[Company name]’s

Style Guide
Locale: ALL LANGUAGES

[Month – Year]

[Company’s logo]

A Style Guide Sample from GTE Localize – www.gtelocalize.com 1

Table of Contents

1. About this guide ......................................................................................................... 4

2. Feedback.................................................................................................................... 4
3. About [COMPANY NAME] ........................................................................................... 4
3.1. Language varieties ................................................................................................... 4
3.2. [Company name]’s tone and voice .............................................................................
4
3.3. Brand and product names......................................................................................... 5
3.4. Target audiences and level of readability.................................................................... 5
4. General instructions.................................................................................................... 5

4.1. Formality.................................................................................................................
5
4.2. Idioms.....................................................................................................................
6
4.3. Humor and offensive
5. content .................................................................................... 6
6. 4.4. Guidelines on how to sound local ..............................................................................
6
Glossary/Term Base and consistency ........................................................................... 6
Acronyms, abbreviations and symbols ......................................................................... 6
6.1. Acronyms ................................................................................................................
7. Dates and time ........................................................................................................... 7
7
8. Names of independent documents and publications .....................................................
6.2. Abbreviations ..........................................................................................................
7
7
9. Disclaimers, taglines and slogans .................................................................................
6.3. Symbols ..................................................................................................................
7 7
10. Source citing .......................................................................................................... 8
11. Table of contents (TOC)........................................................................................... 8
12. Charts and tables.................................................................................................... 8
13. Cross-references..................................................................................................... 8
14. Website URLs .........................................................................................................
8
16. Spelling rules .............................................................................................................. 9
16.1. Capitalization .........................................................................................................
9 Guide Sample from GTE Localize – www.gtelocalize.com
A Style 2
 16.2. Loanwords............................................................................................................. 9

17. Punctuation rules ...................................................................................................

9
17.1. Quotation marks ....................................................................................................
9
17.2. Square brackets and parentheses ............................................................................ 9
17.3. Hyphenation .....................................................................................................
9
18. Stylistic preferences.............................................................................................. 10
18.1. General recommendations.................................................................................... 10
18.2. Non-breaking spaces/hyphens............................................................................... 10
19. Non-translatable items ......................................................................................... 10
20. Tags and placeholders........................................................................................... 11
21. Spaces around tags in MemoQ .............................................................................. 11
22. Numbers ..............................................................................................................
11
22.1. Units of measurement .......................................................................................... 11
22.2. Percentage .......................................................................................................... 11
22.3. Currencies ........................................................................................................... 12
22.4. Footnotes............................................................................................................ 12
22.5 Phone numbers .................................................................................................... 12
23. App/social network localization guidelines............................................................. 12
24. Final tips ..............................................................................................................
12

A Style Guide Sample from GTE Localize – www.gtelocalize.com 3

1. ABOUT THIS GUID E
This style guide contains translation guidance that is required to meet [company name]’s quality
standards for translations. All translation vendors are contractually obligated to adhere to
[company name]’s quality standards as specified in the style guide.
This guide is an additional reference material in a vast universe of available resources that range
from general and specific dictionaries to grammar handbooks and official websites. It does not
substitute the personal training and expertise of the professional translators, editors,
proofreaders, reviewers and project managers.
If you have questions after reading this document, reach out to your Project Manager or
Language Lead/Manager. Your feedback is also appreciated!

2. FEEDBACK
If you have any feedback about our reference materials, let your Project Manager or Language
Lead/Manager know.

3. ABOUT [COM PANY NAME]

[Company name] is a health care insurance provider […]

3.1. Language varieties

A majority of [Company name] of California’s Spanish-speaking members originate from Mexico
and Central America.

Many of [Company name]’s Chinese-speaking members in California originated from Taiwan and
Hong Kong. Using words and phrases commonly used in these regions is preferred.

Traditional Chinese characters are the preferred written script for translated Chinese documents.

California Medi-Cal prefers the use of White Hmong, Eastern Armenian, Egyptian Arabic, Iranian
Farsi, and southern Korean varieties.

