Writing for global use

A translation needs more than equivalent words. The message must still work with a different writing system, word order, number format, keyboard, and way of reading the interface.

• Language and locale: identify the content without guessing a reader’s country.
• Bidirectional text: keep names, paths, and punctuation in the right order.
• Messages and variables: preserve grammar when values change.
• Names, addresses, and formats: ask for data without imposing an English model.
• Scripts and typography: write about characters, glyphs, and layout precisely.
• Localization review: preserve meaning and check the translated product.
• Audio and video: coordinate scripts, recordings, captions, and demonstrations.
• Accessible content: make instructions usable without a particular sense or input device.

For local writing conventions, use the language guides. For approved terminology and proposed translations, use the localization glossary. A language guide’s existence does not mean its glossary or a product interface has been translated.