GoLocalise
Turkmen translation project on screen in a localisation studio

Translation · Turkmen

Turkmen translation services

Audiovisual translation is our specialisation, but our native Turkmen translators also handle any text — corporate documents, technical and marketing material, articles and eLearning. Turkmen respells foreign names in its own letters, so we agree a names list before we start.

EN · 00:05

The meeting will be held in New York.

TK · 00:05

Duşuşyk Nýu-Ýorkda geçiriler.

New York becomes Nýu-Ýork, as Turkmenistan's own government sites write it. In Turkmen, y is a vowel, so the consonant English writes as y is spelled ý — and every name that contains that sound changes shape.
Native-speaking linguists
Dual-column format
ISO 9001 & ISO 14001
Timed for voice over & subtitles
In-house subtitling team
Native-speaking linguists
Dual-column format
ISO 9001 & ISO 14001
Timed for voice over & subtitles
In-house subtitling team

About Turkmen translation

Turkmen respells foreign names in its own alphabet, so every name in your script needs a decision

English passes place names and institutions through untouched. Turkmen does not. Its Latin alphabet, reintroduced in the 1990s, gives each letter a Turkmen sound, and official Turkmen text respells foreign names to fit: Turkmenistan's government websites write Nýu-Ýork, Germaniýa and Rumyniýa, and call the United Nations BMG, for Birleşen Milletler Guramasy. A translator cannot simply copy the English spelling across.

The letter behind most of the change is *y*. In Turkmen, y is a vowel, close to the Russian ы, and the consonant English writes as y is ý. So any name containing that sound comes out differently — Germaniýa, not Germany — and international organisations usually appear under Turkmen names and acronyms rather than English ones. On screen, a name left in English spelling reads as untranslated.

For a translation, that makes names a brief item rather than an afterthought. Places and institutions normally follow Turkmen usage; registered brand and product names may stay exactly as they are. We agree a names list with you at the start and apply it in every file, and at GoLocalise every text is reviewed by a second native linguist before it reaches you.

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Linguist working on a Turkmen translation

How can we help you?

Your project manager has everything covered

One point of contact from brief to delivery, and a second linguist on every text before it reaches you.

1

Brief review

We review your source material and your audience, and agree up front the decisions this language forces before anyone starts translating.

2

Linguist assignment

Your project goes to a native Turkmen translator who knows your sector and works from the names list agreed at the brief — which names are respelled, and which stay as they are.

3

Translation and review

The text is translated and then checked by a second native linguist for accuracy, consistency, and register.

4

Delivery and names check

Files arrive in the format you need, and the review pass checks every proper name against the agreed list, so no place or organisation appears in two spellings.

Regional varieties

Turkmenistan and standard Turkmen

Turkmen is the state language of Turkmenistan under Article 21 of its constitution. The 2022 census reported a population of 7,057,841 (State Committee of Turkmenistan on Statistics); we have no official count of Turkmen speakers to quote.

Standard Turkmen in the Latin alphabet is our default for all commercial, corporate and broadcast work. Material from before the switch to Latin may be in Cyrillic; we translate from it, but deliver in the current alphabet, with names brought into line with current Turkmen usage.

Varieties we cover

  • Standard Turkmen
  • Latin alphabet
  • Names list agreed at the brief
Not sure which one? Ask us →

Areas of expertise

What we specialise in

From corporate video and eLearning to documentary, advertising and subtitles — always audiovisual, with every place, organisation and brand name spelled to one agreed list.

Corporate and brand video

Company films and internal communications, written to fit the shot rather than overflow it.

eLearning and training video

Course modules and training films, with terminology kept consistent across the programme.

Documentary and interviews

Factual programming and interviews, where the register shifts between speakers and has to survive the move.

Advertising and social video

Campaigns and short-form video, cut to land inside the time available.

Subtitles and captions

Frame-accurate subtitles kept within a comfortable reading speed.

Voice over and dubbing scripts

Scripts timed to the original, ready for a native voice in the booth.

Built for video and audio

Getting Turkmen right on screen

Turkmen turns proper names into a translation decision, and on screen a name spelled two ways is the first thing viewers notice.

Place names follow Turkmen spelling

Official Turkmen text writes Nýu-Ýork, Germaniýa and Rumyniýa. A subtitle that keeps New York or Germany reads as untranslated, so place names go on the names list and follow Turkmen usage.

y is a vowel, ý is the consonant

Turkmen y sounds close to Russian ы; the consonant English writes as y is ý. Any name containing that sound is respelled, which is why the names list is part of the brief rather than a proofreading query.

Organisations use Turkmen names

On Turkmenistan's official sites the United Nations is BMG, Birleşen Milletler Guramasy. We check how each organisation in your material is normally named in Turkmen, and keep brand names as your guidelines require.

Timed, not dumped

We deliver spotted subtitle files and two-column voice-over scripts timed to the original — never a loose document that still needs spotting.

