🔤 Multilingual Writing: Use Machine Translation Carefully

Machine translation can help, but it cannot replace human judgment.

Machine translation can be useful. It can help people understand the general meaning of a message, compare words, draft a rough translation, or communicate when no better option is available.

But machine translation can also make mistakes. It may misunderstand tone, context, grammar, idioms, names, technical terms, legal terms, cultural references, or words with more than one meaning.

Use machine translation with care, especially when readers may depend on the information to make decisions.

Know when machine translation may help

Machine translation may be useful for low-risk information, early drafts, or informal communication.

It may help when you need to:

Understand the general meaning of a message
Draft a first version for human review
Compare possible word choices
Communicate basic information when no translator or interpreter is available
Help staff understand what a reader may be asking

Do not assume the machine translation is final. Treat it as a draft or a tool, not as a finished translation.

Know when machine translation is risky

Machine translation is risky when the information affects people’s rights, safety, health, money, housing, school, job, transportation, immigration status, benefits, or public participation.

Use extra care with:

Legal notices
Medical instructions
Safety warnings
Emergency information
Benefit decisions
School discipline notices
Housing notices
Workplace rules
Public meeting notices
Election or voting information
Transportation changes
Forms people must sign

For important information, use a qualified translator or interpreter when possible. Also, have someone review the translation who knows the language, the subject, and the audience.

Do not use machine translation to hide unclear English

Machine translation works better when the English text is clear. If the English is vague, confusing, or full of jargon, the translation may carry that confusion into another language.

Less clear:
Participants must complete required intake documentation before service authorization.

A machine translation may not know exactly what intake documentation or service authorization means.

Clearer:
Before we approve the service, you must send us the required forms.

Clearer English gives machine translation, human translators, and readers a better starting point.

Watch for words with more than one meaning

Machine translation may choose the wrong meaning for a word.

For example, appeal could mean a legal request to review a decision. It could also mean something that attracts interest. Case could mean a legal matter, a medical situation, a container, or an example.

When a word may have more than one meaning, add context or choose a more specific word.

Less clear:
We will review your case.

Clearer:
We will review your application.

Less clear:
You may file an appeal.

Clearer:
You may ask us to review the decision. This is called an appeal.

Avoid idioms, slang, and informal expressions

Machine translation may render idioms word-for-word. That can confuse readers.

Less clear:
Contact us if you hit a roadblock.

Clearer:
Contact us if you have a problem.

Less clear:
We are still ironing out the details.

Clearer:
We are still working on the details.

If a phrase does not mean exactly what the words say, avoid it when the text may be translated.

Check names, numbers, dates, and contact information

Machine translation may change or mishandle details that must stay exact.

Always check:

Names
Phone numbers
Addresses
Dates
Times
Prices
Deadlines
Website links
Program names
Form names
Identification numbers

These details are easy to miss and hard for readers to fix.

Protect privacy and sensitive information

Be careful before putting private or sensitive information into an online translation tool.

Sensitive information may include:

Medical information
Legal information
Immigration information
School records
Financial information
Social Security numbers
Addresses
Account numbers
Personal messages

Use approved tools and follow your organization’s privacy rules. If you are not sure whether a tool is safe, do not enter private information.

Tell readers when machine translation is used

If a page uses automatic translation, be honest about it. Readers should know when a machine created a translation that may need review.

A short note can help:

Example:
This translation was created by an automatic translation tool. We are working to review and improve it.

Do not use a warning to excuse careless communication. Use it to be transparent and to invite correction.

Ask people to report problems

Give readers a way to report translation problems.

For example:

Example:
If this translation is unclear or incorrect, please contact us at [email address or phone number].

Make sure someone can receive, understand, and respond to those reports.

Use human review when the information matters

Human review is important when the translation affects real decisions or actions.

If possible, ask a qualified person to check whether the translation is:

Accurate
Complete
Respectful
Easy to understand
Right for the audience
Consistent with other translated materials

The reviewer should know the language and understand the subject. A bilingual person may help, but bilingual proficiency alone does not always mean the person is qualified to review legal, medical, technical, or public service information.

For related advice, see Review and Test with Real Readers.

Check before using machine translation

Before you use machine translation, ask:

Is this information low-risk or high-risk?
Could a mistake harm readers?
Is the English text clear before translation?
Are terms, names, dates, numbers, and links correct?
Does the text include idioms, slang, or metaphors?
Does the text include private or sensitive information?
Will a qualified person review the translation?
Do readers have a way to report problems?

Machine translation can be useful. But when information matters, writers still have a responsibility to make the English clear, protect readers, and seek human review.

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