diff --git a/lib/helpers.rb b/lib/helpers.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..669bdec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/helpers.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+module Helpers
+  
+  def self.normalize_yaml(yaml)
+    return '' if yaml.nil?
+    return yaml if yaml.is_a? String
+    return yaml.to_s if yaml.is_a? Numeric
+    return yaml.to_s if !!yaml == yaml # if boolean
+    return ":#{yaml.to_s}" if yaml.is_a? Symbol
+    yaml = array_to_hash(yaml) if yaml.is_a? Array
+    
+    normalized = {}
+    yaml.each do |key, value|
+      normalized[key] = normalize_yaml(value)
+    end
+    normalized
+  end
+  
+  def self.array_to_hash(array)
+    hash = {}
+    array.each_with_index { |val, i| hash[i.to_s] = val }
+    hash
+  end
+  
+end
diff --git a/lib/yaml-validator.rb b/lib/yaml-validator.rb
index 4092457..2c330aa 100644
--- a/lib/yaml-validator.rb
+++ b/lib/yaml-validator.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 require 'yaml'
 require 'yaml-validator/version'
+require_relative './helpers'
 
 class YamlValidator
   
@@ -7,12 +8,19 @@ def initialize(root_path)
     @root_path = root_path
   end
   
-  def en_with_vars
+  def en
+    return @en unless @en.nil?
+
     fullpath = File.join(@root_path, 'en.yml')
     return nil unless File.exists?(fullpath)
 
-    @en ||= YAML.load_file(fullpath)['en']
-    @en_with_vars ||= get_all_variables(@en)
+    @en = YAML.load_file(fullpath)['en']
+    @en = Helpers.normalize_yaml(@en)
+  end
+  
+  def en_with_vars
+    return nil if en.nil?
+    @en_with_vars ||= get_all_variables(en)
   end
   
   def validate()
@@ -22,6 +30,7 @@ def validate()
     yml_files = File.join(@root_path, '*.yml')
     errors = []
     Dir[yml_files].each do |filename|
+      next if File.basename(filename) == 'en.yml'
       errors.concat validate_yaml(filename)
     end
     errors
@@ -29,20 +38,29 @@ def validate()
   
   def validate_yaml(filepath)
     filename = File.basename(filepath)
+    puts "Validating #{filepath}"
     
     begin
       yaml_object = YAML.load_file(filepath)
     rescue Psych::SyntaxError => e
       return [e.message.sub(/^\([^)]+\)/, filename)]
     end
+    
     yaml_object = yaml_object[yaml_object.keys[0]]
+    yaml_object = Helpers.normalize_yaml(yaml_object)
     errors = validate_yaml_object('', yaml_object)
+    errors.concat find_missing_translations(yaml_object)
     
     errors.map { |err| "#{filename}: #{err}" }
   end
   
   def validate_yaml_object(full_key, yaml_object)
+    return [] if yaml_object.nil?
     errors = []
+    
+    puts "full_key = #{full_key}"
+    puts "yaml_object = #{yaml_object}"
+
     yaml_object.each do |key, value|
       full_subkey = (full_key.empty?) ? key : "#{full_key}.#{key}"
       if value.is_a? String
@@ -54,6 +72,41 @@ def validate_yaml_object(full_key, yaml_object)
     errors
   end
   
+  def find_missing_translations(yaml_object)
+    find_missing_translations_in_en_object('', en, yaml_object)
+  end
+  
+  def find_missing_translations_in_en_object(full_key, en_yaml_object, yaml_object)
+    return [] if en_yaml_object.nil?
+    errors = []
+    
+    en_yaml_object.each do |key, value|
+      full_subkey = (full_key.empty?) ? key : "#{full_key}.#{key}"
+      if value.is_a? String or value.is_a? Symbol
+        if self.class.find_key_in_yaml_object(full_subkey, yaml_object).nil?
+          errors << "missing translation for #{full_subkey} ('#{value}')"
+        end
+      else
+        errors.concat find_missing_translations_in_en_object(full_subkey, value, yaml_object)
+      end
+    end
+    errors
+  end
+  
+  def self.find_key_in_yaml_object(full_key, yaml_object)
+    position = yaml_object
+    full_key.split('.').each do |key|
+      return nil unless position.is_a? Hash
+      position = position[key]
+    end
+    
+    if position.is_a? String or position.is_a? Symbol
+      position
+    else
+      nil
+    end
+  end
+  
   def validate_item(full_key, value)
     real_vars = get_key_en_vars(full_key)
     if real_vars.nil?
@@ -86,10 +139,14 @@ def get_key_en_vars(full_key)
   end
   
   def get_all_variables(yaml_object)
+    return {} if yaml_object.nil?
     with_vars = {}
+    
     yaml_object.each do |key, value|
       if value.is_a? String
         with_vars[key] = identify_variables(value)
+      elsif value.is_a? Symbol
+        with_vars[key] = {}
       else
         with_vars[key] = get_all_variables(value)
       end
@@ -100,5 +157,6 @@ def get_all_variables(yaml_object)
   def identify_variables(string)
     string.scan(/%{([^}]+)}/).map { |v| v[0] }
   end
+  
 end
 
