# Spec Sheet Translation: Units and Numbers | Vitra.ai > A spec sheet is mostly numbers, which is exactly why it goes wrong. Units, separators, model codes and the difference between a measured value and a claim. **Canonical URL**: https://www.vitra.ai/consumer-electronics/electronics-spec-translation **Source**: This is the Markdown rendering of https://www.vitra.ai/consumer-electronics/electronics-spec-translation, generated at build time from that page. --- 4 min read # Spec Sheet Translation: Units and Numbers A spec sheet is mostly numbers, which is exactly why it goes wrong. Units, separators, model codes and the difference between a measured value and a claim. [Samhitha J Bhatt](https://www.vitra.ai/author/samhitha) Senior Product Manager , Vitra.ai Updated Aug 18, 2026 ![Spec Sheet Translation: Units and Numbers](https://www.vitra.ai/static/images/blog/electronics-spec-translation.jpg) Table of contents [The words are the easy part](#the-words-are-the-easy-part) [Where numbers go wrong](#where-numbers-go-wrong) [Model codes are not text](#model-codes-are-not-text) [Measured values and claims are different things](#measured-values-and-claims-are-different-things) [Keep one source](#keep-one-source) [FAQ](#faq) Contributors [Samhitha J Bhatt](https://www.vitra.ai/author/samhitha) Senior Product Manager Subscribe to our newsletter Subscribe > **Quick answer —** Most spec sheet errors are not in the words. They are in decimal separators, unit conventions, model codes that get translated, and marketing claims that need per-market qualification rather than a literal rendering.[Vitra.ai Universe](https://www.vitra.ai/platform) keeps one product vocabulary across box, app, page and video. ## The words are the easy part A specification table has few sentences and many values, so it looks like a low risk document. It is not, because the failure mode is silent — a wrong number reads perfectly and nobody proofreads a table of figures the way they proofread prose. ## Where numbers go wrong Item Failure Decimal separator Comma and point conventions differ by market Thousands separator Space, point or comma, and sometimes none Units Converted when they should not be, or not when they should Ranges Dash conventions change, values transpose Model codes Translated as if they were words Dates and formats Reordered into ambiguity The separator problem is the one that bites hardest, because 1.5 and 1,5 are the same value in different conventions and 1,500 is not. A number that passes through a generic translation step can be reformatted correctly, incorrectly, or inconsistently within the same table, and all three look plausible. ## Model codes are not text A model code, an SKU, a firmware version, a port designation and a standards name are all strings that must survive untouched. Put them on a [do-not-translate list](https://www.vitra.ai/general/do-not-translate-lists) and pin them, because they are exactly the kind of alphanumeric string a language model will try to be helpful about. The same applies to the product name itself, which is a separate decision covered in [product naming](https://www.vitra.ai/consumer-electronics/product-naming-across-markets). ## Measured values and claims are different things "Battery capacity 5,000 mAh" is a measurement. "Up to 30 hours of playback" is a claim, and claims are subject to different rules in different markets — the qualifying conditions that make the claim defensible often have to appear with it, and a translation that carries the headline number without the footnote has changed its legal character. Separate the two in the source. Measurements can flow through the pipeline; claims route to whoever approves marketing text in that market, and they should be flagged rather than assumed. A [workflow gate](https://www.vitra.ai/features/agentic-workflows) that parks claim strings for approval while the rest of the sheet continues is the practical shape of that. ## Keep one source Spec values usually live in a product information system, and the spec sheet, the [product page](https://www.vitra.ai/consumer-electronics/electronics-product-page-localization), the retailer feed and the manual should all draw from it rather than each carrying a copy. When they carry copies, a late change to a value propagates to some of them. [Quality control](https://www.vitra.ai/features/quality-control) can compare every localised value against the source record and flag the ones that drifted, which is the only check that scales past a handful of markets. Specs feeding storefronts and feeds is [e-commerce localization](https://www.vitra.ai/solutions/e-commerce-localization). ## FAQ **What is the most common spec sheet translation error?** Number formatting. Decimal and thousands separators differ by market, so a value can be reformatted correctly in one row and incorrectly in the next, and both look plausible in a table. **Should model codes be translated?** Never. Model codes, SKUs, firmware versions, port designations and standards names go on a do-not-translate list, because they are exactly what a translation step tries to be helpful with. **How should performance claims be handled?** Separately from measurements. A claim such as up to thirty hours of playback carries qualifying conditions, and markets differ on what must accompany it, so claims should route for local approval. **How do spec values stay consistent across assets?** By drawing the spec sheet, product page, retailer feed and manual from one product record rather than copies. Copies mean a late value change reaches some assets and not others. Our blog ## Lastest blog posts Tool and strategies modern teams need to help their companies grow. 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[Samhitha J Bhatt](https://www.vitra.ai/author/samhitha) Aug 18, 2026 [View all posts](https://www.vitra.ai/blog/page/1) --- ## Structured data ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.vitra.ai/consumer-electronics/electronics-spec-translation" }, "headline": "Spec Sheet Translation: Units and Numbers", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.vitra.ai/static/images/blog/electronics-spec-translation.jpg" } ], "datePublished": "2026-08-18T00:00:00.000Z", "dateModified": "2026-08-18T00:00:00.000Z", "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samhitha J Bhatt" } ], "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Vitra.ai", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.vitra.ai/static/images/vitra-v-logo.png" } }, "description": "A spec sheet is mostly numbers, which is exactly why it goes wrong. 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