Transcription vs. Translation — What's the Difference?

The act of converting spoken language into written text.

Rendering of text in another language while maintaining its original meaning.

Reproduction of content in a different medium but the same language.

A linguistic adaptation that involves changing languages.

Documentation of audio or video content in written format.

The conversion of written or spoken content from one language to another.

The process of writing down what is said or performed.

A process that captures the essence, tone, and nuances of content in a different language.

The act or process of transcribing.

Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between translating (a written text) and interpreting (oral or signed communication between users of different languages); under this distinction, translation can begin only after the appearance of writing within a language community.

(Music) An adaptation of a composition.

The act or process of translating, especially from one language into another.

A recorded radio or television program.

The state of being translated.

(Linguistics) A representation of speech sounds in phonetic symbols.

A translated version of a text.

(Genetics) The synthesis of messenger RNA from a DNA template through the formation of base pairs, resulting in a transfer of genetic information that codes for amino acid sequences composing proteins.

(Physics) Motion of a body in which every point of the body moves parallel to and the same distance as every other point of the body.

The act or process of transcribing.

(Biology) The process by which messenger RNA directs the amino acid sequence of a growing polypeptide during protein synthesis.

Something that has been transcribed, including:

The act of translating, in its various senses:

(music) An adaptation of a composition.

The conversion of text from one language to another.

(broadcasting) A recorded radio or television programme.

(translation studies) The discipline or study of translating written language (as opposed to interpretation, which concerns itself with spoken language).

(linguistics) A representation of speech sounds as phonetic symbols.

The conversion of something from one form or medium to another.

(obsolete) A written document.

A motion or compulsion to motion in a straight line without rotation or other deformation.

(genetics) The synthesis of RNA under the direction of DNA.

(mathematics) A relation between two mathematical figures such as a straight line where the coordinates of each point in one figure is a constant added to the coordinates of a corresponding point in the other figure.

The act or process of transcribing, or copying; as, corruptions creep into books by repeated transcriptions.

(genetics) The process whereby a strand of mRNA directs assembly of amino acids into proteins within a ribosome.

A copy; a transcript.

(physics) A transfer of motion occurring within a gearbox.

An arrangement of a composition for some other instrument or voice than that for which it was originally written, as the translating of a song, a vocal or instrumental quartet, or even an orchestral work, into a piece for the piano; an adaptation; an arrangement; - a name applied by modern composers for the piano to a more or less fanciful and ornate reproduction on their own instrument of a song or other piece not originally intended for it; as, Liszt's transcriptions of songs by Schubert.

The automatic retransmission of a telegraph message.

Something written, especially copied from one medium to another, as a typewritten version of dictation

The conveyance of something from one place to another, especially:

(genetics) the organic process whereby the DNA sequence in a gene is copied into mRNA; the process whereby a base sequence of messenger RNA is synthesized on a template of complementary DNA

(countable) The product or end result of an act of translating, in its various senses.

A sound or television recording (e.g., from a broadcast to a tape recording)

The act of translating, removing, or transferring; removal; also, the state of being translated or removed; as, the translation of Enoch; the translation of a bishop.

The act of arranging and adapting a piece of music

The act of rendering into another language; interpretation; as, the translation of idioms is difficult.

The act of making a record (especially an audio record);

That which is obtained by translating something a version; as, a translation of the Scriptures.

A written or typed record of spoken words.

A transfer of meaning in a word or phrase, a metaphor; a tralation.

Transfer of meaning by association; association of ideas.

Motion in which all the points of the moving body have at any instant the same velocity and direction of motion; - opposed to rotation.

A written communication in a second language having the same meaning as the written communication in a first language

A uniform movement without rotation

The act of changing in form or shape or appearance;

(mathematics) a transformation in which the origin of the coordinate system is moved to another position but the direction of each axis remains the same

(genetics) the process whereby genetic information coded in messenger RNA directs the formation of a specific protein at a ribosome in the cytoplasm

Rewording something in less technical terminology

The act of uniform movement

The act of interpreting the meaning of words from a source language to a target language.

Transcription is converting spoken or written content into a written or electronic text.

Translation is converting content from one language to another.

Typically, no—Transcription usually occurs within the same language.

Yes, Transcription involves changing from one medium to another, like audio to text.

Businesses, governments, and individuals needing cross-language communication use Translation services.

Often, yes—Translation needs to consider the cultural context.

Yes, fluency in at least two languages is essential for Translation.

Yes, Transcription can be verbatim or edited for readability.

Yes, Translation is about converting from a source language to a target language.

Generally, no—Transcription focuses on accurate capture and documentation.

Yes, but Translation often needs to consider context, tone, and nuance.

Rates can vary widely based on skill, expertise, and market demand.

This depends on many factors, such as content complexity and length.

Courts, researchers, and medical professionals commonly use Transcription services.

Yes, a Transcription can then be subjected to the Translation process.