Are Cat Tools and TEnTs the same thing? If not, where is the difference? | Basically the same

Forum: CAT Tools Technical Help
Topic: Are Cat Tools and TEnTs the same thing? If not, where is the difference?
Poster: Kevin Dias
Post title: Basically the same

TEnT (translation environment tool) was a name coined by Jost Zetzsche as the term CAT tool is very broad and covers "numerous families of software tools that translators use for their work", while what translators generally are referring to when they say CAT tool is something more specific, a "translation memory tool". However, Jost thought "translation memory tool" was short-changing what the tools were capable of, thus he coined the term TEnT.

Technically speaking a CAT tool is a more broad and imprecise term than a TEnT tool (i.e. a spell checker could be classified as a CAT tool), but in reality most in the translation industry when they say "CAT tool" they are talking about the more narrow definition (i.e. a TEnT tool). To be honest, "TEnT tool" was never really widely adopted and everyone just says "CAT tool".

For more details see these resources:

- Tool Kit * Playing the Name Game by Jost Zetzsche
- transdraft University Course #1 - CAT Tools
- Poll: Which term do you prefer: TEnTs or CAT tools?
- Wikipedia - Computer-assisted translation

Kevin