Checking subtitles and translations for accuracy

Do not assume an automatic transcript is correct. Treat it as a draft, and agree who will read it against the video before anyone sees it. Accessibility guidance from the W3C says automatic captions need accuracy checks and usually correction.

What usually goes wrong

Automatic tools do well on slow, clear speech in one language. Event speech is rarely like that. These are the places to look first:

• Names and titles: a guest’s name, “Dato’” or “Datin”, a company name or a product name is easy to mis-hear.
• Mixed languages: a speaker who moves between Malay, English and Mandarin in one sentence often confuses the tool.
• Numbers and dates: amounts, years and phone numbers need a human check against the source.
• Meaning in translation: a correct word can still carry the wrong tone, especially for blessings, jokes and formal greetings.
• Timing: text that appears late, or stays too long, makes the video hard to follow even if every word is right.

Who checks what

One person rarely checks everything well. Split the review into layers.

We can set up subtitles, fix timing and apply corrections. Language review of the meaning usually sits best with someone who knows the speakers and the subject, and that is often on your side.

How to run the review

1. Ask for the subtitle text as a file or a document, not only inside the video, so reviewers can mark it up.
2. Send the correct spelling of names, titles and organisations before the first draft, so fewer errors appear.
3. Have each reviewer watch the video with the subtitles on, once, and note the timecode of each problem.
4. Combine everyone’s notes into one list before sending it. Our guide on consolidating feedback from several people shows how.
5. Check the corrected version once more, in full, before it is shared.

A worked example

For example, an organiser has a 20-minute talk. The speaker opens in English, answers questions in Malay and quotes a Mandarin proverb. The automatic text spells the sponsor’s name wrongly, and the proverb comes out as nonsense.

The organiser sends the sponsor’s correct name. A colleague who reads Mandarin fixes the proverb and its English line. One person watches the whole video for timing. The editor then makes one round of changes from a single combined list.

This example is illustrative, not a past job.

What subtitles cannot fix

Subtitles cannot fix poor audio. If a speaker is far from the microphone, the words may be unclear to a person too, and the safest choice is to leave a note or ask the speaker. Translations also run longer or shorter than the original, so some lines may need shortening to fit the screen.

What we confirm for your subtitles

• Who prepares the first draft, and that a person checks it before you see it.
• That you receive the text as a file.
• Which languages we can set up, and which need your own reviewer.
• How corrections are collected and applied.

To choose languages and outputs, use the caption and language specification planner. The captioning and subtitles service describes what is involved, and event video editing covers working on footage you already have. If one video must exist in several languages, read delivering several languages and approval versions. For wider planning, see the accessible video and language guides.