DeepL Spanish to English Translation Guide & Alternative Tool

What is DeepL

DeepL is one of the most talked-about AI translation engines, with users boasting about its precision and natural-sounding translations. Through neural networks and deep learning models, it understands sentence structure, tone, and the surrounding context much better than traditional translators. DeepL captures nuance or tone, or grammar accurately, and is also useful for professional use, educational use, or just plain everyday use. It can handle multiple languages—Spanish, English, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, and others, dramatically speeding up the translation process while providing an accurate element shot of a document or text type.

Types of content DeepL handles

Text-based translation (Real-time input)

Translate plain text or sentences instantly by typing or pasting into the web interface. DeepL supports grammar-aware translation, adapting tone and formality when switching languages.

STEP 1
1. Go to DeepL.com

Open your web browser and go to DeepL.com. The interface is clean and intuitive, allowing you to start translating immediately. If you're translating Spanish to English, this is your go-to starting point.

STEP 2
1. Choose source (Spanish) and target (English) languages

Use the dropdown menus at the top of the page to select "Spanish" as the source language and "English" as the target language.

STEP 3
1. Paste or type your Spanish text

Enter your Spanish content in the input box on the left. DeepL will begin to translate Spanish to English in real time on the right side. Whether you're translating a sentence or a full paragraph, the AI ensures fluid, context-aware output.

Document translation

Upload documents in formats like .docx, .pptx, and .pdf for full-document translation. Preserves formatting (e.g., bullet points, headings, spacing). Pro version ensures confidentiality (data isn't stored or reused).

STEP 1
1. Visit DeepL and choose "Translate files"

Go to DeepL.com and click on the "Translate files" tab beside the "Translate text" option. This allows you to upload .pdf, .docx, or .pptx files for full document translation.

STEP 2
1. Set source and target languages

From the drop-down menus, select Spanish as the source language and English (American) as the target. Then click "Select from your computer" to upload your Spanish-language document.

STEP 3
1. Start the translation

Once the file uploads, DeepL will display the file name and confirm the language pair (Spanish → English). Click the "Translate into English (American)" button to begin the AI-powered document translation.

STEP 4
1. Download the translated document

When the translation is complete, it will automatically download the file to your computer, and you'll see a confirmation along with a "Download again" link.

Website translation (via Browser extensions)

Translate entire web pages on the fly using DeepL browser extensions (available for Chrome and Edge). Automatically detects and translates content while maintaining the layout.

STEP 1
1. Install the DeepL extension

Go to the Chrome Web Store or Microsoft Edge Add-ons store and search for the DeepL Translator extension. Click "Add to Chrome" (or Edge) and complete the installation. The extension icon will appear in your browser toolbar.

STEP 2
1. Open the web page you want to translate

Navigate to the desired website that’s in a foreign language (e.g., Spanish). Click the DeepL extension icon, and it will automatically detect the page language.

Limitations of DeepL for translation

• Lacks multimedia translation support: While DeepL handles text and documents effectively, it does not support translating video subtitles, audio, or images with embedded text, limiting use cases for content creators.
• No visual content editing: DeepL cannot embed or style translated text within presentations, posters, or video templates. You'll need external tools like CapCut desktop for post-translation design and visuals.
• Limited customization for informal or creative tone: DeepL excels at formal translations but may lack flexibility when translating slang, humor, or idiomatic expressions, which require manual refinement.
• Not designed for real-time collaboration: DeepL doesn't offer shared editing, live comments, or version control, features that are essential for teams working on multilingual content projects.

If you need to translate Spanish to English in your video creation to make your video more global, CapCut is a good choice because it provides a powerful bilingual caption function and various advanced video editing functions. Let's learn about CapCut.

Translate Spanish to English in a video using CapCut

Translating Spanish to English in a video is now easier and quicker than ever with the CapCut desktop video editor. Thanks to CapCut's powerful auto caption generator, we can detect and transcribe the Spanish speech in your video in 1 click. The bilingual captions tool can automatically convert what you have transcribed as Spanish into fluent English captions, enabling you to create dual-language videos in no time. You can even manually adjust the font, timing, and placement for the utmost customization. It doesn't matter if you are making social content, tutorials, or presentations to a global audience. CapCut allows you to share your content to the widest possible audience without the obstacle of language.

