There are times when we don’t quite catch what someone has said or need further clarification. In these situations, asking them to repeat themselves is perfectly normal. But if you find yourself in need of a more creative, polite, or fun way to request repetition, this blog post is for you! Here are ten alternative ways to say, “Can you repeat that?”
- “I didn’t catch that. Could you say it again?”
Use this in casual settings when you didn’t hear or understand what was said. - “Would you mind elaborating on that?”
Use this when you need more details or a deeper explanation of a topic. - “Can you please clarify your point?”
Use this when you understood the words but need a clearer explanation of the meaning. - “Pardon me, could you repeat that?”
Use this in formal settings to politely request repetition. - “Could you rephrase that for me?”
Use this when you need the information presented in a different way to better understand it. - “Sorry, I got lost. Can you go over that again?”
Use this when you need the speaker to slow down or restate their thoughts. - “Can you please recap what you just said?”
Use this when you want a brief summary of the main points. - “I missed your meaning, can you put it another way?”
Use this when you need the speaker to explain their thoughts using different words or examples. - “Sorry, my mind wandered. Could you repeat that?”
Use this when you got momentarily distracted and missed the information. - “I’m not quite following, can you restate that?”
Use this when you’re having trouble understanding the speaker’s point and need them to rephrase their statement. - “Could you please go back to the part where you said…?”
Use this when you need clarification on a specific part of the conversation. - “I apologize for interrupting, but can you go over that once more?”
Use this when you’ve accidentally interrupted the speaker and need them to repeat their statement. - “I’m struggling to grasp that concept. Can you break it down for me?”
Use this when you need the speaker to simplify or explain a complex topic more thoroughly. - “Just to make sure I understood, could you please repeat the key points?”
Use this when you want to verify your understanding of the main ideas. - “Can you give me an example to illustrate your point?”
Use this when you need the speaker to provide an example or analogy to better understand the concept. - “Could you please slow down a bit and repeat what you just said?”
Use this when the speaker is talking too fast, and you need them to repeat their statement at a slower pace. - “Can you please spell that out for me?”
Use this when you need a term, acronym, or name spelled out to ensure you’ve heard it correctly. - “I didn’t quite catch the last part. Can you go over it again?”
Use this when you missed or didn’t understand the latter part of a statement. - “Could you provide more context for that statement?”
Use this when you need additional background information to understand the speaker’s point fully. - “Sorry, I’m a bit lost. Can we backtrack for a moment?”
Use this when you need the speaker to return to an earlier point in the conversation before moving forward.