A client writes to the agency: "We need an interpreter for a negotiation, please quote a price." The answer comes back with a question of its own - which type of interpreting: simultaneous, consecutive, whispered, or liaison? The difference is not obvious by ear, yet the choice affects both the budget and whether the schedule holds. Overpaying is a real worry - what if a booth and a pair of simultaneous interpreters turn out to be overkill for a meeting of three people. Saving in the wrong place is just as risky - what if a conference with a tight schedule stalls because interpreting took twice as long as planned.
Below is how to tell the formats apart in a minute, which events each one suits, and what to look at when choosing. If you need document translation rather than interpreting live speech, this article is not about that: translation is priced per standard page, and its page is here.
The four formats in brief
Before getting into detail, here is the difference in short - enough to tell you which section to read next.
- Simultaneous. The interpreter speaks at the same time as the speaker, a few seconds behind. Listeners wear headphones, and the speech never stops. Requires a booth or compact equipment, and a pair of interpreters.
- Consecutive. The speaker talks, pauses, and the interpreter repeats what was said in the other language. No equipment needed, but the event runs roughly twice as long.
- Whispered. Essentially the same as simultaneous interpreting, just without a booth: the interpreter murmurs directly into the ear of one or two listeners, or uses a compact whisper-set for a slightly larger group.
- Liaison. The interpreter accompanies a person or a small group - at a trade show, in negotiations, on a tour - and translates short phrases as things happen, with no fixed structure.
Simultaneous interpreting: no pauses, but a booth and a pair of interpreters
A format for conferences, forums, and events with a tight agenda, where doubling the time for interpreting pauses is not an option. The interpreter speaks in the other language at the same time as the speaker, a few seconds behind, and listeners hear the speech through headphones without noticing that interpreting is even happening.
That kind of load - listening and speaking at once, constantly rebuilding each sentence for a different grammar - can only be sustained for a limited time. In the booth, interpreters switch every 20-30 minutes: what drops after that is not willingness to work but accuracy, and numbers and proper names are the first casualties. That is why simultaneous interpreters always work in pairs - there is no such thing as one interpreter covering an eight-hour day alone. Interpreting into Russian is more demanding still: Russian text tends to run longer than English, so the interpreter has to keep compressing the sentence.
What this means for the client. The per-shift rate on the simultaneous interpreting page pays for a team of two interpreters, not one person. Trying to cut the budget by booking a single simultaneous interpreter for the whole day will not work with any reputable agency.
Interpreting runs either through a fixed booth or a compact infrared system - both are covered in the simultaneous interpreting equipment catalog. Booth requirements were recently updated: the old ISO 2603:2016 has been withdrawn, and since 2024 ISO 17651-1:2024 applies to fixed booths and ISO 17651-2:2024 to mobile ones, though part of the market still refers to the earlier standards out of habit.
Consecutive interpreting: takes longer, but needs no equipment
The speaker delivers a few sentences or a paragraph, stops, and the interpreter repeats what was said in the other language. The event effectively runs in two versions back to back, taking roughly twice as long as it would without interpreting at all.
In exchange, the format asks nothing of the equipment: no booth, no headphones, no transmitters - it is the work of one interpreter, not a pair, since the "listen and speak at once" load simply is not there. That makes consecutive interpreting noticeably cheaper than simultaneous: for example, in English an up-to-4-hour shift costs from RUB 20,000, against RUB 32,000 for simultaneous.
The format suits negotiations, small business meetings, and formal talks with a limited number of participants - situations where a pause for interpreting does not get in the way and can even help, giving both sides time to think over what was said. For a conference with a tightly packed schedule of talks, though, it is a trap: the program is timed for one duration, and reality takes twice as long.
Whispered interpreting: chuchotage for one or two guests
Classic chuchotage (French for "whispering") is essentially the same as simultaneous interpreting: the interpreter listens and speaks at the same time, under the same load that requires a switch every 20-30 minutes. The difference is in delivery: the interpreter sits next to one or two listeners and speaks in a low voice, with no booth and no equipment. The typical case is one or two foreign guests at a meeting where the rest of the audience already understands the event's language.
In terms of price it is also simultaneous interpreting: the same per-shift rate, minus the cost of equipment. For a slightly larger group - a delegation of five to ten people, say - a compact whisper-set is added: a transmitter and receivers that remove the need to stand right next to every listener.
| Whisper-set | Capacity | Price per day |
|---|---|---|
| Small group | 1-10 people | RUB 4,000 |
| Medium group | up to 25 people | RUB 6,000 |
| Large group | up to 50 people | RUB 8,000 |
Beyond fifty people, whispered interpreting stops being practical - it makes more sense to switch to a full simultaneous system. Whisper-set contents are on the whisper-set equipment page, and more on the format is on the whispered interpreting page.