Deliverables

How your Turkmen translation arrives

Subtitle files

SRT, VTT, STL or TTML, burnt in or as separate files, ready to drop into your edit.

Names list agreed at the brief

Every place, organisation and brand name in your material is listed with its Turkmen form — respelled or kept — before translation starts.

Dual-column scripts

Source and target side by side with timecodes, the format the studio records from.

Reviewed, never single-pass

Every script is checked by a second native linguist before it reaches the studio.

Translation rates

Professional Turkmen translation

Standard

For internal documents, correspondence and material where accuracy is the main requirement.

  • Native subject-matter translator
  • Second-linguist review
  • Subtitle files or a timed script
Get a quote
Full production

For marketing, eLearning and technical content, with review, terminology management and layout adjustment.

  • Everything in Standard
  • Terminology management
  • Layout and expansion handled
  • Dedicated project manager
Get a quote

Every project is quoted individually and backed by our Price Match Promise. Send us your files for an exact, no-obligation quote.

Trusted by global brands

We have used GoLocalise on a regular basis for projects in a number of languages. The service we receive is great. The team is always friendly and professional. The voiceovers we receive are of a very high quality and the turnaround is extremely quick. We are very happy to recommend GoLocalise to other businesses.
Jo SamuelAnimator at Pixel Circus
It was a pleasure to work with David and the team at GoLocalise. David gave me lots of help and advice, guiding me through my first subtitling project. He really knows his stuff! The experience was completely pain-free. I would not hesitate to recommend GoLocalise – outstanding work at a good price.
Kerry GilliesDirector at Synergy Language Services
They're reliable, adaptive and obsessed with quality. And while you can never be 100% guaranteed of perfection, you can be sure GoLocalise will go the extra mile to get it right every time. We've worked with them now for over 5 years and we are truly thankful to have such a strong localisation partner for our business.
Lucas ColeSales and Marketing Director at Epipheo

Most common questions

How much does Turkmen translation cost?

Turkmen translation is priced per word for text and per minute for audiovisual, depending on volume, subject matter and turnaround, with agreeing the names list included as part of the brief rather than billed as an extra step. Send your files and we will come back with a free, itemised quote, backed by our Price Match Promise.

Are your Turkmen translations done by native linguists?

Yes. Native Turkmen linguists handle every translation, and a second native linguist independently reviews each text, checking every proper name against the agreed list so that no place or organisation appears in two spellings.

Do you provide Turkmen subtitling and voice over as well?

Yes — Turkmen translation, subtitling and voice over all come from one team, working to a single glossary and names list, so a name looks the same in the subtitles as in the script the voice actor reads.

Why do foreign names change in Turkmen?

Because Turkmen spells by its own alphabet. Official texts write New York as Nýu-Ýork and Germany as Germaniýa: the letter y is a vowel in Turkmen, so the consonant English writes as y becomes ý. Names are adapted so that a Turkmen reader says them correctly.

Will you change our brand name?

Not unless you want us to. Place names and international organisations normally follow Turkmen usage, while brand and product names stay as your guidelines require. We list every name at the brief and agree its form with you before translation starts.

Do you deliver Turkmen subtitles and voice-over scripts, not just documents?

Yes — audiovisual is our specialisation. We deliver spotted SRT/VTT and timed two-column voice-over scripts, plus translated text when you need it.

Our source material is in Cyrillic Turkmen. Can you use it?

Yes. Cyrillic was the Turkmen script until the move to Latin in the 1990s, so older material often uses it. We translate or update from it and deliver in the current Latin alphabet, with names in current Turkmen spelling.

Which Turkmen do you translate into?

Standard Turkmen, the state language of Turkmenistan, written in the Latin alphabet — the form Turkmenistan's official sites use. It is our default for every project.

How quickly can a Turkmen translation project be delivered?

Most short documents are delivered within 24 to 48 hours. Word count, subject complexity and turnaround all move the date, and your project manager will confirm the timeline at the start.

What do you need from us to quote Turkmen translation?

Less than people expect: the document, script or subtitle file, its word count, what the text is actually for, and the date you need it by. A draft is fine — we would rather quote on what exists than wait for a final version that eats your deadline. A named project manager comes back with an itemised quote, normally within four working hours.

How quickly will we hear back, and who will we be dealing with?

More than half of enquiries get a reply within thirty minutes during office hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm UK time), and the itemised quote normally follows within four working hours. After that you have one dedicated project manager who owns the job from brief to final file — not a ticket queue, and not a different name on every email. If it is easier, call +44 207 095 5730 and ask for them by name.

We are still pitching and the budget is not signed off. Can we still get a Turkmen quote?

Yes, and it is one of the commonest reasons people get in touch. Tell us it is for a pitch and you get a figure you can put in front of your own client, itemised so it stands up to being picked apart, with no obligation and no follow-up sales calls if the pitch goes elsewhere. If it lands, the quote still holds and we already know the project.

Ready to start your Turkmen translation project?

Send us your documents, script or video and we'll come back with an exact, itemised quote.

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