Machine translation with AI and human oversight
To make translation scalable, the state-of-the-art approach combines machine translation with AI-driven translation and quality checks. Human experts review only the small portion of content that still requires their input.
Trusted by 3,600+ localization teams worldwide
Why is achieving high-quality translation at scale so difficult?
Even the best neural machine translation tools can struggle with:
Outdated workflows
Standard MT engines lack customization and control.
Manual review burden
Without AI-driven checks, teams waste time correcting avoidable errors.
High QA costs
Extensive proofreading increases localization costs and slows down speed to market.
The Phrase approach: MT + AI + human expertise
Adaptive translation engine learns your brand
Phrase uses translation memory, term bases, and context-aware MT to
improve translation consistency and fluency over time. The system
continuously learns your terminology and tone of voice.
AI-powered quality checks and smart review routing
Using automated quality prediction scoring (QPS), Phrase detects translation
errors and routes only high-risk content to human reviewers—reducing the
need for manual checks.
Seamless handover to linguists and stakeholders
No spreadsheets. No email chains. Reviewers work directly in Phrase with
visual context for each asset.
Phrase is vendor-agnostic, so you can collaborate with any linguists, whether
they are internal or external. The platform supports seamless work with
translation providers through purpose-built collaboration capabilities.
See how you can boost content quality with AI and human oversight
Proven results from AI-powered machine translation
45%
drop in post-editing
40%
less spend
8%
lift in conversion rates in new markets
See what our customers say
When working with machine translation, our customers expect us to deliver consistent and cost-effective solutions. Phrase creates new business opportunities for us with its unique and innovative Quality Performance Score feature, which helps us implement MT post-editing in a way that benefits both our clients and translators.
Leveraging machine translation with Phrase, we were able to achieve a 200% increase in the languages available in our help center. This has helped us stay ahead of our product team—when mobile app stores started requiring localized documentation, we were ready. With innovative features like MT Autoselect, we are confident that we are always leveraging the best possible engine for each translation—whether it’s our games, marketing material, or documentation.
Phrase gives Zendesk the ability to automate many processes, allowing us to use AI solutions effectively. With the right automation in place, we can scale our operations further and continue to improve quality.
Getting translations right is crucial when building a scalable business across 24 markets. Phrase has proven to be the pinnacle of that ambition, and will continue to be a vital cornerstone in our future marketing operations at EET. Providing us ease-of-use for our internal translators, assisted by translation memory and machine translation as well as an open API, perfectly fit our “best of breed” martech approach.
Reliable and secure
The Phrase Localization Platform follows best practices in security, stability and performance. This means we comply with the Principles and Security Statements of ISO 27001, PCI DSS, AWS, CCPA and GDPR. Our infrastructure is one of the most resilient and robust available (zero downtime deployments and a 99.9% uptime), and we work hard to ensure it stays that way.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here to field your questions on machine translation
What does MTPE and HT mean?
MTPE, or machine translation post-editing, means all segments are pre-translated. Translation memory (TM) matches are applied first, and segments that do not have TM matches are machine-translated. A human linguist then checks all pre-translated segments and makes corrections where needed. Human translation (HT) means the segments are not pre-filled, but linguists have access to TM and MT in a side panel.
What are generic, custom, and customizable engines?
Generic or “general-purpose” MT engines such as Google Translate, Microsoft Translate, and Amazon Translate are not trained on data for a particular domain or topic. Therefore, they’re ideal for general translations.
Custom MT engines are trained on data from specific domains. The result is a more accurate MT output for that kind of content, e.g. legal, or medial.
Customizable engines are trained with one customer’s translation memory data. This is the highest level of customization as the MT engine learns from human translations that were previously done for this specific customer with their tone of voice and terminology.
What is the Difference Between AI and Machine Translation?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a broad field that enables machines to mimic human intelligence through learning, reasoning, and problem-solving. It includes machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP).
Machine Translation (MT) is a specific AI application that automates language translation. Modern MT, like Neural Machine Translation (NMT), uses AI to improve accuracy by understanding context, grammar, and sentence structure.
How can I improve the quality of machine translation?
To improve MT output, consider the following:
- Use MT Autoselect: Phrase Language AI automatically selects the most suitable engine for each translation.
- Pre and post-editing: Ensure the source text is clear and structured, and use human reviewers to refine translations.
- Use Custom AI Models: Train Phrase NextMT with your own data to improve translation quality.
- Enable Glossary and Translation Memory (TM): Ensure terminology consistency by integrating term bases and TMs.
Learn more about machine translation
Blog post
Machine Translation Explained: Types, Use Cases, and Best Practices
More and more businesses leverage machine translation to expand their global footprint more quickly. Learn how you can also make the most of this increasingly useful technology.
Blog post
Translation Technology: A Look at Its Past, Present, and Future
Learn all about the evolution of translation technology, how it can help growing companies expand globally, and how to choose the right translation technology provider for your needs.
Blog post
Quest for Quality: Exploring Machine Translation Customization
Machine translation customization empowers businesses for global success with fast and higher-quality translations. Learn what makes it effective—and how to make it your own.
Blog post
Unpacking Artificial Intelligence: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Works
AI is a game-changer for global businesses and is here to stay. Explore what it means, what benefits it offers, and what the future of AI may hold.