diff --git a/wagtail_localize/models.py b/wagtail_localize/models.py
index f983a3d2..0be9e551 100644
--- a/wagtail_localize/models.py
+++ b/wagtail_localize/models.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import json
+import re
 import uuid
 
 import polib
@@ -69,6 +70,9 @@
 from .tasks import background
 
 
+WHITESPACE_RE = re.compile(r"[ \t\n\f\r]+")
+
+
 def pk(obj):
     """
     A helper that gets the primary key of a model instance if one is passed in.
@@ -1456,10 +1460,13 @@ def from_value(cls, locale, stringvalue):
         Returns:
             String: The String instance that corresponds with the given stringvalue and locale.
         """
+
+        data = re.sub(WHITESPACE_RE, " ", stringvalue.data)
+
         string, created = cls.objects.get_or_create(
             locale_id=pk(locale),
-            data_hash=cls._get_data_hash(stringvalue.data),
-            defaults={"data": stringvalue.data},
+            data_hash=cls._get_data_hash(data),
+            defaults={"data": data},
         )
 
         return string
@@ -1707,6 +1714,11 @@ def from_text(cls, translation_of, locale, context, data):
         Returns:
             String: The String instance that corresponds with the given stringvalue and locale.
         """
+
+        # normalise whitespace sequences to a single space unless whitespace is contained in <pre> tag,
+        # in which case, leave it alone
+        # This is in line with https://www.w3.org/TR/html4/struct/text.html#h-9.1
+
         segment, created = cls.objects.get_or_create(
             translation_of=translation_of,
             locale_id=pk(locale),
diff --git a/wagtail_localize/tests/test_translationsource_model.py b/wagtail_localize/tests/test_translationsource_model.py
index 1baee3a9..f49248cc 100644
--- a/wagtail_localize/tests/test_translationsource_model.py
+++ b/wagtail_localize/tests/test_translationsource_model.py
@@ -614,6 +614,31 @@ def test_convert_alias(self):
         )
 
 
+class TestStringNormalization(TestCase):
+    def test_whitespace_normalization(self):
+        # Test normalization of whitespace characters
+        string_value = StringValue(
+            "This is a  test with   multiple spaces\tand\ttabs\nand\nnew\nlines"
+        )
+        normalized_string = string_value.normalize_whitespace()
+        self.assertEqual(
+            normalized_string,
+            "This is a test with multiple spaces and tabs and new lines",
+        )
+
+    def test_unicode_normalization(self):
+        # Test normalization of unicode characters
+        string_value = StringValue("Café")
+        normalized_string = string_value.normalize_unicode()
+        self.assertEqual(normalized_string, "Cafe")
+
+    def test_combined_normalization(self):
+        # Test combined normalization of whitespace and unicode characters
+        string_value = StringValue("Café\twith\nnew\nlines\nand  multiple   spaces")
+        normalized_string = string_value.normalize()
+        self.assertEqual(normalized_string, "Cafe with new lines and multiple spaces")
+
+
 class TestCreateOrUpdateTranslationForSnippet(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.snippet = TestSnippet.objects.create(