Although the terms translation and interpretation are used interchangeably in everyday speech, they vary in meaning. Both refer to the transfer of meaning between two languages. However, “translation” refers to a transfer from text to text — usually written, but may be recorded speech or sign — with time and access to resources such as dictionaries. There is a very high standard of accuracy for translation. Interpretation, on the other hand, usually takes place “on the spot” with the clients present, and deals with utterances (although the source language may be a text).

A common misconception by the general public is that they must deliver a “word-by-word” or “verbatim” interpretation of what is said in the source language in order to be accurate. This misconception is usually held by speakers of a single language, and occasionally by lay self-described “bilingual” persons. The truth, however, is that if one were to attempt a “word-by-word” translation of a sentence, without regard for the listener’s understanding, the end result would usually be unintelligible. A case in point is a Spanish phrase like “Está de viaje”, which rendered “verbatim” in English could “translate” as “Is of voyage” (a phrase that makes no sense in English), when it really means (depending on context): “He/she/you is/are traveling,” or “He/She/You is/are out of town.”