Amazon Translate is a fully managed neural machine translation service that delivers fast, high-quality language translations. One of its standout features is Custom Terminology, which enables users to define specific terms and phrases that are relevant to their industry or business. This ensures that translations are not only accurate but also contextually appropriate for the intended audience. This knowledge base explores the functionality of Amazon Translate Custom Terminology, its configuration, and best practices for effective use.

What is Amazon Translate Custom Terminology?

Definition

Amazon Translate Custom Terminology allows users to create and manage custom glossaries of terms that the translation engine will prioritize during the translation process. This feature is particularly beneficial for industries with specialized terminology, such as legal, medical, technical, or marketing fields.

 How It Works

When a user submits text for translation, Amazon Translate refers to the custom terminology list and replaces the specified terms in the output, ensuring that the translations align with the desired vocabulary.

 Benefits of Using Custom Terminology

 Increased Accuracy

Custom terminology enhances the accuracy of translations by ensuring that specialized terms are translated correctly. This is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the original message, especially in professional contexts.

 Consistency Across Translations

Using a consistent set of terminology helps maintain brand voice and messaging across different languages. This is essential for businesses aiming to create a unified global presence.

 Time and Cost Efficiency

Creating a custom terminology list saves time and reduces costs associated with the manual editing of translated content. By automating the translation of specific terms, businesses can streamline their workflows.

 Tailored User Experience

For customer-facing applications, ensuring that users see familiar terminology enhances their experience and engagement. Custom terminology helps deliver a personalized experience that resonates with local audiences.

 Use Cases for Custom Terminology

 Legal Documents

Legal firms can use custom terminology to ensure that legal jargon is accurately translated, maintaining the intended meaning of contracts, agreements, and other legal documents.

 Technical Documentation

Companies that produce technical manuals or product documentation benefit from custom terminology by ensuring that technical terms are correctly translated, avoiding potential misunderstandings.

 Marketing and Branding

Businesses can maintain their brand messaging and marketing language by defining specific terms and phrases that are central to their brand identity, ensuring consistency in translated marketing materials.

 Medical Translations

Healthcare providers can utilize custom terminology to accurately translate medical terms, ensuring that patients receive clear and precise information.

Configuring Custom Terminology in Amazon Translate

 Prerequisites

Before configuring custom terminology, ensure you have the following:

• An AWS account with access to Amazon Translate.
• Basic knowledge of using the AWS Management Console or AWS CLI.

Creating a Custom Terminology

 Prepare Your Terminology List

• Format: Custom terminology lists should be in CSV format, with two columns:

  • Source term: The term in the source language.
  • Target term: The corresponding term in the target language.

•  Upload the Terminology List

  You can create custom terminology using either the AWS Management Console or the AWS CLI.

  Using the AWS Management Console:

  1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console.
  2. Navigate to Amazon Translate.
  3. In the left navigation pane, choose Custom Terminologies.
  4. Click on Create Terminology.
  5. Enter a name and optional description for your terminology.
  6. Upload your CSV file.
  7. Select the source and target languages.
  8. Click Create.

      Managing Custom Terminology

     Updating Terminology

     If you need to update your custom terminology, you can upload a new CSV file or use the CLI command to update the existing terminology.

     Integrating Custom Terminology in Translation Requests

     Once you have created your custom terminology, you can use it in translation requests to ensure that the specified terms are prioritized during translation.

     Best Practices for Using Custom Terminology

      Keep Terminology Updated

     Regularly review and update your custom terminology list to reflect changes in language, industry standards, and business terminology.

      Test and Validate Translations

     Before deploying translations to production, test them to ensure that the custom terminology is being applied correctly and that the translations make sense in context.

      Monitor Translation Quality

     Continuously monitor the quality of translations, gathering feedback from users to identify areas where the terminology may need adjustments.

      Limit Terminology Size

     While you can add many terms to your custom terminology, it’s best to limit the size to only essential terms to improve performance and maintain focus on critical vocabulary.

      Limitations of Custom Terminology

      Size Constraints

     Amazon Translate imposes limits on the number of terms you can include in a custom terminology list. As of now, a custom terminology can contain up to 10,000 terms.

     Language Support

     Custom terminology is only supported for specific language pairs. Make sure to verify language compatibility before creating a custom terminology list.

     Contextual Limitations

     While custom terminology improves translation accuracy for specific terms, it may not always handle contextual nuances. It is essential to review translations for complex sentences where context plays a significant role.

     Amazon Translate Custom Terminology is a powerful feature that enables businesses to tailor translations to meet specific vocabulary needs, ensuring that communication is accurate, consistent, and contextually appropriate. By leveraging custom terminology, organizations can enhance the quality of their translations, streamline workflows, and maintain their brand identity across languages.

     By following the configuration steps, and best practices, and considering the limitations outlined in this knowledge base, businesses can effectively implement and manage custom terminology in Amazon Translate. This not only improves the efficiency of translation processes but also contributes to a better user experience for global audiences.