Enter your CAT tool analysis breakdown (Trados / memoQ / Wordfast), set your rate and per-band weights — get instant weighted word count, total earnings, effective rate, and TM leverage.
| Match Band | Words | Weight (%) | Wtd Words | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 0 | — | 0 | — |
Results are estimates for quoting and planning purposes. The exact weighted word count in your CAT tool may differ due to tool-specific counting algorithms, tag weights, and internal fuzzy match leverage settings. Not financial advice.
When you work with a CAT tool (Computer-Assisted Translation tool) such as SDL Trados Studio, memoQ, Wordfast, or Déjà Vu, the tool compares every source-text segment against your Translation Memory (TM) and produces an analysis report. That report categorises every word in the file into match bands — from No match (needs full translation) to Repetitions (identical to a segment already in the file) — and reports the raw word count in each band.
A weighted word count converts those raw counts into a billable count by multiplying each band's words by a "weight" that reflects how much editing effort is really required. The result is a single number you multiply by your per-word rate to get your quote or invoice amount.
These bands and default weights follow the industry-standard Trados Discount Model (also called TM Match Matrix). In practice, agencies may use different band boundaries (e.g., splitting 75–99% into fewer tiers) or different weights — which is exactly why this calculator lets you edit every field.
A weighted word count is a billable word total calculated by multiplying the raw word count in each CAT-tool match band by that band's billing weight (as a decimal), then summing all bands. Segments with high TM leverage — repetitions, 100% matches — carry lower weights because they require less effort. No-match segments carry a weight of 1.0 (full rate). The result is a single number you multiply by your per-word rate to get your earnings.
The industry-standard Trados-style weights used as defaults here are: Repetitions 25%, 100% match 30%, 95–99% match 50%, 85–94% match 60%, 75–84% match 80%, 50–74% match 100%, No match 100%. These approximate the relative editing effort in each tier. Agencies and translators often negotiate custom weights — this calculator lets you change every band independently so you can model any scheme.
In Trados Studio, go to Project > Reports and open the Analysis report — you'll see a table with raw word counts per TM match category. In memoQ, click Statistics in the Documents ribbon; the Statistics window shows words per match range. In Wordfast Pro, run an Analysis and open the resulting report. Each tool labels the bands slightly differently but the concept is the same.
The effective rate is your total earnings divided by the total raw word count. It shows the blended rate you actually earn per source word, accounting for all band discounts. For example, if your base rate is €0.12/word but a project with heavy TM leverage gives you an effective rate of €0.08/word, you can compare that to alternative projects more easily than comparing weighted word counts alone.
TM leverage is the percentage of total raw words that fall into bands above No-match — i.e., words where your Translation Memory provided some assistance. Higher leverage means less translation from scratch and lower total effort. For ongoing clients with large, mature TMs, leverage of 40–70% is common. For first-time projects with an empty TM, leverage may be 0%.
Not automatically. Use this calculator to model the proposed scheme and check your resulting effective rate. If the weights are much heavier than standard (e.g., 100% matches billed at 0% instead of 30%), the project may not be worth taking at the quoted rate. Some translators decline all TM discounts; others accept them in exchange for higher volumes or faster turnaround. Knowing your effective rate before you sign is the key.
CAT tools compute weighted words internally using their own algorithms, which may differ in: how they count words (e.g., whether hyphenated compounds count as one or two words), whether tag content carries weight, whether internal fuzzy match leverage (within-document repetitions) is applied, and exactly where band boundaries fall. This calculator is a transparent, formula-based replica of the industry-standard model — it matches the Trados Discount Model closely but may differ from tool-specific calculations. Always use your CAT tool's native output for final billing if required by your agency.