Recently, machine translators have become increasingly popular in the translation industry. Particular attention has accompanied DeepL, one of the leading tools. However, there are debates about its accuracy. But is DeepL accurate?
Many professional translators have attested to DeepL’s accuracy. Comparisons have come up about this machine translator and others, including Google Translate. While this service is arguably ahead, you may be trying to understand how accurate it is.
Go through this blog post to figure it out!
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What Is DeepL? DeepL Review
DeepL first emerged from Germany as Linguee, an online dictionary. It then introduced a neural machine translation system. This system could produce a higher translation quality than traditional machine translation services.
But what is DeepL? DeepL review shows how users feel about the tool. Here is what you should know.
An Overview of DeepL
DeepL, a neural machine translation tool, uses neural networks to mimic the human brain. Its developers applied modern deep-learning techniques to train the translation model based on the existing data. This deep learning aspect prompted the tool’s name.
The translation service’s popularity surged in 2017, with over a billion people using it since then. DeepL offers translations across 33 languages and allows hundreds of language combinations. It has free and paid versions that offer some varying features.
Its free version is more suitable for personal and non-professional use. The paid version has additional features to help brands, organizations, and businesses complete larger tasks.
While DeepL is more renowned for its translation capabilities, it now offers more than that service. It has entered the area of artificial intelligence translation but has focused more on text generation.
It rolled out DeepL Write in 2023. This product sought to morph into an English writing assistant and compete with other products like Grammarly. All these features make it one of the best online translation tools.
How DeepL Works
While there may be some similarities, most machine translators work differently. In the past, these systems were rule-based, relying on manually-designed rules. Machine translation systems were also statistical. This means that they offered word and phrase-based translations.
However, DeepL, like other modern translators, uses neural networks in its translation process. These neural translation systems use end-to-end learning techniques. As a result, the translator collects complete sentences rather than single words or phrases as inputs during translation.
In addition, its machine-learning capabilities allow it to create more human-like translations. Since it continuously learns from huge volumes of data, it can factor in the context, providing high-quality translation.
This machine translator covers 33 popular Asian, African, and European languages. It also offers API access, which allows businesses to access its tech directly. The tool also caters to different industries and reportedly works effectively with custom and specialized topics.
Reviewing DeepL’s Translation Options
You can translate content using DeepL in three ways. You can use the web interface, mobile or desktop apps, or the API. Most users consider the web interface the simplest and most effective option.
That is partly because of the freedom it gives users. For instance, you can type directly, paste content, or upload a document for translation. The site displays your input and translated results, making comparing easier. It is a good choice for people looking for quick translations.
The translator’s desktop and mobile applications offer more mobile or on-the-go options. For desktop, there are Windows and Mac versions; on mobile, there are Android and iOS options. The apps have some extra features unavailable on the web version.
For example, there are several shortcuts, an instant insert option, faster alternative words, and faster translation. You can also save your translations and capture your screen automatically to translate its content.
The DeepL API allows you to use the translator’s capabilities in a different digital environment. Usually, people use this feature to offer multilingual experiences on other websites or apps.
You can integrate it into your product to use its translation services. Overall, it offers several helpful options and features that are useful to individuals or brands. It is among the best translation software you can find.
How Accurate Is DeepL?
Different tests and comparisons have shown that DeepL is significantly more accurate than its counterparts. In addition to the tool’s popularity, users and experts have attested to its accuracy and quality. But how accurate is DeepL translator exactly?
A comparative study, which DeepL commissioned, shows how the tool compares with other machine translation engines. There was a significant difference in quality between Google Translate, Microsoft Bing Translator, and Amazon Translate.
To perform this test, the company collected 119 paragraphs from different domains. It then used machine translators, including DeepL, to create different language versions of the paragraphs.
The translations included:
- English to German
- German to English
- English to French
- French to English
- English to French
- Spanish to English
Afterward, external translators reviewed the results without knowing which tool translated which documents. The testers then presented the results in a graph. These results showed that most professional translators rated it higher than their counterparts based on accuracy and quality.
Another company, Gigazine, a Japanese blog, tested DeepL’s accuracy. After reviewing its translation function, it determined that the translator was more accurate than its counterparts. Overall, there are indications that DeepL stands above its competitors in terms of accuracy.
Why Is DeepL Accurate?
DeepL’s deep learning capabilities explain why the tool provides more accurate translations than its counterparts. Its major differences from other tools like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon come from its training.
DeepL’s training comes from Linguee, which contains a huge database of human-translated text snippets and sentences. Linguee’s database has a comprehensive collection of idioms and natural speech. As a result, it translates complex sentences and idiomatic expressions more adequately.
On the other hand, other machine translators use other training tools. For instance, Google Translate uses the Europarl Corpus as its standard training tool. This tool contains a database of officially translated documents from European parliament meetings.
This is why Google Translate’s translations do not sound natural. This tool has recently undergone serious training. But while it is still somehow limited, it hasn’t learned only from parliamentary proceedings.
DeepL’s accuracy stems from its large human-translated text and sentence database. It learns from large amounts of data. Thus, it offers instant translations that are more accurate in context and meaning.
