Sometimes, saying “I beg your pardon” feels a little too formal, or maybe you’re just looking for a more creative way to express surprise or politely ask someone to repeat themselves. Whether you’re aiming to be casual, funny, or polite, there are plenty of alternatives you can use. Below, we’ve compiled different ways to say “I beg your pardon,” each explained with examples to suit a variety of situations.
Top List Of Other Ways to Say ‘I Beg Your Pardon
- Excuse me?
- Come again?
- Sorry, what was that?
- Could you repeat that?
- Pardon?
- I didn’t catch that.
- Say what?
- Sorry?
- Run that by me again?
- What was that again?
- Huh?
- Sorry, can you say that again?
- What did you say?
- I missed that.
- One more time?
- Come again, please?
- What now?
- Hold on, what?
- Say that again?
- I’m sorry, could you say that again?
1. “Excuse me?”
This is a classic and polite way to ask someone to repeat themselves or to indicate mild confusion.
Examples:
- “Excuse me? Did you just say free pizza?”
- “Excuse me? I didn’t quite catch that.”
- “Excuse me? Could you say that again, please?”
2. “Come again?”
A casual and slightly playful way of asking someone to repeat what they said.
Examples:
- “Come again? Did you say you’re moving to Paris?”
- “Come again? I missed that last part.”
- “Come again? That sounds too good to be true!”
3. “Sorry, what was that?”
This phrase combines politeness with a hint of curiosity when asking for clarification.
Examples:
- “Sorry, what was that? I was zoned out.”
- “Sorry, what was that? I didn’t hear the last bit.”
- “Sorry, what was that? I thought you said something else.”
4. “Could you repeat that?”
A more formal way to ask someone to say something again is often used in professional settings.
Examples:
- “Could you repeat that? I didn’t catch the numbers.”
- “Could you repeat that? The connection is bad.”
- “Could you repeat that? I want to make sure I heard right.”
5. “Pardon?”
Short and to the point, this is a simpler version of “I beg your pardon.”
Examples:
- “Pardon? Did you say something?”
- “Pardon? I didn’t quite get that.”
- “Pardon? That was a bit unclear.”
6. “I didn’t catch that.”
Use this when you genuinely couldn’t hear or understand what was said.
Examples:
- “I didn’t catch that. Can you say it one more time?”
- “I didn’t catch that. Was it 3 or 30?”
- “I didn’t catch that. Can you speak louder?”
7. “Say what?”
A more informal and surprising way to ask someone to repeat themselves is often used humorously.
Examples:
- “Say what? You’re quitting your job?”
- “Say what? I thought I heard something crazy!”
- “Say what? Can you run that by me again?”
8. “Sorry?”
This is another brief and polite way to ask for clarification or repetition.
Examples:
- “Sorry? I didn’t quite hear you.”
- “Sorry? Can you explain that again?”
- “Sorry? What did you say?”
9. “Run that by me again?”
A casual, conversational way to ask someone to repeat themselves, is often used when you’re caught off guard.
Examples:
- “Run that by me again? Did you just say you’re moving?”
- “Run that by me again? I’m still processing.”
- “Run that by me again? I didn’t catch everything.”
10. “What was that again?”
A neutral and polite way of asking for something to be repeated.
Examples:
- “What was that again? I didn’t hear clearly.”
- “What was that again? I thought you said something else.”
- “What was that again? Just to confirm.”
11. “Huh?”
Casual and often used when you’re genuinely confused or caught off guard.
Examples:
- “Huh? I didn’t get that.”
- “Huh? Can you say that again?”
- “Huh? I’m not sure I heard you right.”
12. “Sorry, can you say that again?”
A more apologetic way to ask someone to repeat what they said.
Examples:
- “Sorry, can you say that again? I was distracted.”
- “Sorry, can you say that again? The noise was too loud.”
- “Sorry, can you say that again? I missed it.”
13. “What did you say?”
A straightforward question when you missed what was said.
Examples:
- “What did you say? I didn’t hear.”
- “What did you say? That caught me off guard.”
- “What did you say? I’m not sure I understood.”
14. “I missed that.”
This phrase is useful when you genuinely didn’t hear something.
Examples:
- “I missed that. Can you repeat it?”
- “I missed that. Sorry about that.”
- “I missed that. What did you say?”
15. “One more time?”
A casual and friendly way to ask someone to repeat themselves.
Examples:
- “One more time? I didn’t quite hear you.”
- “One more time? I got distracted.”
- “One more time? Just to be sure I understood.”
16. “Come again, please?”
This polite phrase is a slightly more formal variation of “Come again?”
Examples:
- “Come again, please? I didn’t hear that.”
- “Come again, please? I think I missed the details.”
- “Come again, please? I was only half-listening.”
17. “What now?”
This is often used when you’re confused or surprised by what was just said.
Examples:
- “What now? Did you mean that?”
- “What now? I wasn’t sure if you were serious.”
- “What now? That sounded unexpected.”
18. “Hold on, what?”
Use this when something surprising or confusing has been said, and you need a second to process it.
Examples:
- “Hold on, what? You’re telling me you won the lottery?”
- “Hold on, what? That sounds crazy!”
- “Hold on, what? I didn’t expect that!”
19. “Say that again?”
A direct and neutral way to ask for repetition.
Examples:
- “Say that again? I missed the last part.”
- “Say that again? I was distracted.”
- “Say that again? I want to make sure I heard correctly.”
20. “I’m sorry, could you say that again?”
This is a polite and formal request for repetition.
Examples:
- “I’m sorry, could you say that again? I didn’t catch it.”
- “I’m sorry, could you say that again? I was focused on something else.”
- “I’m sorry, could you say that again? I missed that part.”
Conclusion
There you have it— alternative ways to say “I beg your pardon!” Whether you’re in a casual setting or looking for something a little more polite, this list gives you plenty of options. Next time you’re caught off guard or just didn’t hear right, mix it up with one of these phrases to keep things fresh!
𝐈’𝐦 Gracie Mae 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 “𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬 ” 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫. 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬. 𝐈 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐀𝐭 “𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬” 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫.
Celia Anne 
Olivia Bloom