Poll: When you encounter a blatant typo in a source text, what is your default "style"?
Autor de la hebra: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
PERSONAL DEL SITIO
May 22

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "When you encounter a blatant typo in a source text, what is your default "style"?".

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Fabio de Araujo
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 08:42
Miembro 2007
inglés al portugués
+ ...
Other May 22

I’ve been working with the same group of clients for ages, so I know how they react to my comments; it really depends on the client. In most cases, I correct the mistake without saying anything, but I have one or two clients who are a bit more “picky,” so I'll send them a message pointing out the typo.

Ines Radionovas-Lagoutte, PhD
Philip Lees
Christine Andersen
Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Ian Keith Jones Williams
Ian Keith Jones Williams  Identity Verified
España
Local time: 09:42
alemán al inglés
+ ...
Notify May 22

I normally inform the client, either right away or when I deliver the final document. Clients are, by and large, grateful. If I can correct the original text, I will.

Maria Laura Curzi
Philip Lees
Josephine Cassar
Christine Andersen
Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 08:42
Miembro 2007
inglés al portugués
+ ...
Typo May 22

Occasionally it's just a simple thing, like here "commrent" (?)

Maria Laura Curzi
Philip Lees
 
Luis M. Sosa
Luis M. Sosa  Identity Verified
Ecuador
Local time: 02:42
inglés al español
+ ...
I leave May 22

a note in the "Comment" field in the CAT tool. Not only typos, I also share a comment whenever I find a conceptual mistake.

Maria Laura Curzi
Thayenga
 
WolfgangS
WolfgangS
Francia
Local time: 09:42
inglés al alemán
+ ...
If I had to notify May 22

all the typos, mistakes, unclear, wrong etc. text occurrences (in English) to my best client, I'd barely have time to start translating.

Maria Laura Curzi
 
jyuan_us
jyuan_us
Estados Unidos
Local time: 03:42
Miembro 2005
inglés al chino
+ ...
I'll correct it if my know I'm right May 22

For example, if you see today's date typed as 05/22/20266, the easiest way is just to correct it. Any other approaches are a waste of time and make those involve embarrassed.

Liviu-Lee Roth
 
William Bowley
William Bowley
Reino Unido
Local time: 08:42
español al inglés
+ ...
Re-word the question? May 22

Poor word usage from a website that is supposed to be focused on exactly that, words and translation.

"Blatant" suggests a deliberate error that is intentional and openly made. Why on earth would a source document contain such a thing? (Though in this day and age, given how standards have fallen far into the abyss, I wouldn't be surprised!)

[Edited at 2026-05-22 14:04 GMT]


Maria Laura Curzi
 
Philip Lees
Philip Lees  Identity Verified
Grecia
Local time: 10:42
griego al inglés
For the defence (yes!) May 23

I can't believe I'm stepping in to defend the wording of a ProZ poll question, but ...

William Bowley wrote:

"Blatant" suggests a deliberate error that is intentional and openly made.

No, it doesn't suggest that. Depending on the context, it might imply that, but being deliberate is not part of the basic definition of "blatant".

It just means that something is so obvious, you can't miss it - like the examples given in earlier posts here.


Daryo
Christine Andersen
 
Oxana G
Oxana G  Identity Verified
Local time: 10:42
Miembro 2021
inglés al ruso
+ ...
Leave as it is but comment when needed May 29

Not always it is possible to fix the source text, and no point of wasting time correcting some small obvious errors... So, it depends on the situation, I comment sometimes, but if the error results in double meaning or creates ambiguity, then I ask the client.

Maria Laura Curzi
 


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Poll: When you encounter a blatant typo in a source text, what is your default "style"?






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