Language code

Language codes are part of international standards such as ISO 639, which defines two- and three-letter abbreviations for languages (for example, en for English, fr for French, es for Spanish). They may also include regional locales – like en-US for US English or fr-CA for Canadian French – following the BCP 47 language tag convention.

In localization workflows, language codes ensure consistency across translation memories, file formats and content management systems. They make it possible to manage multilingual versions of the same asset efficiently and prevent misalignment between systems. RWS uses standardized language codes within its technology ecosystem – including Trados, Language Weaver and enterprise TMS solutions – to enable seamless content exchange and automation. This ensures that every translation is correctly mapped, versioned and delivered to the right audience.