English Phrases For Apologizing

Everyone makes mistake, big and small. Knowing how to apologize in English is very important to show
that you are polite. There are many ways to apologize in English both formal and informal. Let’s learn.

Small mistakes

The simplest way to apologize for small mistake is to say “Sorry”. We can use it in both formal and
informal situations.

 Sorry
 Oh! I’m sorry.
 Whoops! Sorry.
 Sorry about that.
 My fault, bro. (slang)
 Oh, my bad. (slang)

More serious mistakes:

What about serious mistakes? How do you say sorry in the formal situation, especially at the customer
service or at work? You might say:

 I apologize.
 I’m so sorry.
 Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. I should have slowed down.

Incorrect information

Sometimes, you have a communication problem and the information you discuss is not correct, you
might say:

 My apologies.
 It’s my mistake.
 I was wrong on that.
 I had that wrong.

Making a formal or serious apology

We use formal apology to a friend or a colleague at work. In this situation, you should not use casual
language. You might say:

 I want to apologize.
 I want to say sorry
  I wanted to tell you (that) I’m sorry.
 I’d like to apologize.
 I owe you an apology.

You can add “for” after these phrases to explain the reason of your apology.

I’d like to apology for being rude to you. I hope you can forgive me.

 I want to say sorry for telling a lie.

 I want to apology for what I did yesterday. That was wrong of me.

Formal apology in English writing

In writing, we use the most formal English. Here are some phrases you can use when you write an
apology:

 I take full responsibility …

 I sincerely apologize …

And it is the same as you speak, you can use “for something” or “for doing something” at the end of the
sentence.

 … for my bad performance this month.

 … for what I have done wrongly.
 … for any troubles I have caused

Other common ways to say ‘sorry’

Sometimes, you just want to notice other people and you don’t have to say “sorry”. For example, you
want to pass someone on a crowded street, you might say:

 Excuse me!
 Pardon me!

We also use “Excuse me” to call for someone’s attention.

A: Excuse me?

B: Yes.

C: Can you help me to find my glasses?

You also say “Excuse me” when you want to ask someone to repeat something.

 Excuse me? Can you repeat that?

 Sorry? I cannot hear you well. It’s very noisy here.
 Pardon (me)?

More examples:

1. It Was My Fault.

Say this phrase to accept your responsibility for the mistake.

2. I Should Have… / I Shouldn’t Have…

Use these phrases to say what you wish you had done differently in the past.

“I’m sorry – I should have called and told you I’d be late.”

. We Deeply Regret / Please Accept Our Apologies

These phrases are more formal, and are typically used in business letters.

“Please accept our apologies for the delay in delivering your order.”