Akan interpreters and translators for Ghanaian families, solicitors, NHS trusts, schools and councils anywhere in the UK. We provide face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting in Twi and Fante, certified translation between Akan and English, and we take bookings 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
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Akan interpreting services
Akan is one language with several spoken forms, and most speakers from Ghana understand Asante Twi, which is heard in markets and on radio across the south of the country. That does not make every interpreter a good fit. A Fante speaker from the coast may follow Asante Twi comfortably in conversation and still want Fante for a statement to the police or a hard conversation with a consultant. Ask the person which they would choose, and pass the answer to us when you book.
Consecutive interpreting suits most Akan appointments. Many speakers mix English words into their Akan, especially for dates, money and medical terms, so the interpreter checks that a word which sounds English is being used in its English sense.
Face-to-face interpreting
The interpreter comes to you: a hospital ward, a courtroom, a council office, a home visit or a business meeting. It is the best choice when people need to read expressions as well as words, or when the conversation is long or sensitive.
Telephone interpreting
The quickest option to set up. It works well for short calls, triage, appointment reminders and quick checks with a client.
Video interpreting
A Akan interpreter joins by video for remote hearings, consultations and meetings, which helps when there is no interpreter near you.
We also provide medical interpreting and conference interpreting.
Certified Akan translation
Because Ghana's certificates, passports, school results and court papers are issued in English, most people do not need them translated at all. Our Akan translation work tends to be the material that never passed through an office: handwritten letters, WhatsApp messages, voice notes and recorded calls used as evidence, and family papers about land or a funeral. Recordings are transcribed in Akan first, then translated, so both versions can be checked.
Each translator works into their native language, so Akan to English goes to a native English speaker. Written Akan does not mark tone, and some words look the same on the page while meaning different things, which is one reason we translate from context and flag anything genuinely ambiguous.
- Certified translation of birth, marriage and death certificates, passports, driving licences, degree certificates and bank statements, for the Home Office, courts, universities and employers.
- Legal translation: witness statements, court bundles, contracts and immigration papers.
- Document translation of medical reports, letters, leaflets and patient information.
- Urgent translation when a deadline is close.
- Transcription of Akan audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Akan translation
For leaflets, health messages or letters to Ghanaian readers in the UK, Asante Twi reaches the most people, and we use the unified Akan spelling with the letters ɛ and ɔ. If the readers are known to come from the Cape Coast area, a Fante version is better received. Keep the text short and concrete; many older readers are more at home with spoken Akan than with reading it.
Akan court and police interpreters
Akan comes up in magistrates' and crown courts, family courts and tribunals, and in solicitors' offices long before any hearing. For these bookings we choose Akan interpreters with legal experience and, where Akan interpreters holding them can be found, the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or NRPSI registration (the National Register of Public Service Interpreters). The interpreter should know in advance whether the witness speaks Twi or Fante, and whether the recordings or messages in the bundle have already been translated.
How to book an Akan interpreter
- Tell us about the assignment: the date, time and address, or that you need telephone or video; how long it should last; and what it is for, such as a hospital appointment, a hearing or a business meeting.
- Tell us about the speaker: their country or region and, if you know it, their dialect. Mention any preference for a male or female interpreter.
- Get your quote. We email you a quote, with no obligation to book.
Call 0800 2425 125, email info@uklinguisticservices.co.uk or request a quote online.
About the Akan language
Akan is a Kwa language of the Niger-Congo family, spoken mainly in Ghana and eastern Côte d'Ivoire.
Akan is written in the Latin alphabet. Varieties include Asante Twi, Akuapem Twi and Fante.
At the 2021 Census, 19,757 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Akan as their main language. The local authorities with the most were the London borough of Croydon (1,010 people), Milton Keynes (914) and the London borough of Enfield (853). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Akan has three written standards, Asante Twi, Akuapem Twi and Fante. Tell us which one a document is written in, or which the speaker uses.
| Language family | Kwa language of the Niger-Congo family |
|---|---|
| Where it is spoken | Ghana and eastern Côte d'Ivoire |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet |
| Language code | ak |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 19,757 people |
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Akan interpreters near you
We send Akan interpreters to appointments across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and telephone and video interpreting work wherever you are. Choose a town for its local page.
Akan interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book an Akan interpreter?
We take bookings 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Telephone and video interpreting are usually the quickest to arrange. For a face-to-face appointment, give us as much notice as you can: same-day cover is often possible, but it depends on where you are and how many Akan interpreters work nearby.
How much does an Akan interpreter cost?
The price depends on the type of interpreting (face-to-face, telephone or video), how long the appointment lasts, where it is and how much notice you give. We quote before anything is booked, and quotes are free: call 0800 2425 125 or use our online quote form.
Does the Akan dialect matter when booking an interpreter?
It can. Akan varieties include Asante Twi, Akuapem Twi and Fante. Tell us where the speaker is from, or the dialect they use, so the interpreter is a good match for them.
Can you certify Akan translations for a UK visa or immigration application?
Yes. We translate and certify documents such as birth and marriage certificates, passports and police certificates for visa, settlement and citizenship applications. UK Visas and Immigration asks for each translation to confirm that it is accurate and to show the date and the translator's full name, signature and contact details, so tell us when you order that the document is for an immigration application.
Do you provide Akan interpreters for courts, tribunals and police interviews?
Yes. Tell us the setting when you book, for example a Crown Court trial, an immigration tribunal hearing or a police interview under caution, so we can match an Akan interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Akan in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 19,757 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Akan as their main language. The local authorities with the most were the London borough of Croydon (1,010 people), Milton Keynes (914) and the London borough of Enfield (853). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Akan at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
