Proofreading and translation What are the differences? Blog

September 10, 2025

He or she will also verify internal consistency (terminology, register, general format, and jargon). This task becomes particularly important when the text at hand is technical or scientific. Both spellings are considered correct, and we’ll be using both throughout this article.

What is the difference between proofreading and editing in the translation process?

You just need to choose proofreading as a separate service. You will also find this type of solution at dogadamycie.pl. Proofreading aims to prevent such minor linguistic blunders. All because two people watch over the translation, namely, a Translator and a Reviewer. Another person’s task is to verify that the given translation meets our quality standards and complies with the generally accepted linguistic correctness. If you are editing, you will make necessary adjustments to improve the clarity and coherence of the translation.

Editing, Proofreading, Revision. What's The Difference?

This process ensures that the content fits the format and can be read logically. Basically, it consists of correcting any grammatical, spelling, or consistency errors that may have been overlooked by the translator of the content. Unlike proofreading, copy editing is the first step in the editing process. Copy editing aims to identify and correct errors in the text. It improves the written material’s quality and readability. This process aims to make the content engaging for the readers while conveying the intended message effectively.

Copyediting Best Practices

Language localisation

From breaking down language barriers to crafting polished narratives, these processes work in tandem to elevate content to its highest potential. Therefore, proofreading and editing have become an essential phase in producing high-quality content. This method is also applied in the revision stage before the final work is presented to the public. Editing is an important stage that comes before proofreading. During this stage, the editor will evaluate the text as a whole to identify any issues that need to be addressed.

This used to be a post explaining the definitions, but it has now morphed into many other thoughts about how we talk about our services.
That’s why it’s essential to use MT alongside a professional human translator to edit the content – a process which is often referred to as post editing machine translation (PEMT).
Proofreading is the final stage of the quality control process, while editing is crucial for enhancing readability and communication value.
Up next is proofreading, the final polish, a surface-level check for errors and typos.
And if you can make your message stand out, make it concise and compelling, you’ve struck gold.
The proofreader also looks over the text line by line but is more strategic about making changes, so there should be less editorial involvement if the copyeditor did a good job.

Copyediting vs proofreading – so what’s the difference?

This is why always performing both types of revisions is highly recommended, especially for translated texts to be printed. Indeed, if an error is found in a text already published online, it can always be remedied. There may also be situations where you have a translation ready, but you realised with time that you will use it for professional purposes. Does this mean that you have to order the translation again and proofread the text? Editing improves sentence structure and word choice to enhance coherence and readability, thus conveying the original message effectively. On the other hand, editing is a critical process for making the text more coherent and engaging. It goes beyond merely correcting errors and involves reviewing the whole structure of the text to ensure that its message is effectively conveyed. Proofreaders should never start their work with raw AI or MT output. The trick is to align a good post-editor, suitable text and the best machine translation engine. In Translata, we’ve been doing post-editing for a while now, and have quality assurance processes and guides in place to help you increase efficiency.

Proofreading vs Copy Editing: What are the Differences?

The editor makes or suggests changes that could include reordering, cutting or adding entire sentences if not paragraphs. They could recommend rewriting entire sections of the text if necessary. The goal is to make sure that the text flows in a logical order and that the most important messages are given the most emphasis. Now don’t get me wrong, there are elements of these processes which could be done by your company’s teams, as long as they are native speakers of your required target languages. It’s important for your target audience to feel that the content has been written in their native language and not translated. That is the highest compliment a translation can achieve, that it doesn’t sounds like a translation.

Proofreading, Editing, and Revision – The Key Differences at a Glance

Whether you’re an ad agency looking to hit the mark with your latest campaign or a construction company that needs documents in five languages for the archives, you need to pick the right service. Some sections are read a second and a third time to ensure they are correct. The goal of content editing is to create comprehensive and productive content that is useful to the reader, optimized for the web, and pleasing to the client. You could also consider line editing if you’re concerned about craft. At the proofreading stage, it’s so important to be careful, so as not to introduce errors. It focuses on the text line by line to correct technical errors, implement a style guide (depending on the type of English being used), and ensure clarity. There is much more involvement with the text and polishing up the writing, so the author will see more edits here. developer-friendly localization workflows is free of mistakes, and translation is no exception, whether done by a human translator or machine translation software. That is precisely why there are a number of controls that guarantee the quality of the final result. Editing involves executing changes and suggestions that aim at enhancing the overall quality of the translated product, especially the use of language and expression.

Why is it worth ordering a proofreading service for translation service?

And that’s a cue for proofreaders to smooth things over. But every copyeditor has his days, and especially when diving deep, the surface may be left untended – punctuation, spelling, grammar, commas or date formats. What you need is a professional in the world of advertising, copywriting and editing to bring out the essence of your message and make it shine.

What are the differences between proofreading and editing?

Copy editing, on the other hand, focuses solely on the copy. A copy editor isn't there to question your piece's argument or make higher-level suggestions; it's assumed that the piece's overall structure is already pretty solid. Proofreading happens after copyediting and is the final editorial step. The proofreader also looks over the text line by line but is more strategic about making changes, so there should be less editorial involvement if the copyeditor did a good job. Often, the proofreader is involved in checking the fully formatted manuscript (in its print-ready form), so they may also look at design elements to make sure they all look OK. A copyeditor does all the work of a proofreader, but they also check for style, plot holes and logical gaps in the text. While a proofreader might add a missing comma here and there, a copyeditor might rewrite entire sentences or paragraphs. When it comes to localization and copyediting in multiple languages, understanding the source language is a must. All that plus ensuring that it is appropriate for the intended audience and conveys the intended meaning and that it is ready for publication. Content editing, meanwhile–as mentioned at the beginning–aims to ensure absolute suitability based on the instructions given. To do that, the editor, a native speaker of the target language, examines sentence structure and logic, paragraph layout, capitalization, punctuation or focus.

This blog highlights the significance of proofreading and editing in language translation projects.
Just make sure that clients know where the service stops.
Corporate texts, in particular, such as press releases, web and social media copy, and internal communications, benefit greatly from professional copy editing.
Revising can mean reworking the content, something that falls under structural or content editing.
While editing a text, extra attention is paid to its comprehensibility, flow, and the consistent use of terminology.
Not only will a proofreading professional check for issues with the text itself, but will also check for any anomalies in page numbering, graphics, tables, spacing, etc.

Why Editing and Proofreading as Two Separate Terms – Is there a Difference Between Editing and Proofreading?

And there are vast differences between US and UK English that most copyeditors are familiar with. Today, I’m going to focus on copyediting vs proofreading, and explaining the key differences between the two. Both proofreading and editing are procedures that seek to ensure accuracy and increase the quality of the product. The role of a copy editor is crucial in the editing process.