3.2. [Company name]’s tone and voice

[Company name] prefers a semiformal communication style that is friendly and
supportive. Everything is said simply, clearly, directly, and concisely.

A Style Guide Sample from GTE Localize – www.gtelocalize.com 4

3.3. Brand and product names
Brand, product and plan names are normally left in their original language and should not
be localized unless otherwise stated by the client.

3.4. Target audiences and level of readability

It is essential that translated [Company name]

documents maintain low-literacy guidelines.
Collateral material must not exceed a 6th-grade
reading level. Translated collateral material is
expected to meet the following criteria:
 For [Company name]’s Commercial product lines, employ the vocabulary a typical 8th-
grade student would use.
 Sentences for 6th and 8th grade readability levels involve shorter sentences rather than
long sentences and simpler vocabulary. Do however always follow approved terminology
For example:
in [Company name] glossaries.

School Level Description

6th grade Easy to read. Conversational language for consumers. Understandable by 12-
year old students.

8th grade Plain language. Easily understandable by 13- to 15-year-old students.

4. GENERAL I NSTRUC TIONS

[Company name] expects that translated content is linguistically accurate and culturally relevant
to the target audience. The industry has some standard terms that don’t have exact
translations. These words and phrases may need additional explanation in the translation or
may need to have the definition of the phrase translated.
Since their aim is to sound local and natural, don’t translate content word by word from the
source and omit unnecessary words that don’t add any new or valuable information to the
message.
However, take the utmost care not to lose any key information in the target message if you need
to rework a sentence or phrase.

4.1. Formality
[Company name] requests the use a formal or semiformal
tone.

A Style Guide Sample from GTE Localize – www.gtelocalize.com 5

4.2. Idioms
When the source text contains idioms and culture-specific sayings, don’t translate them
literally. Find an appropriate equivalent in the target language.

4.3. Humor and offensive content

If you find any content that could potentially be offensive in your country, let your Language
Lead/Manager know immediately.

It is fine to use humor and lightheartedness when appropriate. The source language will be your
guide as to when humor applies.

4.4. Guidelines on how to sound local

The content should not sound as if it were
translated but as if it were directly
written/produced into the target language.
Carefully analyze and proofread your own
work ● byEasily understandable
reading the targetwithout referring
text only and seeto the English text: Assume that the reader does
if it is: not know English.
● Carefully nuanced: Native fluency means ease in expressing nuance and
Economic: The text uses as few words as possible without loss of meaning.
● detail.

Ask yourself what the source text intends to convey, and think of an equivalent or a similar
communicative situation in the target language/culture.
For example, “Over the counter” is a standard phrase within the health care industry meaning
medications that don’t need a prescription. If the phrase “over the counter” has no translation
in the target language with the same meaning, then the definition of the phrase should be
translated.

5. GLOSSARY /TER M BASE AND CO NSI S TENCY

Be consistent with the terminology provided in the TBs available.

The TB should evolve to keep up with the client’s business needs. If you come across a term that
you think should be added to the TB, inform your Project Manager or Language Lead/Manager.

6. ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATION S AND SY MBOLS

A Style Guide Sample from GTE Localize – www.gtelocalize.com 6

6.1. Acronyms

Acronyms are
used in
translations only
if they were used
The
in translation
the English will not include the acronym fully written out in English in parentheses. [Company
name]
source acknowledges that this is a violation of grammar rules for some languages, but it is
necessary
document.to Ifmeet a CMS guidelines for translated materials.
standard
There could be some cases in which the acronym appears only once in the whole document. In
acronym exists in
this case, the acronym can be removed and replaced by its explanation.
a given language
that is equivalent
If an acronym is used in a title, don’t write the full spelling of the acronym.
in meaning to
If
thean English,
‘s’ is added
useat the end of English acronym, meaning plural, the ‘s’ should be dropped in
other
the standard
languages
acronym. such as Spanish or Traditional Chinese.
6.2. Abbreviations
Follow the rules of the target
language.
6.3. Symbols
A symbol is the
representation
of a scientific
or technical
word and is
7. DATES
made upAND of T IME
conventional
Follow the target language rules to translate dates and time.
typographical
characters.
Most of them
8. NAMESbeen
have OF I NDEPE NDENT DOCUM EN T S AND PUB LICATI ONS
created by
Follow the target language rules to translate these.
standardization
organizations
and are
9. DISCLAI MERS , TAG LINE S AND S LOGANS
internationally
validated: kg, ft
A disclaimer is generally any statement intended to specify or delimit the scope of rights and
(foot), in
obligations
(inch), Fe, cm, may be exercised and enforced by parties in a legally recognized relationship. In
that
contrast
%, &, $, @,to etc.
other terms for legally operative language, the term disclaimer usually implies
situations that involve some level of uncertainty, waiver, or risk.

