Make your interpreting glossaries pop with visuals, audio, and links
Interpreting glossaries have come a long way from Word and Excel. You’ve likely upgraded to a glossary solution that better meets your needs as an interpreter. (If not, read this article! 😉)
Recently, one of my favorite terminology management tools, Interpreter’s Help, added support for multimedia glossaries, with embedded visuals and audio that take your preparation to the next level.
In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of multimedia glossaries, walk you through creating one on Interpreter’s Help, and share tips for sourcing visuals and audio for your terminology.
Boost understanding and retention
Most of us are visual learners – we understand information better through images, videos, or diagrams. Reading about a complex concept helps, but seeing an animation or diagram can make an idea click – and stick.
We also generally remember images better than words. For example, attaching a photo of a cow next to “bovine” can make it easier to recall the term.
In short, adding visuals to your glossaries – whether photos, diagrams, charts, or videos – is a powerful strategy for vocabulary retention.
Ensure accurate pronunciation
Images aren’t the only tools to boost understanding and retention. Engaging other senses, like hearing can be just as effective, which is why I love using podcasts as part of my preparation.
But here's where audio really shines in glossaries: by providing the correct pronunciation for terms. You can record your own clips or find them online (see tips below). Videos are also handy – whether for seeing a term used in context or nailing the pronunciation of tricky proper names.
Describe better with images
Sometimes, the problem isn’t just memorizing a term – it’s describing an object while interpreting. Ever had a speaker discuss parts of a distiller or an industrial sewing machine? (I have... 🤦♂️)
If you’re building a glossary, why not add an image? It just might save your bacon when your client talks at length about the cycloid-shaped barrel vaults in a museum they’ve built – and you can’t even see their slides because your booth is behind a pillar. (Yep, been there too! 😅)
Increase the shelf life of your research
When preparing for assignments, we visit web pages, download images, watch videos, and check pronunciations – so why not incorporate these resources into our glossaries?
Leaving them out means they’ll likely get lost after an assignment, meaning all our research will go to waste.
Keeping them safe in your glossaries ensures you won’t have to go searching for that same information the next time an assignment on the same topic comes up.
Where to source images
To find images for your multimedia glossary, use your favorite search engine – or try an AI-powered search engine like Google Gemini.
For quick access, bookmark Google Images or Bing Images for image-based searches. Both feature advanced filtering options, so you can narrow results to exactly what you need (for example, search specifically for GIFs).
Tip: Stick with images you can use freely, especially if you plan to share your glossaries. If you're not familiar with Creative Commons licenses, Bing Images is easier for narrowing down results that are safe to use.
Where to source audio
Multiple websites and apps let you listen to and download pronunciations in different languages.
Forvo, a large, community-driven platform, offers pronunciations that native speakers upload. The downside? Not every term is included (though the database is pretty extensive!). You can listen to pronunciations any time, but you’ll need a free account to download audio. Forvo also offers Android and iOS apps.
Sound of Text lets you play and download audio pronunciations using Google’s Text-to-Speech. It’s free and doesn’t require registration, making it quick and easy to use. Plus, you can enter any word or phrase and get it read to you, no matter how obscure. The downside? The audio is machine-generated (but generally accurate).
Youglish shows how words are pronounced (with multiple accents) in YouTube videos. Once you find a video, you can clip it on YouTube or Sonix. YouTube clips are at least 5 seconds long and shareable via a link, while Sonix clips can be shorter and are downloadable, in addition to being shareable via a link.
Alternatively, use your own audio: record yourself or someone else pronouncing a term or proper name, then upload it to your glossary.
Build multimedia glossaries
While it’s possible to create multimedia glossaries using Airtable and Notion, Interpreter’s Help is the only glossary tool for interpreters that supports multiple file formats.
To get started, set up your account. The free plan allows you to use the tool for up to 1,000 terms – more than enough for extensive testing.
(If you’re ready to upgrade to a professional plan, use the code ‘techforword’ to get 25% off.)
