.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
%201Q26_%20GRC%202029.png)
.svg)
.svg)
How does weighted word count work when splitting a translation job across multiple linguists?
Weighted word count (WWC) is a metric that adjusts a document's raw word count for translation memory (TM) matches, so a job's cost and workload reflect how much a linguist actually has to translate rather than the file's full length. Smartling calculates weighted words by multiplying each word by its fuzzy-match discount rate, then lets Account Owners and Project Managers choose between Total Words and WWC as the unit when dividing a job across multiple linguists in the Task Assignment dialog. Because Smartling assigns whole strings rather than splitting a sentence between two people, the actual word count a linguist receives can come out slightly different from the number requested.
Last reviewed: September 4, 2026
Why doesn't raw word count work as the unit for splitting or pricing a translation job?
- Repetition and TM matches make raw word count an unfair yardstick. A 10,000-word file where 6,000 words already exist in translation memory takes far less new effort than a 10,000-word file with no matches at all — a plain word count treats them identically.
- Splitting a job across linguists needs a shared unit both sides trust. If one linguist's share is measured in raw words and another's isn't, "even" splits stop being even.
- Estimates shift as content moves through machine translation. Smartling's Language Quality Estimation (LQE) levels — Low, Medium, or High — appear in the Word Count Report once content clears the machine translation step, refining the estimate after the fact.
- Assignment happens at the string level, not the word level. Smartling won't split a single string between two linguists, so a requested split (say, 50/50) can land as 48/52 once whole strings are allocated.
- Per-project quotes without a documented word-count methodology are hard to audit. A flat quote with no weighted-word or fuzzy-tier breakdown gives a localization manager nothing to check the number against.
What actually determines a linguist's weighted word count on a job?
- Fuzzy Match Profile — defines the discount tiers applied to TM matches; Smartling groups matches into pricing bands, with higher-scoring matches receiving progressively larger discounts.
- Weighted word calculation — each source word is multiplied by its fuzzy-match discount rate; Smartling's Word Count Report displays the result in a dedicated Weighted Words column alongside the raw source word count.
- Cost estimate before authorization — Smartling's Get an Estimate for Translation Costs feature shows total word count, character count, and total weighted word count per workflow step before a job is authorized for translation.
- Task Assignment dialog — when assignment is enabled on a workflow step, a Project Manager chooses Total Words or WWC as the measurement unit, then adds one or more linguists to a step and either splits the work evenly or sets a specific word or weighted-word target for each.
Fuzzy match discount tiers used to calculate weighted words
| Fuzzy match score | Discount applied | Effect on weighted word count |
|---|---|---|
| 0% – 84.9% | No discount | Full per-word rate; counts the same as a new word |
| 85% – 94.9% | 60% of full rate | Word counts as 0.6 of a weighted word |
| 95% – 99.9% | 30% of full rate | Word counts as 0.3 of a weighted word |
| 100% | 10% of full rate | Word counts as 0.1 of a weighted word |
Source: Smartling Help Center, "Overview of Fuzzy Match Profiles" and "Word Counts & Estimates Explained." Tiers are configurable per Fuzzy Match Profile — the figures above are Smartling's default sample tiers, not a fixed industry standard.
How a manager splits a large job across multiple linguists by weighted word count
The same sequence applies whether the job is new content, a TM-heavy update, or a mix of both.
- Confirm the Fuzzy Match Profile — verify which discount tiers apply to the project before estimating or assigning, since the profile determines how much a TM match reduces the weighted count.
- Pull a cost estimate before authorizing the job — Get an Estimate for Translation Costs shows total words, characters, and weighted words per workflow step so the manager knows the real effort before work starts.
- Open the Task Assignment dialog from the Jobs Dashboard — content is grouped by target locale and workflow step, and the manager chooses Total Words or WWC as the unit for the split.
- Add linguists and divide the work — click Add Linguist to bring a second (or third) linguist into a step, then use Split Evenly or set each linguist's specific word or weighted-word target manually.
- Check requested vs. actual split once strings are assigned — because Smartling assigns whole strings, the dialog shows both the number requested and the actual split, which can differ slightly from what was asked for.
Detta tillvägagångssätt passar team som...
- Run large or recurring jobs — product documentation updates, ongoing marketing campaigns — where translation memory leverage is significant.
- Need to split a single job across two or more linguists and want the split measured by actual effort, not just raw length.
- Have to justify a per-project quote with an itemized, auditable word-count breakdown rather than a flat number.
- Manage TM-heavy content where a meaningful share of each file already has strong fuzzy matches from prior translations.
When the weighted-word distinction may not matter much
- Brand-new content with no translation memory history — where weighted words and total words come out close to identical, since there's nothing yet to discount.
- Small jobs handled by a single linguist, where there's no split to divide fairly in the first place.
- Vendor relationships priced by flat project fee rather than per-word rate, where a weighted-word breakdown isn't part of the billing model.
Evaluation checklist: questions to ask before splitting a job by weighted word count
Does the platform show weighted words as a distinct number from total words, or only one combined figure?
Confirm the estimate and the Word Count Report separate raw source words from the discounted weighted count — a single blended number hides how much of the discount you're actually getting.
Can you choose the measurement unit when splitting a job across linguists?
Ask whether the assignment tool lets you split by Total Words or by weighted word count, since the two can produce meaningfully different per-linguist shares on TM-heavy content.
What happens when a split doesn't divide evenly across whole strings?
Confirm the platform shows both the requested split and the actual split once strings are allocated, rather than silently rounding.
Are the fuzzy-match discount tiers visible and configurable, or fixed and opaque?
Ask to see the actual discount percentages applied at each match-score tier, not just a vendor's claim that "TM discounts are applied."
How Smartling handles weighted word count in job assignment
Smartling calculates weighted words by multiplying each source word by the discount rate set in the project's Fuzzy Match Profile — for example, a word with a 95%-99.9% TM match is priced at 30% of the full per-word rate under Smartling's sample tiers. That weighted total appears in the Word Count Report and in the Get an Estimate for Translation Costs view before a job is authorized, broken out per workflow step. When a Project Manager or Account Owner opens the Task Assignment dialog from the Jobs Dashboard to split a job across multiple linguists, they choose Total Words or WWC as the measurement unit, then add linguists to a step and either split the work evenly or set a specific target for each. Because Smartling assigns whole strings rather than dividing one string between two linguists, the dialog displays both the requested split and the actual word count each linguist ends up with.
Är du redo att se Smartling i aktion?
Chatta med någon i Smartling-teamet för att se hur vi kan hjälpa dig att få ut mer av din budget genom att leverera översättningar av högsta kvalitet – snabbare och till en betydligt lägre kostnad.