Translation Glossary
A comprehensive guide to the key terms and technologies behind real-time translation. Learn about speech-to-text, machine translation, interpretation, and more.
Technology
Real-Time Translation
The instant conversion of spoken or written language from one language to another as it occurs, with minimal perceivable delay.
Speech-to-Text (STT)
Technology that converts spoken language into written text in real time, also known as automatic speech recognition (ASR).
Text-to-Speech (TTS)
Technology that converts written text into natural-sounding spoken audio, enabling computers to "read aloud" in multiple languages.
Machine Translation (MT)
The use of software to automatically translate text or speech from one language to another without human involvement.
Neural Machine Translation (NMT)
A machine translation approach using deep neural networks to learn translation patterns from large bilingual datasets, producing more natural and contextually accurate translations than traditional methods.
Translation Latency
The time delay between when words are spoken and when the translation appears or is heard by the audience.
Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)
Technology that enables computers to understand and transcribe human speech into text, also known as speech-to-text or voice recognition.
Voice Synthesis
The artificial production of human speech from text using neural networks, producing natural-sounding audio in multiple languages and voices.
Closed Captioning
Text display of speech and sound effects that can be toggled on or off by the viewer, typically used for accessibility compliance in broadcast and live events.
Open Captioning
Captions permanently burned into or overlaid on the video/display output, visible to all viewers at all times without the option to toggle off.
Browser Source Captioning
A method of displaying live captions in streaming and presentation software by loading a web URL as an overlay source within tools like OBS Studio, ProPresenter, or vMix.
NDI Captioning
Network Device Interface — a protocol by Vizrt (formerly NewTek) for transmitting video, audio, and metadata over IP networks, used by some captioning tools to send caption feeds to production software.
Features
Real-Time Captioning
The process of displaying text on screen in real time as someone speaks, providing visual access to spoken content for hearing-impaired audiences or multilingual settings.
Broadcast Translation
The technology enabling a single translation session to be shared with an unlimited number of viewers in real time via a web link or QR code.
QR Code Sharing
A method of distributing live translation access by displaying a scannable QR code that audience members scan with their phone cameras to open the translation broadcast.
Echo Cancellation
Audio processing technology that prevents the translated audio output from being picked up again by the input microphone, avoiding translation feedback loops.
Noise Suppression
Audio processing technology that filters out background noise from the microphone input, improving speech recognition accuracy in noisy environments.
Concepts
Simultaneous Interpretation
The process of translating spoken language in real time while the speaker is still talking, with minimal delay between the original speech and the interpretation.
Consecutive Interpretation
A mode of interpretation where the speaker pauses at intervals to allow the interpreter to translate what was said before continuing.
Language Pair
A combination of source language and target language used in translation, defining the direction of translation (e.g., English to Spanish).
Multilingual Event
An event, gathering, or meeting where content is delivered or accessible in multiple languages for attendees who speak different languages.
Translation Memory
A database that stores previously translated segments of text for reuse in future translations, improving consistency and efficiency.
Localization
The process of adapting content, products, or services for a specific language, culture, and region, going beyond literal translation to include cultural context.
Industry
Church Translation
The practice of providing real-time language translation during worship services, sermons, and church events for multilingual congregations.
Conference Interpretation
Professional language interpretation services provided at conferences, summits, and large-scale events, traditionally performed by certified human interpreters.
CART Captioning
Communication Access Realtime Translation — verbatim real-time captioning provided by trained stenographers or voice writers, typically costing $75-$250 per hour.
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