A Style Guide Sample from GTE Localize – www.gtelocalize.com 7

A tagline is a short catchphrase used by a business or brand to summarize its mission and the
products or services it offers. Companies use their taglines on every piece of marketing and
communication material, including business cards, stationery, websites and social media
profiles.
A slogan is similar to a tagline in that it is also a brief, catchy statement to help with branding.
Where a slogan differs from a tagline is its scope. A tagline should represent a business, while a
slogan represents a single product or is part of an advertising campaign.
Disclaimers, taglines and slogans are generally translated. In case of doubt, ask your Project
Manager or Language Lead/Manager.

10. SOURCE CITI NG

Follow the target language rules to cite sources.

11. TABLE OF C ONTEN TS (TOC )

When documents have TOCs, always make sure to check their format, page numbers, automatic
functioning, etc.

12. CHARTS AND T ABLES

When documents have charts and tables, always make sure to check for missing lines, incorrect
alignment, missing headers, interruptions, blank spaces, etc.
When a chart is several pages long, the chart’s header may be repeated in each page.

13. CROSS-REFERENCE S
When content moves from one page to another in a translated version, page numbers that are
cross-referenced or indexed should be changed to match the new location.
The cross--referencing can apply to table of contents, indexes and other reference lists.
Some documents have a final section or chapter with the definitions of important words. In
general, this list can be alphabetically ordered in English. Check with the client if this applies to
the target language or file.

14. WEBSITE URLS

A Style Guide Sample from GTE Localize – www.gtelocalize.com 8

Keep all [Company name]’s URLs as in the English source document. Don’t localize them unless
otherwise stated by the client.

16. SPE LLING R ULES

16.1. Capitalization
Names of associations, laws, departments, programs, job positions, days of the week,
months,
etc.: Follow the target language rules for capitalization in the languages this applies.

As a general rule, if the English document contains phrases or words with all capital letters such
as USE ONLY BLUE INK in a form, the translation will mirror the source text. However, Chinese
translation will use a different font for that phrase or word to set it apart from the rest of the
text, since capitalization does not exist in Chinese characters. Bolding, underlining or quotation
marks should not be used to distinguish text that is in all capital letters.

16.2. Loanwords
Follow the target language rules for distinguishing loanwords from the
rest.
Proper names (names of plans, individuals, companies, etc.) left untranslated are not to be
italicized or made stand out from the rest of the text in any way, regardless of the language in
which the name is written. More information on non--translatable items here.

17. PUNCTUATION R ULES

Follow the target language punctuation rules.

17.1. Quotation marks

Use the “curly” ones for Roman languages. For Chinese, use the quotation marks 「」 to set
apart
phrases, words or sentences.
17.2. Square brackets and parentheses
Follow the target language rules for square brackets [ ] and parentheses
( ).
17.3. Hyphenation
Hyphenation is the division of a word with a hyphen at the end of a line on a page. [Company
name] does not allow hyphenation.