Liaison interpreting: accompanying a trade show, negotiations, a tour
A format for situations where interpreting does not happen on a stage or at a negotiating table on a set schedule, but as things unfold: the interpreter accompanies a person or a small group and translates in short exchanges - at an exhibition stand, in negotiations that move from office to office, on a plant tour, or over the course of a delegation's day that alternates between meetings and travel between them.
What sets liaison interpreting apart from consecutive interpreting on a stage is precisely its lack of structure: there is no clear "speaker - pause - interpreting" cycle, but the interpreter stays close by and steps in whenever needed. More detail is on the liaison interpreting page, where you can also check pricing for a specific meeting format, since it depends on the length and number of days of accompaniment.
Comparison table: all four formats side by side
If you need a quick comparison, here are all four formats in one table. Prices are for the English-language rate; the full price list for other languages is on the simultaneous and consecutive interpreting pages.
| Format | Number of listeners | Equipment needed | Effect on timing | Price list rate (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous | practically unlimited - works for a hall of any size | yes, a booth or compact system, plus headphones for every listener | none, interpreting runs in real time | from RUB 32,000 (4 h) / from RUB 45,000 (8 h) |
| Consecutive | no strict limit, usually a small audience | no | roughly doubles the length of the event | from RUB 20,000 (4 h) / from RUB 35,000 (8 h) |
| Whispered | 1-2 people without equipment, up to 50 with a whisper-set | optional; for a group, a whisper-set from RUB 4,000 to RUB 8,000 per day | none, interpreting runs in real time | same as simultaneous interpreting (same per-shift rate) |
| Liaison | usually one person or a small group | no | stretches the schedule unpredictably, depending on the number of stops | quoted based on the meeting's format and length |
How to choose a format in three questions
Before calling the agency, it helps to answer three questions for yourself - that is usually enough to know which services section to look at next.
- How many people are listening to the interpreting at once? One or two - whispered interpreting without equipment is enough. A small group where time is not critical - consecutive interpreting. A full hall, or several languages at once - simultaneous.
- Is there a strict timing? If talks are scheduled back to back, consecutive interpreting will break the program - it doubles the time of every presentation. Simultaneous interpreting has no effect on timing.
- How formal is the event? An official conference with delegations usually calls for simultaneous interpreting - continuous, with no pauses. A working meeting, an exhibition stand, or a site visit can be handled with liaison interpreting or chuchotage - there is no need to pay extra for a booth.
A separate case is when part of the audience listens remotely rather than in the hall. That adds one more question - how to deliver interpreting to those joining online: covered on the online interpreting and hybrid events page.
Common mistakes when choosing a format
Two situations come up more often than the rest.
Simultaneous for a three-person negotiation. A client books a booth and a pair of interpreters for a meeting with two foreign guests at one table - booth, equipment, a full simultaneous shift. Yet chuchotage covers the whole task: the same mode of interpreting, but without renting a system or a booth that would not even fit in the meeting room anyway.
Consecutive for a conference with a packed agenda. The opposite mistake: an organizer saves on equipment and books consecutive interpreting for a forum with a dozen scheduled speakers. By lunchtime the program is running a couple of hours behind - every talk on stage is effectively delivered twice. Fixing the schedule after the fact is nearly impossible: the decision had to be made when the format was chosen, not the equipment.
Bottom line. Before asking for a price, answer the three questions above - the number of listeners, how strict the timing is, and the event's formality. The format they point to almost always matches what the agency will suggest on the first call.
Frequently asked questions
Can several formats be combined at one event?
Yes, this is common practice. The plenary session with presentations is interpreted simultaneously, while working meetings with a delegation in the corridors or over lunch are handled by a liaison interpreter, with no booth and no headphones.
How is whispered interpreting different from liaison interpreting?
In the mode of work. Whispered interpreting runs in real time, without pauses, just like in the booth, only without equipment and straight into the listener's ear. Liaison interpreting moves in bursts: the interpreter listens to a phrase, waits for a pause, and translates - closer to consecutive interpreting, only without a stage or a set structure.
Is whispered interpreting enough for an event with 100-150 people?
No. A whisper-set is rated for 50 people at most - a larger audience needs a full simultaneous system, catalogued in the simultaneous interpreting equipment section.
What if some guests will listen to the interpreting from home or the office rather than the hall?
There is a separate scenario for that - a hybrid event, where part of the audience connects remotely through the RSI X remote simultaneous interpreting platform. More on such formats is on the online interpreting page.
What to do next
To pick a format and work out a quote, the agency needs four things: the number of listeners, how strict the timing is, how formal the event is, and the language. After that, all that is left is to open the right page - simultaneous, consecutive, whispered, or liaison interpreting.
If the format is already clear - write to us with the date, number of participants, and languages, and we will work out an exact quote. If you are unsure, start with the all interpreting formats section, where you can compare the formats again and see ready-made price lists.
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