“Please accept my apology” is a common but often overused phrase in professional emails. This article will explore some alternative choices that will give you more variety to use when you have to apologize for something professionally.
Other ways to say “please accept my apology” are “my apologies,” “accept my sincerest apologies,” and “I am so sorry.” These are great in formal emails to show that you are sorry that someone had a negative experience. They work best if you’re speaking on behalf of a company.
1. My Apologies
“My apologies” works well because it shows that you are sorry in a very formal and apologetic manner. Most people appreciate the simplicity of a phrase like this.
You could also add an adjective like “sincerest” or “humblest” between “my” and “apologies” to emphasize it.
- Dear Adam,
- My apologies. I did not expect this to go as poorly as it has been done. I’ll see if there’s anything I can do.
- All the best,
- Ryan
- Dear Brady,
- You have my apologies. I was not aware that this was going on. I’ll be sure to talk to the men involved.
- Kind regards,
- Bentley
- Dear Chrissy,
- My apologies. This is an uncharacteristic slip-up for this company. I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to fix it.
- Best wishes,
- Edward
2. Accept My Sincerest Apologies
“Accept my sincerest apologies” is great in a professional email. It shows that you want to apologize on behalf of yourself or a company for a mistake that someone might be going through.
- Dear Callum,
- Please, accept my sincerest apologies. I want you to know that I’m always here to help if you need me.
- All the best,
- Conor
- Dear Eoghan,
- Please accept my sincerest apologies. I have no idea how this came to be, but I want you to know that it was never our intention.
- Kind regards,
- George
- Dear Tim,
- Please accept my sincerest apologies. If there’s anything I can do to make this right again, just ask.
- Best wishes,
- Murphy
3. I Am So Sorry
“I am so sorry” is a sincere way to apologize to someone over a professional email. It shows that you are taking personal responsibility for a problem, which could be a good way to build rapport with the recipient.
- Dear Samantha,
- I am so sorry; I had no idea that this was a problem. Now that you’ve brought it to my attention, I’ll do what I can.
- All the best,
- Sara
- Dear Lauren,
- I am so sorry. I was not aware of any difficulties you might have been having. I’ll get right on them now.
- Kind regards,
- Hayley
- Dear Christopher,
- I am so sorry. If I had known that you were struggling, I would have done something sooner.
- Best wishes,
- Nicole
4. This Was Not Supposed to Happen
“This was not supposed to happen” is not a direct way to apologize for a problem. It shows that something did not go according to plan, which could be an effective way of trying to calm someone down or correct an issue.
However, be careful with this one. Since it doesn’t say “sorry” or “my apologies,” it might be construed as a deflection tactic to take the blame away from you.
- Dear Thomas,
- This was not supposed to happen. I would like to extend my apologies to you while I try to correct these issues.
- All the best,
- Freya
- Dear Albert,
- This was not supposed to happen at all. I’ll get my team to look into it to ensure it never happens again.
- Kind regards,
- Tom
- Dear Peter,
- This was not supposed to happen. I can only apologize for this incident. I’ll ensure it doesn’t come up again.
- Best wishes,
- Lois
5. Sorry
“Sorry” is one of the simplest synonyms you can use to show that you are apologizing for something. It works well when you don’t know what else to say but feel bad that someone is having difficulty.
- Dear Clark,
- Sorry about that. It couldn’t have been easy for you to deal with something like this.
- All the best,
- Karl
- Dear Gabrielle,
- I’m sorry. I did not realize things were so bad for you. I’ll let you know if there’s anything I can come up with.
- Kind regards,
- Juan
- Dear Jacob,
- I’m very sorry about that. Of course, I’ll look into the issues right away to see if there’s anything I can change or fix.
- Best wishes,
- Isaiah
6. I Can Only Apologize
“I can only apologize” is a great formal choice to say sorry for something. It shows that you’ve done everything you can, but there are still errors that someone is facing. It’s a great way to show that you’re very sorry.
- Dear Steve,
- I can only apologize for every issue you’ve mentioned. We’re committed to making sure you never go through this again.
- All the best,
- Darren
- Dear Barry,
- I can only apologize. I know it’s not enough to help you, but I hope you can at least forgive our discrepancies.
- Kind regards,
- Robert
- Dear Reine,
- I can only apologize on behalf of the company. I’ll do everything I can to try and fix these issues moving forward.
- Best wishes,
- Brian
7. I Am Very Sorry
“I am very sorry” is a direct apology that most people appreciate. If you want to get right to the apology without coming up with an excuse, this is the best phrase to use.
- Dear Martina,
- I am very sorry about this. I had no idea that things were getting so difficult in the team.
- All the best,
- Sharon
- Dear Suzie,
- I am very sorry. I’ll look into the issues you’ve raised right away to see if there’s anything I can do to correct them.
- Kind regards,
- Phoebe
- Dear Percy,
- I am very sorry. My only wish is that you don’t have to go through something like this again.
- Best wishes,
- Samuel
8. I Am Doing My Best
“I am doing my best” works best if you speak on your behalf. It shows that you’re giving a situation everything you have, but you’re not sure if you can fix it.
While it doesn’t say sorry explicitly, it works well to let the recipient know that you’re trying. The implication is that you’re sorry without having to say it.
- Dear Craig,
- I am doing my best to correct these errors. Let me know if I can do anything else to help you along the way.
- All the best,
- Timothy
- Dear Gregor,
- I am doing my best, but I’m afraid it’s not enough. I’ll have to ask for some help.
- Kind regards,
- Vlad
- Dear Victor,
- I am doing my best. Please bear with me while I try to figure out a few of these issues before returning them to you.
- Best wishes,
- Sam
9. Is There Anything I Can Do?
“Is there anything I can do?” is a great alternative that explores a different idea. It lets someone know you’re sorry by trying to help them with any other issues they might be having.
This is a great way to let someone know that you’re friendly, approachable, and respectful.
- Dear Joanna,
- Is there anything I can do? I know that we can’t make up for the mistake, but I would like to try and help.
- All the best,
- Sarah
- Dear Jamie,
- Is there anything I can do to help? I am very sorry that this happened to you. I only hope you can forgive us.
- Kind regards,
- Paul
- Dear Rhiannon,
- Is there anything I can do for you? I will ensure something like this doesn’t happen again, but in the meantime, I’d like to help however I can.
- Best wishes,
- Lee
10. Please Forgive Me
“Please forgive me” works well if you’ve done something wrong and need to take responsibility for it. It shows that you understand where the issue was, and you want a chance to correct the mistake you made.
- Dear Tyrone,
- Please forgive me for such an egregious error. I was not aware of my actions until after I did them.
- All the best,
- Ari
- Dear Ben,
- Please forgive me. I never intended for matters to get as bad as they are now. Let me know if I can do anything else.
- Kind regards,
- Milly
- Dear Dan,
- Please forgive me for this mistake. I am not sure how it happened, but I’m doing everything I can to correct it.
- Best wishes,
- Paolo
11. I Hope You Can Forgive the Mishap
“I hope you can forgive the mishap” is a good phrase to use if you or someone in a company has made a mistake. “Mishap” is used to show that something went wrong, but you do not intend for the same thing to go wrong again.
- Dear Rachel,
- I hope you can forgive the mishap by my company. We have tried very hard to make everything work better since then.
- All the best,
- Job
- Dear Adelaide,
- I hope you can forgive the mishap. I know things haven’t been easy, but we’re trying out best.
- Kind regards,
- Vinnie
- Dear Hubert,
- I hope you can forgive the mishap. Let me know if you’d like anything from me by way of an apology.
- Best wishes,
- Elizabeth
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
