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Terminology

Your glossary – ready to be used by humans and AI

Your brand language builds trust among your audiences thanks to a clearly defined corporate language. If you keep your terminology up to date and in an easily usable format, both human and artificial intelligence will benefit. In all your languages.

What is terminology, and how can we use it best?

Terminology refers to the full range of a company’s vocabulary – including industry-specific technical terms, product names, company names, brand names, divisions, departments, job titles, calls to action and more. Ideally, all these terms are collected in a well-structured glossary. This glossary should be accessible and user-friendly for all writers in the company. The managing and updating should be done by a single person or a small group of designated individuals.

Why is a glossary containing company terminology important?

Many of our clients tell us that products, services or processes are named or written inconsistently across their different departments. This leads to confusion and a great deal of unnecessary extra work. A lack of consistency in terminology is therefore not only a problem for the brand’s image, but also a significant issue in terms of time and expense.

That’s exactly why we at Diction support you with our action plan: “Plan. Create. Automate.” In the “planning” phase, we work with you to identify, refine, structure and develop your language data so it will be effective in every scenario. Not only when it comes to outsourcing translations or editing projects, but also for use within your own company.

How do you go about creating a glossary?

There are two main ways to create a company glossary.

Collecting terminology: You can collect terms organically over time, as they come up in your work. This way, your glossary will take shape gradually, but it’s important to keep it up to date consistently. Often however, there’s not enough time for maintenance work or too many people are involved without agreeing on clear rules. Companies that have built their corporate vocabulary organically over the years often ask us to add more languages to the glossary or to review it and tidy it up.

Extracting terminology: In other cases there is no terminology at all, or it’s outdated, disorganised and no longer useful. In this case, it makes sense to extract terminology directly from existing documents or the website. Ideally, this should cover all languages relevant to the company. It is essential that the resulting glossary is clearly structured and easy to use. Typically, the glossary is created in Excel. Sources, context, usage notes and status details (e.g., preferred, prohibited) should be included as well. We have created glossaries for many clients – most hadn’t realised what they were missing before. A comprehensive glossary of relevant company terminology used by all teams and departments, makes a real difference.

Expertise

Can you create a glossary for my company?

Of course, just get in touch with us. We can start from scratch, add new languages to your existing glossary or simply re-vamp it with updated terminology. Martina Fürlinger, Head of Language Consulting, is available to advise you at any time, no obligations on your part.

beratung@diction.ch
+41 81 750 53 33

How do you use your terminology for AI prompts and LLMs?

AI and LLMs are just like human writers in one respect: if there is no company-specific terminology, they default to generic wording. Your copywriters do their research before writing a brochure – AI does the same when it has clear rules to follow. Apply terminology properly – and your writing and translations become more accurate, more consistent and more efficient.

So, what is important when using AI for your texts or translations?

  • Create a glossary containing all important technical terms, proper names, product names and general terminology in your company’s preferred spelling. Even if it seems trivial, AI needs to know whether to write “client” or “customer”.
  • Create a style guide – and, if needed, a tone of voice guide – that clearly defines all writing formats, accepted abbreviations and conventions. If you always abbreviate the date (e.g., 09/10 instead of 9 October), make sure your AI is aware of it.
  • When it comes to glossaries and writing rules, remember that you need them for all the languages you work in, not just your primary one.
  • Provide your AI with examples and templates so you can prompt it with instructions like “Write in the same style as our newsletter”.

As you can see, terminology, glossaries, established spelling and formats are more relevant than ever in the age of AI. If you keep your corporate vocabulary and wording clear and up to date, AI and LLMs can deliver far greater value.

Are there any good tools for terminology management?

Yes, there are. With the right terminology tool, you can easily and securely create, manage and use your company vocabulary and corporate language. Constantly checking for the correct wording can be very time-consuming. That’s why everyone involved in content creation should have access to a terminology tool. The best solutions even let you define prohibited terms and usage guidelines.

So, what about the Diction terminology tool? It offers even more, and many of our clients already rely on it. Imagine working on a document where preferred, accepted or prohibited terms are automatically highlighted using a traffic-light system. What’s more, for yellow or red highlights, you’ll be offered suitable alternatives. Ensuring that everyone in your company speaks the same language has never been easier. You can present your brand in the best possible light, stand out clearly from the competition and ensure tasks are completed faster and more easily. The main goal of corporate language management is to ensure your company speaks with one consistent voice. Beyond brand image, it’s also about reducing costs and effort – something you can support by using efficient terminology management.

Can we interest you in free demonstration of our tool? It’s easy to use and will help you manage your corporate language in an integrated, comprehensive way.