6 DeepL Features That Add to Its Accuracy
DeepL’s accuracy is due to its neural machine translation system. This system allows it to create comparatively accurate and natural translations. In addition to its extra features, it is a good choice.
Here are six of the translation tool’s features!
1. Multiple Language Capabilities
DeepL supports about 33 languages, allowing users to translate over 500 language combinations. It covers common languages like English, Spanish, German, French, and Chinese. It also translates to other less-common languages like Finnish, Greek, Latvian, and Slovak.
Users can effectively translate entire documents and files across these source and target language pairs. Since DeepL covers a wide scope, you will not necessarily need other translation systems when using it.
2. Contextual Awareness
Since DeepL uses neural networks that mimic human translators, it offers contextual awareness. In this case, it can understand the context behind the input. Hence, it creates more accurate translations that keep to the original meaning.
This feature comes in handy when dealing with complex sentences or idiomatic expressions. Without that background, most systems offer direct or word-for-word translations that do not make sense.
3. High Translation Quality
DeepL is renowned for its high-quality translation. While this quality varies slightly between languages, most users prefer this tool over others. Many professional translators have cited the tool’s accuracy, so there is much trust in it.
You’ll find it helpful whether you’re working on a simple personal translation project or a complex full-copy project. Since translation generally aims to communicate with people who speak a different language, this tool helps.
4. Easy Document Translation
In addition to allowing users to type and paste text for translation, DeepL supports easy document upload. This means you can upload portable document format (PDF) files, Word documents, and PowerPoint presentations.
This feature is quite helpful for brands and individuals working with multilingual content. It is specifically convenient when dealing with official documents or bulky content.
5. Desktop Applications and Translator Plugins
DeepL has plugins that integrate excellently with browsers and many other apps. For example, there are plugins for Microsoft Word that help you translate content from the Word editor. You won’t need to close the app or visit DeepL to enjoy the service.
The translation system also has desktop applications that make usage easier. For increased flexibility, there are Windows and MacOS options.
6. API Integration With Other Apps
Do you think the plugins are convenient? Wait until you see what the API allows other developers to do. You can add this translation service to your app, website, or digital service using the feature. This way, users can enjoy a smooth experience on your site or app without visiting DeepL.
How DeepL Compares With Its Competitors in Terms of Accuracy
Due to the growth of machine translation in the industry, there is increasing competition among different services. Despite remaining a big player in the niche for some time, DeepL faces strong competition.
Here are some of its competitors and how they stand regarding accuracy.
1. Google Translate
Google Translate emerged in 2006 and has morphed from a statistical translation model to a neural machine translator over time. It is free to use and supports over 130 languages. However, professional reviews show that it is less accurate than DeepL.
While DeepL creates more nuanced and precise translations, Google Translate produces more literal translations that may not consider contexts. Still, DeepL struggles with non-European languages due to the resources in its training database.
2. Microsoft Translator
Microsoft Translator, a recent neural network technology, first emerged in 2009. It recently integrated into Bing and has a native function in Microsoft Office apps. It supports over 100 languages and creates text and speech translations.
Regarding accuracy, reviews show that DeepL creates more contextually accurate translations. On the other hand, Microsoft Translator does not always produce accurate results, especially with idioms and complex expressions.
3. Amazon Translate
Amazon launched Amazon Translate in 2017, one of the newest translation systems available. It also uses neural machine translation. However, it offers customization features like parallel data, batch translation, and encoding tech.
However, unlike DeepL, Amazon Translate often creates inaccurate literal translations. It fails to offer that nuanced touch you’ll find with DeepL’s translations. Of course, DeepL is more reliable when it comes to long-form content translation.
FAQ
Let’s answer some frequently asked questions!
Is DeepL more accurate than Google Translate?
No, DeepL is not 100% accurate. While most users consider it highly accurate and more accurate than its counterparts, it is still a machine translator. Remember that no machine translator creates absolute quality in all cases. Thus, review all your translations to meet your required level of accuracy.
Is DeepL trustworthy?
Yes, DeepL is trustworthy. It has proven to be more accurate than many other machine translators. Therefore, you can use it for your personal or business translations. Still, always review the results to get your desired level of accuracy since it can make errors.
Is ChatGPT better than DeepL?
No, ChatGPT is not better than DeepL when it comes to translation. This is because DeepL’s design and training are specifically meant for translation, unlike ChatGPT’s. While ChatGPT deals with simpler translation tasks, it finds complex tasks difficult.
Get Accurate Human Translation From Rapid Translate
There are many questions about the accuracy of machine translators. For instance, is DeepL accurate? Per some tests, it is suitable for some personal tasks. Translations for official purposes typically require human translation.
In this case, consider hiring a reputable translator or a translation service for the best results. Rapid Translate, one of the most reputable translation agencies, offers reliable services across multiple industries.
This agency provides one of the fastest turnaround times among its competitors. You can get certified, notarized, and rushed-mail options. In addition, the agency has 24/7 customer service.
Why wait any longer? Order now to enjoy unlimited communication!
