Glossary conflicts happen when two or more glossary rules overlap, contradict each other, or cause inconsistent translations during a job. This can lead to incorrect terms in your output, especially if you’re translating into multiple languages or using both AI and traditional providers.
1. How glossary conflicts occur
Same source term, different target translations in different glossaries.
Example: “Spring” → “Lente” in Glossary A but “Spring” → “Veer” in Glossary B.
Overlapping phrases where one glossary term is part of another.
Example: “Apple” and “Apple Watch” may create unexpected replacements.
Duplicate terms in the same glossary — this can confuse the provider’s logic.
Provider-specific limitations — DeepL applies strict glossary rules, while ChatGPT interprets them as instructions, meaning conflicting instructions can result in unpredictable output.
2. Detecting conflicts
Before running a job – Review glossary entries when creating or editing them. Elovate does not automatically detect duplicates, so a manual check is important.
After running a job – If translations look inconsistent, check the glossary that was applied to that job and see if there’s a term clash.
3. Resolving glossary conflicts
Merge and clean up – Keep only one definitive glossary for each language pair to avoid overlap.
Use precise, non-overlapping terms – For example, replace “Apple” with “Apple (brand)” if needed, to differentiate from the fruit.
Prioritize one glossary per job – Avoid assigning multiple glossaries unless you’re certain they don’t overlap.
Test with a small job – If you must use two glossaries, test a few items before running large-scale translations.
4. Best practices to avoid future conflicts
Maintain a master glossary per language pair and update it regularly.
Assign one person in your team as glossary owner to ensure consistent changes.
Document terminology decisions in your team so all members know why certain translations are used.
For AI providers like ChatGPT, use the “additional instructions” field in the job to reinforce glossary priorities.
5. If conflicts still cause errors
If you notice a provider consistently ignoring certain glossary entries:
DeepL – Check if the glossary is linked to the correct source and target language.
ChatGPT – Adjust your prompt to explicitly state “Always use glossary terms exactly as listed.”
If issues persist, contact Elovate Support and provide the glossary file plus an example of the incorrect output so we can investigate.