10 ways to apologize in English
Did you know that North Americans tend to apologize even for the things they’re not responsible for? For example, don’t be surprised to hear “sorry” from a person whose foot you walked over 😅 Learning how to properly apologize in English in any situation will help you strengthen your relationships with other people despite your mistakes and improve your overall communication skills. Let us show you how you can elevate a basic "sorry" into more expressive forms!
10 “sorry” alternatives
1. My bad.
"My bad, I forgot to pick up the milk on my way home."
2. My apologies (for something).
"My apologies for the confusion earlier; I misspoke."
3. I didn’t mean it.
"I didn't mean it when I said I didn’t like your idea."
4. I apologize for … (ex: breaking your cup).
"I apologize for the inconvenience caused by the delay."
5. I owe you an apology.
"I owe you an apology for not listening to you earlier."
6. Please accept my sincere apologies.
"Please accept my sincere apologies for the misunderstanding."
7. Pardon me.
"Pardon me, I didn't realize you were waiting for me to finish."
8. I can’t apologize enough.
"I can't apologize enough for the mistake I made."
9. That was wrong of me (to do something).
"That was wrong of me to assume you wouldn't be interested."
10. I messed up/ screwed up (when you did something wrong)
"I messed up/ screwed up this presentation, but I'll make it right next time."
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