diff --git a/pkg/yaml-validator-0.0.1.gem b/pkg/yaml-validator-0.0.1.gem
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d7f9b4e
Binary files /dev/null and b/pkg/yaml-validator-0.0.1.gem differ
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/missing_translations/en.yml b/spec/fixtures/missing_translations/en.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..278b5ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/missing_translations/en.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+en:
+  key1: 'value1'
+  parent1:
+    subkey1: 'value1'
+  key2: 'value2'
+  parent2:
+    key3: 'value3'
+  parent3:
+    - one
+    - :two
+    - three
+    -
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/missing_translations/he.yml b/spec/fixtures/missing_translations/he.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f2fd5a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/missing_translations/he.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+he:
+  key1: 'value1'
+  parent1:
+    subkey1: 'value1'
+  parent3:
+    - 1
+    - heb two
diff --git a/spec/helpers_spec.rb b/spec/helpers_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91ba97e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/helpers_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+require_relative '../lib/helpers'
+
+describe Helpers do
+  describe "#normalize_yaml" do
+    it "converts symbols to strings (with ':' prefix)" do
+      yaml = { 'key3' => :bob }
+
+      Helpers.normalize_yaml(yaml).should == {
+        'key3' => ':bob'
+      }
+    end
+
+    it "converts nil to ''" do
+      yaml = { 'key3' => nil }
+      Helpers.normalize_yaml(yaml).should == {
+        'key3' => ''
+      }
+    end
+    
+    it "converts numbers to string" do
+      yaml = { 'key3' => 123 }
+      Helpers.normalize_yaml(yaml).should == {
+        'key3' => '123'
+      }
+    end
+    
+    it "converts booleans to string" do
+      yaml = { 'key3' => true }
+      Helpers.normalize_yaml(yaml).should == {
+        'key3' => 'true'
+      }
+    end
+    
+    it "converts arrays to hashes" do
+      yaml = { 'key1' => 'value1',
+        'key2' => [ 'value2', nil, :bla ],
+        'parent1' => { 'key3' => [ :bob ] } }
+
+      Helpers.normalize_yaml(yaml).should == {
+        'key1' => 'value1',
+        'key2' => { '0' => 'value2', '1' => '', '2' => ':bla' },
+        'parent1' => { 'key3' => { '0' => ':bob' } }
+      }
+    end
+  end
+  
+  describe "#array_to_hash" do
+    it "returns hash with numeric indexes" do
+      Helpers.array_to_hash(['a','b']).should == { '0' => 'a', '1' => 'b' }
+    end
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/spec/yaml-validator_spec.rb b/spec/yaml-validator_spec.rb
index 9876f82..4dba860 100644
--- a/spec/yaml-validator_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/yaml-validator_spec.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@
           "he.yml: parent1.key1.subkey1 doesn't exist in en.yml",
           "he.yml: parent2.key2 doesn't exist in en.yml",
           "he.yml: key3 doesn't exist in en.yml",
-          "he.yml: parent3.key4 doesn't exist in en.yml"
+          "he.yml: parent3.key4 doesn't exist in en.yml",
+          "he.yml: missing translation for parent1.key1 ('Hello, %{name}, this is %{day_of_week}')",
+          "he.yml: missing translation for parent2.key2.subkey ('bla bla')"
         ]
       end
     end
@@ -49,6 +51,19 @@
         ]
       end
     end
+    
+    describe "missing translations" do
+      it "returns invalid yaml error" do
+        validator = YamlValidator.new('spec/fixtures/missing_translations')
+        errors = validator.validate()
+        errors.should == [
+          "he.yml: missing translation for key2 ('value2')",
+          "he.yml: missing translation for parent2.key3 ('value3')",
+          "he.yml: missing translation for parent3.2 ('three')",
+          "he.yml: missing translation for parent3.3 ('')",
+        ]
+      end
+    end
 
   end
   
@@ -143,5 +158,49 @@
       end
     end
   end
+  
+  describe "#find_missing_translations" do
+    it "returns the missing translation keys" do
+      validator = YamlValidator.new('spec/fixtures/missing_translations')
+      
+      yaml_object = YAML.load_file('spec/fixtures/missing_translations/he.yml')['he']
+      yaml_object = Helpers.normalize_yaml(yaml_object)
+      
+      errors = validator.find_missing_translations(yaml_object)
+      errors.should == [
+        "missing translation for key2 ('value2')",
+        "missing translation for parent2.key3 ('value3')",
+        "missing translation for parent3.2 ('three')",
+        "missing translation for parent3.3 ('')"
+      ]
+    end
+  end
+  
+  describe "#find_key_in_yaml_object" do
+    it "handles subkeys" do
+      yaml_object = { 'parent1' => { 'key1' => 'value1' } }
+      YamlValidator.find_key_in_yaml_object('parent1.key1', yaml_object).should == 'value1'
+    end
+    
+    it "handles root keys" do
+      yaml_object = { "key2" => 'value2' }
+      YamlValidator.find_key_in_yaml_object('key2', yaml_object).should == 'value2'
+    end
+    
+    it "returns nil when a root key doesn't exist" do
+      yaml_object = { "key2" => 'value2' }
+      YamlValidator.find_key_in_yaml_object('key1', yaml_object).should be_nil
+    end
+    
+    it "returns nil when a subkey doesn't exist" do
+      yaml_object = { "parent1" => { "key2" => 'value2' } }
+      YamlValidator.find_key_in_yaml_object('parent1.key1', yaml_object).should be_nil
+    end
+    
+    it "returns nil when a subkey is an object" do
+      yaml_object = { "parent1" => { "parent2" => { "key1" => 'value1' } } }
+      YamlValidator.find_key_in_yaml_object('parent1.key2', yaml_object).should be_nil
+    end
 
+  end
 end