A Style Guide Sample from GTE Localize – www.gtelocalize.com 9

18. STYLISTIC PREFERENCE S
18.1. General recommendations
Apply the necessary language rules to achieve a simple, precise and fluent style in the target
files.
18.2. Non-breaking spaces/hyphens

In word processing and digital typesetting, a non-breaking space, also called no-break space,
non-
breakable space (NBSP), hard space or fixed space, is a space character that prevents an
automatic line break at its position. In some formats, including HTML, it also prevents
consecutive whitespace characters from collapsing into a single space.
To add a non-breaking space:
- On a Mac: Option+Spacebar
- On a PC: Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar
- In Smartling: Use the built-in feature and simply click the non-breaking space button to
insert
- In MemoQ: Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar
- To a hyphenated text, like a phone number: Ctrl+Shift+Hyphen key

19. NON-TRANSLATAB LE ITEM S

Per [Company name]’s request, the following items should not be translated. A non-translatable
items’ list is available in memoQ and should be attached to all projects.
 Trademarks. Make sure that trademarks are in superscript if applicable.
 Registered logos.
 Company names.
 Geographical
names (cities,
 counties,
 countries, etc.),
with the
 exception of
 United States that is usually translated.
 Street names or addresses.
 URL addresses. Check with the PM if an URL needs to be localized or report it if not
 working properly.
 Mail and e-mail addresses.
as itPostal codes. of languages names is needed.
is, no localization
Document/Material IDs.
Proper names.
Specific campaigns.
Multilanguage Insert: Since some paragraphs are non-editable images, the insert is
left
A Style Guide Sample from GTE Localize – www.gtelocalize.com 10
20. TAGS AND P LACEH OLDER S
Tags and placeholders may contain formatting, hyperlinks and other important information. You
may move these items around according to sentence structure, but make sure they are in the
right place.
When a placeholder is not self-explanatory, ask for more context.

21. SPACES AROUND T AGS I N MEMO Q

These tags, which reflect format styles such as bold type, italics, superscript characters, etc.,
should mirror the source file. Make any necessary adjustments so that the tags are in the right
place.

22. NUMBERS
Numbers should be kept in the American format. They are not to be converted into the target
language format, unless required otherwise.
Decimal separator: period (.)

Decimal separator example: 0.75

Thousand separator: comma (,)
Thousand separator example: $2,500.00

22.1. Units of measurement

Measurements, including
distance, temperature, volume,
size, weight, etc., should keep
the English System of
Use
Measurement. They should not unit and the number. (More information on non-breaking
a non-breaking space between the
spaces here.) into the Metric
be converted
System unless otherwise stated.
Check the most common units of measurement here.

22.2. Percentage

Per client’s request, don’t insert a space between the number and the percentage symbol
(25%).
The number and the symbol should not be in separate lines. (More information on non-breaking
spaces here.)

A Style Guide Sample from GTE Localize – www.gtelocalize.com 11

22.3. Currencies
Currencies in dollars should be kept as they are. They are not to be converted into a
different currency, unless specifically required otherwise.

Generally, it is preferred to only use the symbol $ and avoid the letters identifying the country
(for example, USD).

22.4. Footnotes

Footnotes may be
translated unless
they are a citation
or specific
reference
22.5 Phone to an
numbers
Internet location
Phone
or numbers are translated based on the target
titled
language.
publication. The
document owners
should clearly
23. APP/S OCIAL NETW ORK LOCALIZAT IO N GUIDE LINE S
highlight what
needs to be
In mobile app localization, accuracy and consistency are the priority for localization. Wear the shoes
translated and
of the reader: the translations for apps should be clear and user-friendly, avoiding ambiguity.
what does not.
In social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., there are certain guidelines that should
be followed as regards space limitation, target audience, degrees of formality and so on.
Consistency applies to terminology, syntax and style. Make sure to comply with the available TB. If
a string is repeated with the same context, translate it the same way.
Keep in mind that many strings have limited space in the app. If possible, translations should have
a similar length as the source.
For error messages, try to be as clear, concise and fluent as possible.

Check Microsoft Terminology Collection and User Interface translations here.

24. FINAL T IP S

Run a spellchecker and any other available QA tool (E.g. Xbench, QA Distiller, Verifika,
ErrorSpy, Lingistic Toolbox, etc.).
Check for double spaces, and font size and type; indents; vertical alignment;
numbers;
etc.
Check the most updated glossary/TB available.

A Style Guide Sample from GTE Localize – www.gtelocalize.com 12