Glossaries vs Style Guides: what goes where
Both glossaries and style guides help the AI produce more consistent, brand-aligned translations — but they serve different purposes. Knowing which one to use for a given requirement saves time and produces better results.
The short version
| Use a glossary when... | Use a style guide when... |
|---|---|
| You have specific terms that must always translate a specific way | You want to control the overall tone, register, or writing style |
| A word should never be translated (brand name, product name) | You have grammar preferences or sentence-level rules |
| You need exact target-language equivalents | You want to specify who the audience is |
Glossaries: term-level control
A glossary is a word list. Each entry maps a source term to a required target translation. The AI is instructed to use that translation — no variation.
Good glossary candidates:
- Brand names: "Taia" → "Taia" (do not translate)
- Product names: "Translation Studio" → "Translation Studio"
- Domain-specific terms: "throughput" → "Débit" (French), "Durchsatz" (German)
- Legal terms: "indemnification" → the exact legal equivalent in target language
- UI labels: "Dashboard" → "Tableau de bord" (if you want that specific label)
Not good glossary candidates:
- Instructions like "be formal" — that's what style guides are for
- Entire phrases — glossaries work best at the word and short-phrase level
Style guides: document-level tone
A style guide tells the AI how to approach the translation as a whole. It affects register, sentence structure, and brand voice, not individual word choices.
Good style guide instructions:
- "Use formal pronouns in German ("Sie", not "du")"
- "Write in a friendly, conversational tone; avoid jargon"
- "Prefer active voice; keep sentences under 20 words"
- "Target audience: IT managers at enterprise companies"
Not good style guide instructions:
- Specific word mappings — put those in a glossary
- Proprietary formats or codes the AI won't understand
Use both together
For best results, use both: a glossary for the terms that must be exact, and a style guide for the overall voice. Attach both to the same project and the AI applies them in concert.