10 Better Ways To Say “Correct Me If I’m Wrong” In Email

The phrase “please correct me if I’m wrong,” is often used in the English language before stating an opinion or presenting facts. However, it can sometimes be overused. Here you will learn more about the meaning of the phrase and some alternatives you can use to say the same thing.

The preferred version to use as an alternate is the phrase “please correct me if I’m mistaken,” because it means the same thing as “correct me if I’m wrong,” but sounds a bit more polite and comes off as a little less assertive than the previous phrase.

Please Correct Me If I’m Mistaken

“Please correct me if I’m mistaken,” is a great way to let the other person know that you value their input on a topic and believe that they have additional facts or information to share that would be different than the ones you are sharing.

For example, if you were writing an email to or having a conversation with your boss or another individual of a higher authority, you may choose to use this phrase to show that you are sharing your understanding of something, but don’t want to overstep your place by being too assertive with your assumptions.

Look at the following example to see what is meant by this description.

• Dear John,
• Please correct me if I’m mistaken, but I thought that you said earlier in the week that the meeting started at 2:00 PM.
• Thank you.
• Jessica

Please Let Me Know If I Was Wrong

“Please let me know if I was wrong,” is another way to state your opinion while letting the other individual know that you are open to hearing other ideas or facts about it. It is a bit more informal because the word “wrong,” is more colloquial than “mistaken.”

It is also a phrase that indicates the past tense because of the word “was.” Therefore, you would use it if you were referring to an action that occurred sometime in the past.

For example:

• Julia,
• Please let me know if I was wrong to tell Suzie about the party on Friday. I recently heard that you may have been wanting it to be a surprise.
• Thank You!
• Allison

Please Correct Me If I Misunderstood

The phrase “please correct me if I misunderstood,” states outright that the speaker knows they may have interpreted the information wrong and is therefore looking for additional explanation or direction. It is a polite way to clarify something.

It is often used when the speaker thinks that they have the correct facts or information, but don’t want to deliberately state that they believe the other person is wrong. The person is basically saying “please correct me if my understanding is incorrect.”

Here is an example.

• Dear Professor Smith,
• Please correct me if I misunderstood, but I thought you said that we were going to have 30 minutes to complete the assignment in class today. It seems like we were only given 20 minutes.
• Kind Regards,
• Jason

Don’t Quote Me On It

The saying “don’t quote me on it,” is used to imply that the speaker is not 100% sure about the information or facts that they are relaying and if they are wrong about it, they do not want the misunderstanding to be attributed back to them.

Though it doesn’t specifically say it like the other phrases, this phrase also suggests that the person receiving the information should provide additional input on the topic if there is any available and/or correct any misunderstanding.

This example shows the context in which you might use this phrase.

• Bob,
• Don’t quote me on it, but I think the Smiths said that they were going on vacation that week and wouldn’t be able to come to our party.
• All The Best,
• Marcus

My Opinion Is

The phrase “my opinion is,” lets the audience immediately know that the information that will follow is strictly the opinion of the speaker and may not be the complete facts. It does not outright ask for clarification but leaves the option open for the other person to respond.

Use this phrase if you are stating something that you don’t want presented or interpreted as facts, but you are open to disagreement about it or other information pertaining to it from your audience.

Here is an example.

• Beth,
• My opinion is that she never should have said those things to him as it just ended up causing an argument when there shouldn’t have been one.
• Talk To You Soon,
• Marybeth

See how in this example the information that the speaker gives is open to interpretation or rebuttal by the audience.

Let Me Know Your Thoughts

If someone says “let me know your thoughts,” they are directly looking for feedback on the topic or information that they are presenting. The speaker might be presenting correct information, but is also open to the fact that they could be interpreting something wrong.

See how it is used in the following example.

• Mr. Parker,
• Please let me know your thoughts about whether or not the open job position would be a good fit for my skills. I was thinking of applying for it, but wouldn’t want to make a mistake if you thought that it wasn’t.
• Kind Regards,
• Joe Brown

If I’m Not Mistaken

“If I’m Not Mistaken” is an informal way of saying “please correct me if I’m not mistaken.” It is a shortened form and sounds more conversational than the former, but still shows that you value the other person’s insight.

You would more likely hear this phrase said among friends or close acquaintances rather than by someone speaking to a superior.

Here is an example that shows proper context.

• Hi Jim,
• If I’m not mistaken, you told me last week that I could pick up the tickets from you this afternoon. I will plan to stop by around 4:00 PM to grab them.
• See You Soon,
• Miles

Enlighten Me

The phrase “enlighten me,” is a subtle way of suggesting that the other person might have more knowledge on a topic or subject than the person doing the speaking or can be a way to ask for clarification on why someone thinks a certain way.

The word “enlighten” suggests the giving of greater and additional knowledge and understanding about a subject or situation. Therefore, if a person “enlightens” you about something, they would be correcting the information that you have wrong.

This example provides some context.

• Hi Alexa,
• My memory seems to be failing me. Can you enlighten me on why we decided to postpone the whole trip just because Susan decided she couldn’t make it?
• Thanks,
• Allison

I Appreciate Your Response

Saying “I appreciate your response,” is a direct way of indicating that you expect a reply of some sort to the information or facts that you are about to present. The response from the person could either confirm what you are saying or provide information that corrects what you said.

This example shows it being used appropriately.

• Ms. Winters,
• I appreciate your response as to whether or not my sales presentation today met the needs of the client. I’ve been thinking about whether I gave them the right information.
• Kind Regards,
• Bob Sanders

I’d Like To Hear Your Input

“I’d like to hear your input,” is another straightforward way to ensure that you receive immediate feedback on a topic or situation. It allows for the speaker to be corrected if they are wrong, but doesn’t directly suggest that they might be wrong.

This phrase is more informal in some ways than some of the others and would most likely be appropriate in a situation where the two speakers are familiar with each other.

Here is an example:

• Mr. Adams,
• I really think that I have the right information to convince the buyer to choose this property over the other, but I’d like to hear your input before I make the presentation so as not to jeopardize the sale.
• Thank you,
• Jane Pitman

What Does “Correct Me If I’m Wrong” Mean?

The phrase “correct me if I’m wrong” means that the person doing the speaking is presenting information that they believe to be true, but at the same time, they believe that the person they are talking with also has additional facts or opinions to add to the topic.

It can also be used as a way to restate information that you have just heard to confirm to them that you probably understood the message that they wanted you to receive. It is used in this way to ensure that there was no misinterpretation of the message.

These examples show the types of sentences where you will commonly hear the phrase.

• Correct me if I’m wrong, but you asked me to check on your dogs twice a day while you are gone, right?
• Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that it was Matthew’s turn to present today, not Jackson’s.

Is It Polite To Say “Correct Me If I’m Wrong”?

It is perfectly acceptable and considered polite to use the phrase “correct me if I’m wrong,” when speaking to others whether they are peers or superiors. If concerned about not sounding polite enough, the phrase could be reworded as “please correct me if my understanding is incorrect/wrong.”

Even if this phrase is being used as a way of getting the other person to correct themselves (i.e., you know they are wrong, but don’t want to outright say it), it does not sound rude. This reason is that the wording of it puts the responsibility of being “wrong” on the speaker and not the recipient.

There are times when it can be interpreted sarcastically (as if to imply that the speaker has no intention of being corrected), so it is important to always consider the context of your statement. If, based on the context, it sounds like “correct me if I’m wrong,” might be interpreted in such a way, consider using one of the other phrases or being sure to add the word “please,” to emphasize politeness.