7 Polite Ways To Say “As You Know”

“As you know” can work well when we already know that somebody else is familiar with something. However, it might not be the best option, and there are certainly more polite choices. This article will explore the best alternatives for “as you know” and how to use them.

What Can I Say Instead Of “As You Know”?

There are plenty of alternatives that are useful to us to replace “as you know.” The ones we want to cover in this article are:

• Naturally
• Evidently
• Of course
• Needless to say
• It goes without saying
• It stands to reason
• As you may well be aware

The preferred versions are “naturally” or “evidently.” They are the only one-word options on our list, and they work well because they do not take anyone’s knowledge for granted. That way, if someone isn’t familiar with the information, you will not be insulting them with these words.

Naturally

“Naturally” works when we want to show that something should already be clear. We can expect the answer or information to be familiar to other people. It helps us because it shows that we do not feel the need to explain more, but we want to reiterate the point.

We want to use any synonyms for “as you know” to talk about information we (and other people in a room) already understand.

It might sound redundant to talk about information we already know about, but there are plenty of reasons to do it. The most pressing reason is to draw attention to something important. While people might know about it, using phrases like “naturally” helps them to remember immediately.

These examples will show you how it works:

• Naturally, I shouldn’t have to tell you what happens if we don’t meet these deadlines.
• Naturally, there are plenty of other ways we could be dealing with our competitors.
• Naturally, I’m not the only one here who knows how to handle these spreadsheets.

Evidently

“Evidently” also allows us to show that something should be obvious or clear without insulting anyone’s intelligence. It mainly works when we can prove the information quite easily, or we may have just proved it with the last relevant point.

Again, other people might already know the answers or information too. That’s why we use “evidently,” because we don’t want to take it away from them or make ourselves seem like we’re smarter than they are.

It’s just a polite way to show that we are dealing with valuable information, and we should pay close attention to it.

These examples are a great way to show you how it works:

• Evidently, there are a few people missing from this meeting that I wish could be here.
• Evidently, there are plenty of reasons why we should take the next few days off.
• Evidently, someone has spilled the beans on our new project, and we need to find a different one.

Of Course

“Of course” is a little more informal but again assumes that other people in the room know already. It’s a colloquial phrase, but it fits well in many professional settings too. We can use it to show that there is important information that has already been made clear.

“Of course” is a great way to reiterate a point or show that something has already been mentioned. When we use it, we have typically already made the point at some other point (during a speech, in a meeting, or wherever else we might be talking or writing).

From there, we can use “of course” to refer people back to the moment when we mentioned that information. It helps to keep it fresh in their minds, which is ideal when we are trying to include new things or important pieces of evidence.

These examples will show you how it works:

• Of course, I am not the only one here who knows a thing or two about this.
• Of course, you’ll remember that I thought it was useless to carry on with this project, but none of you listened.
• Of course, I was mistaken when I told you all to take the rest of the day off.

Needless To Say

“Needless to say” is another polite way of using “as you know.” This time, we are using it to introduce information that should not have to be mentioned. However, we mention it anyway because we think some people might need it to be confirmed.

While we hope that most people get the message we are trying to convey straight away, this is not always the case. Everyone thinks differently, and some people need more obvious attention when being told to do something differently.

If you want to make sure these people pay attention, “needless to say” is your best bet.

These examples will help you see how it works:

• Needless to say, we will all be working overtime until the issue is resolved.
• Needless to say, I am proud of every one of you, and you all deserve some time off.
• Needless to say, there will be a few changes around here, and I hope you treat them with respect.

It Goes Without Saying

“It goes without saying” is identical to “needless to say.” We use it when we hope that everyone has already understood our meaning, but there might be a few who aren’t certain. It’s still polite, even though we almost use it to mock some people’s attention spans.

These examples will explore how similar it is to “needless to say:”

• It goes without saying that I will always have my office doors open should you need to talk with me.
• It goes without saying that someone is going to have to take the fall for this one.
• It goes without saying that the third-floor corridor is now off-limits.

It Stands To Reason

“It stands to reason” works when we want to explain a piece of information. Usually, that information can be explained from a previous sentence or clause. We use “it stands to reason” to explain what the effect of that clause might be.

Typically, “it stands to reason” comes with a very obvious effect. It shouldn’t need to be explained, but that’s what “it stands to reason” aims to do. It helps those who might not have worked it all out yet to understand what is going on.

Here are a few examples to explain this:

• With everyone on leave for the holidays, it stands to reason that everyone currently in this room has to work the following weeks.
• Since everyone else can’t be bothered to be here, it stands to reason that you are all my most-prized employees.
• Since there are no more calendar days this year, it stands to reason that we can call it a day!

As You May Well Be Aware

“As you may well be aware” does not take anyone’s knowledge for granted. This time, we use “may well be” to show that someone might already know something, but it’s okay if they do not. It’s slightly more lenient than some of the other phrases on the list.

Here are a few examples to explain how it works:

• As you may well be aware, we are having a meeting with the CEO tomorrow morning about these matters.
• As you may well be aware, there will be a few bonuses coming your way.
• As you may well be aware, someone has been investigating the incident, and we are closer to finding out what happened.

What Does “As You Know” Mean?

It might help to take a brief look at what the original phrase means as well. All of the above alternatives are great, but you still might find “as you know” fairly useful.

“As you know” means that somebody already knows something. We use it when we want to reiterate a point or piece of information, but we also know that the other person knows about it too.

You might think it seems odd to remind someone of something they already know. However, there is a reason we do it.

We use phrases like “as you know” to remind someone of something important. While they might know about it, it may not be fresh in their memory, which means they won’t be actively thinking about it at that moment.

“As you know” ensures that the person thinks about the information again while you talk about it.

Is It Rude To Say “As You Know”?

There can be cases where some people might think of it as rude, too.

“As you know” is not inherently rude. For the most part, we can use it to reiterate a point that someone already knows about. However, it is rude if we do not know whether that person is familiar with the information, and we are taking their knowledge for granted.

When used without someone else “knowing,” it seems like we’re mocking them. We might say “as you know” harmlessly, but if they do not “know,” they will be offended.

It would be like saying, “this information is really obvious, so you should already be aware of it,” even if that’s not necessarily the case.

You may also like:

8 Better Ways To Say “Did You Know”

12 Formal Ways To Say “Just So You Know”