Translating A Word Or Phrase In Word Document


Word provides you with translation dictionaries so that you can translate words and phrases from one language to another. Word does this with online resources, so you need an Internet connection for this feature to work. Word can even translate entire documents for you.

The number of languages Word translates to and from might surprise you. Keep in mind that machine translation is still in its infancy; Word does an adequate job at the translation. Actually, for a machine, Word does a fine job, but keep in mind that Word is a literal computer program. In spite of the fact that Microsoft’s online translation tools are some of the leading edge tools available today, a person can still translate far better than a computer. A person has the innate ability to understand language. Therefore, after you translate a word or phrase, do your best to study the translation, and if you have any knowledge of the target language, look over the translation as best you can to help ensure that your translated words convey the meaning you intended.

Locate a Word or Phrase to Translate
Highlight the word or phrase you want to translate.

Research the Word or Phrase
Display the Review ribbon. Click the Translate button to begin the translation of your highlighted phrase. The Research task pane appears on the right edge of your screen and the translation begins.

Select Your Languages
If Word doesn’t guess correctly at the target language you want to translate, select a different language from the To list and click the green button to the right of your phrase in the Search For text box.

Analyze the Translation
Look over the translated phrase and make sure that it conveys your desired tone. Obviously, the more you know about the target language, the better you will be at this. If you’re completely ignorant of the target language, you’ll have to accept Word’s translation.

Translate Your Entire Document
If you decide you want to translate your entire document, make sure that your target language is selected properly, and then click the green button under the heading Translate the Whole Document. After a dialog box for confirming the translation appears, Word sends your document to a website named WorldLingo.com to complete the translation.

Copy and Paste the Translation
After the translation appears, open a new Word document and copy and paste the translated text from the website to your document. Again, be sure to review the translation. The more important the translation is, the more critical it will be for you to check it somehow. Some words will not be translated because they don’t happen to appear in the translation dictionary. Word will underline the words that are spelled incorrectly.

Modify Your Translation Options
Click the Translation Options link in your Research task pane’s center section to display the Translation Options dialog box. There you can modify options and select which languages should, or should not, appear as options in your translation window. After selecting the options appropriate to you, click OK to close the dialog box.

Use the Translation ScreenTip
Click the Translation ScreenTip button on your Review ribbon to set a default language used to translate individual words in your document. After you’ve choose a language from the available languages in the drop-down list, when you rest your mouse pointer over a word in your document, Word pops up a translation tip showing you the word in the translated language and uses of that word in the language.