Key features

• Auto caption generator: CapCut supports automatic caption transcription in 23 languages from video or audio, including Spanish and English.
• Bilingual caption conversion: Easily convert Spanish captions to English(or vice versa) within the platform to create dual-language subtitles for global audiences.
• Manual caption editing for translated text: Fine-tune translated English captions by adjusting timing, font, and positioning independently for each language.
• Export in multiple caption formats: Download your subtitles in widely supported caption formats like SRT and TXT, ready for use across video platforms or documentation tools.

Translate Spanish to English using CapCut's bilingual captions

STEP 1
1. Import your video

Start by launching CapCut on your desktop. Click the "Import" button at the top-left to upload your Spanish-language video. Drag the video into the timeline to begin editing.

STEP 2
1. Translate Spanish to English in a video

Go to the "Captions" tab and select Auto Captions. Choose Spanish (Latam) as the spoken language. Then enable "Bilingual captions" and select English as the translation language. Click "Generate" to automatically create Spanish subtitles with English translations underneath. Once the English captions are generated, you can edit them with fonts, size, and positions.

STEP 3
1. Export video or captions

Once you've finished editing, hit the "Export" button on the top right. Choose your desired resolution, format, and frame rate. You can export the final video with embedded bilingual captions or download the subtitle file separately if needed for other platforms.

Tips to improve accuracy in Spanish to English translation

Here are tips to improve accuracy in Spanish to English translation, especially when using AI tools like DeepL or CapCut's bilingual captions:

• Simplify complex Spanish sentences: Divide lengthy and complex sentences into shorter, simpler phrases. This will help translation engines consider the phrasing and structure more accurately, and decrease the likelihood of meaning getting mistranslated. For best results, avoid overly poetic or nested phrases.
• Avoid regional slang or idioms: Many AI translators have difficulty translating localized expressions or idioms that are only used in certain regions of the Spanish-speaking world. As an alternative, use more commonly understood phrases to achieve uniformity and clarity in the English translation.
• Use gender-neutral and formal language: Neutral and formal wording tends to translate more accurately because it avoids ambiguity and cultural nuance. Using standard terms also improves compatibility with professional or academic translation contexts.
• Provide context or subject tags: Whenever possible, add a subject or context clue (like legal, medical, or educational) to your input. This helps the AI know which vocabulary and tone to associate with, especially for translations that are very domain-specific.
• Proofread or use a bilingual reviewer: After auto-translation, review the output for grammar, tone, and cultural appropriateness. If available, have a bilingual speaker double-check the content to catch subtle errors or unintended meanings.

Conclusion

DeepL is a great option for translating from Spanish to English as it provides intelligent translations in text documents, documents, and even web pages, taking into account grammar. However, DeepL does not offer support for translating multimedia, like videos. That's where CapCut desktop comes in, which offers a comprehensive suite of powerful tools for auto captioning, bilingual translation, and multilingual subtitle editing. If you use CapCut, you can leverage your translated video content. Download CapCut and start translating now!

FAQs

1
1. How accurate is DeepL when translating from Spanish to English?

DeepL provides a precise and contextual translation that is often better at presenting tone and keeping grammar correct than other tools. DeepL would be particularly suitable for professional or academic work. For video subtitles, however, DeepL doesn't offer direct support. If you are translating a Spanish-speaking voice into videos, CapCut desktop is a better fit because it provides auto-detection of language, as well as bilingual captions that appear to be accurate and easy to edit.

2
1. Can I translate a Spanish video to English using DeepL?

No, DeepL does not support video translations (translation from video to subtitles). It only supports translation of text, documents, and websites. If you want to translate a Spanish-language video to English, you will need software like CapCut desktop, which will automatically transcribe the video into captions and translate them into the chosen language.

3
1. What export formats does DeepL support for translated subtitles?

It's important to point out that DeepL does not allow exporting subtitles. It allows exporting translated text and documents as .docx and .pdf, but it does not have anything specific for subtitles where you can export. If you are looking to export translated subtitles, CapCut desktop is able to export translated subtitles in SRT and TXT format.