Next, head over to boothmate.app to access the app. Interpreter’s Help has undergone a major revamp, and the full migration is still in progress. For now, sign up here and access the glossary tool here.
(Not sure if you’re ready to switch? Check out my blog post on why you should stop using Excel or Word for interpreting glossaries.)
Create a glossary on Interpreter’s Help
Log in to Interpreter’s Help.
Click the plus sign in the upper right and select New glossary.
Add a name and a description (optional).
Choose your privacy settings: Decide if you want to make your glossary private or public.
In the Columns section, select the columns to include. If you’re using Interpreter’s Help for the first time, this section will be blank. You’ll add columns after creating the glossary.
Click Create glossary.
Add columns to your glossary
To add columns, click the Toggle Sidebar icon on the left, then select New Column in the sidebar that opens.
Select the column type – choose “text (language)” if you’re just adding terms – and give it a name (or label).
Repeat this process for as many columns as needed. (You won’t always have to create columns from scratch. For your next glossary, you can also pick from existing column labels.)
To rearrange columns, use the drag handle on the left sidebar.
To edit a column, click the pencil icon next to the column name. To hide it, click the eye icon.
Add entries to your glossary
After creating columns, hide the column sidebar by clicking the toggle sidebar button. Next, start adding your terms (or entries). You can do that manually or by importing terms from a file.
To add terms manually, press Enter on your keyboard or click the New entry button in the top left (highlighted in yellow below).
Then, type the words in their respective language columns and click Create.
To edit an entry, double-click the cell. You can cancel, save your edit, or remove the entry.
Import terms from a file
To import terms from a file, click More. The Import terms from file dialog box will appear.
Drag your file into the dialog box or browse your computer. You can currently import Word, Excel, OpenOffice, and CSV files.
Ensure the columns match (in number and order) in both the file and your digital glossary.
You’ll see a preview of the glossary with your imported entries. Click Import entries to confirm or Cancel import to cancel. If needed, you can also remove rows or edit cells before confirming.
Done adding entries? To sort terms in a column alphabetically, click the column name. (Click again to reverse the order.)
Note: Your Interpreter’s Help glossary can be a mix of manual and imported entries.
Add media to your glossary
Add images
To add images to your glossary, start by adding an image column. Select “Image” as the column type, and give it a label like Image or Photo.
Next, double-click an entry to add an image.
Drag and drop or browse your computer to find the image file, then click Save.
Sign language interpreter? Interpreter’s Help lets you embed GIFs into your glossary for instant access to signs. (Check out an example – including my very own sign name.)
Add audio
To add audio, create one or more audio columns. Choose “Audio” as the column type and add your label.
Drag and drop or browse your computer to find the audio file, then click Save.
Export and share
To export your glossary, click More and select Export to Excel or Print view & PDF export.
To share your glossary, click More, then choose Share.
From here, you can share with one or more colleagues who have an Interpreter’s Help account by entering their email address or username, or selecting them from a list of previous contributors.
To share with someone who doesn’t have an account, click Create shared link to generate a shareable link and QR code.
When you share a glossary, you can set contributor permissions (view only or editing) and choose the length of access, which you can update at any time.
Pro tip: Share a QR code with a colleague for easy access during an assignment. (Point your camera at the QR code above to see just how easy this is!)
Search a glossary
Interpreter’s Help uses incremental search, which means it searches across all entries and shows matching results as you type.
This helps you find the terms you're looking for faster than in a Word or Excel file. Plus, it’s case- and accent-sensitive, so you don’t need to worry about typing accent marks or special symbols to find an exact match.
Level up your glossary building
Multimedia glossaries aren’t just for sign language interpreters or those working on highly technical assignments – they can help all translators and interpreters boost understanding and retention, ensure accurate pronunciation, and save time.
Interpreter’s Help is the only interpreter-specific tool that lets you build, manage, search, and share multimedia glossaries. (It’s also one of my go-to apps for extracting terminology from texts, which you can read about here.)
Want to try adding audio or video to your glossary? Pick up a free account today, and take Interpreters’ Help for a spin. Or, use coupon code techforword to get 25% off the Premium plan.