grows with every order and remains your asset. tolingo manages it to ISO/IEC 27001: data is processed on European servers, access is clearly governed, and transfer is encrypted. That keeps your language assets secure and consistent, across many languages too.
A memory doesn't appear overnight. It builds up with every order and delivers its value over time. Start early and you benefit on every further project. Existing translations can often be imported as a starting stock. You get the greatest effect when the memory works together with well-maintained terminology management: the memory keeps whole sentences consistent, and the terminology locks down the individual specialist terms inside them. So it isn't only the wording that stays the same, but the word choice that makes your brand.
Part of Technology & API
The memory is the store; three building blocks complete it
The translation memory stores. What fills the store and makes it usable, three further building blocks deliver:
The memory stores whole sentences retrospectively; terminology management sets terms in advance. Together they secure consistency on both levels.
On orders through the interface, the memory applies automatically. Discounts arise with no manual step.
Connects the memory directly to your CMS, PIM or shop, so repetitions are spotted in the system itself.
The platform where memory, terminology and API come together as a finished solution.
Common questions about translation memory
Cost, ownership, distinctions, how it grows
How much does a translation memory really save?
That depends on the share of repetition. With texts that contain many similar passages, up to 70% off the affected segments is possible. With entirely new texts, the effect kicks in on your next order, once the store has been filled.
What's the difference between a 100% match and a fuzzy match?
A 100% match is an identical sentence, carried over directly. A fuzzy match is similar without being identical, and the translator adjusts only the difference. Both are cheaper than a completely new sentence, with the fuzzy match a little more expensive than the full hit.
How does the memory differ from terminology management?
The memory looks back: it stores whole sentences and suggests them again automatically. Terminology management looks ahead: it sets what your specialist terms are called. Put simply, the memory says "this is how we have translated this sentence before", and terminology management says "this is what we call this term". One delivers consistency within the sentence and lowers cost; the other delivers a consistent brand language. The two work together.
Does the translation memory belong to us?
Yes. The memory belongs to you and stays your asset. It grows with your orders and is managed securely to ISO 27001. Existing translations can often be taken on as a starting stock.
Does this work with machine translation too?
Yes. The memory can be combined with machine translation and post-editing. Hits from the store take priority, and new segments go into the processing level you have chosen. Quality and consistency are preserved.
Technology & API
Want to make translation cheaper for good?
Memory, terminology, API and integration mesh together. The overview shows how the building blocks work as one.
Let's build your memory.
Send us a typical text or your existing translations. We'll show you how much a translation memory saves on your content.
Free assessment · ISO 27001 · yours to keep