9 Better Ways to Say “You Have the Wrong Number”

“You have the wrong number” or “you got the wrong number” aren’t the most polite ways to tell someone they’ve made a mistake. Sure, receiving a random phone call might not be nice, but there are better ways to phrase this statement. This article will explore those ways.

The preferred alternatives are “what number are you trying to reach,” “who do you want to speak to,” and “I believe you’ve reached the wrong number.” These are polite ways to let someone know that they’re speaking to the wrong person without embarrassing them.

What Number Are You Trying To Reach?

“What number are you trying to reach?” is a great response if someone has misdialed you. If they mistakenly called you, thinking you were someone else, this question is a good way to show that you want to help them.

It lets the other person know that they aren’t a nuisance. They simply made a mistake, and you want to help them fix it before they hang up on you.

• Sorry, what number are you trying to reach? I believe you’ve called the wrong one, as I do not know what you’re talking about.
• What number are you trying to reach? I hope I can do something to help, but I feel you’re calling the wrong guy.
• What number are you trying to reach? I believe you’ve mistyped one of the digits. I’m Darren, and I don’t know Simon.

Who Do You Want To Speak To?

“Who do you want to speak to?” is another helpful question you can use. It shows that you’re willing to help the person on the other end of the phone figure out how they made a mistake.

Usually, it comes down to a misdialed number. They might have been one or two digits away from dialing correctly. It’s an easy thing to fix after a quick discussion.

• Who do you want to speak to? I want to help you figure that out because I’m definitely not the person you need right now.
• Who do you want to speak to? I’m not sure if you’ve dialed this number by accident, but it’s certainly not the one you need.
• Who do you want to speak to? I’m not the person you’re looking for. Is there anything I can do to help you, though?

I Believe You’ve Reached The Wrong Number

“I believe you’ve reached the wrong number” isn’t a question. This time, it’s a statement, and it’s a great alternative you can use. It shows that someone has not reached the number they intended to call.

It’s still very polite and helpful. It lets the other person know that they have not succeeded. This will prompt them to redial the number they were originally trying for without you having to spend much more of your time explaining it to them.

• I believe you’ve reached the wrong number. I don’t know anyone by that name here, so you might have typed one of the digits wrong.
• I believe you’ve reached the wrong number. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you that. Perhaps you should review the number you called.
• I believe you’ve reached the wrong number. Maybe you got the wrong number from the person you tried calling?

Sorry, But I Think You Have The Wrong Number

“Sorry, but I think you have the wrong number” is another good statement you can use. Starting it with “sorry” is appropriate if you’re trying to remain polite and show that you don’t mind the fact they called you.

It’s good to let the person on the other end of the phone know that you don’t mind what happened. After all, mistakes happen, so it’s okay if they accidentally called you when they were trying to reach someone else.

• Sorry, but I think you have the wrong number. I don’t know anyone by the name of Suzanna. I’m a single guy who lives on his own.
• Sorry, but I think you have the wrong number. I’m not sure if there’s anything I can do to help. Maybe just review the number you called.
• Sorry, but I think you have the wrong number. I think you might have gotten one of the digits wrong.

I Think You Have The Wrong Number

“I think you have the wrong number” is a simple way to show that you are not the person someone intended to call. If you don’t know what else to say, this simple response is a good one to show that you are not the intended recipient.

This usually prompts the other person to hang up or question you further. It’s great for people who are too busy to deal with accidental phone calls.

• I think you have the wrong number, my friend. I don’t think you were supposed to call me and scream at me. I don’t know who you are.
• I’m sorry, but I think you have the wrong number. I am not a customer helpline. I’m just a guy on his mobile phone.
• I think you have the wrong number. Maybe you should try to call the other one again and make sure you entered it correctly.

There’s No One By That Name Here

“There’s no one by that name here” is a good one to use if someone has dropped a name that you don’t recognize. This immediately tells the person on the other end that they’ve called the wrong number and should retry.

For example, if someone has called you and said, “is this Matthew,” you might be able to use this phrase.

If you don’t know a Matthew, it’s worth saying, “there’s no one by that name here.” The person on the other end will either ask if you know someone of that name, or they’ll hang up to try and call the correct number.

• There’s no one by that name here, I’m afraid. I don’t know what else to tell you. I think you’ve dialed me by mistake.
• I’m sorry, but there’s no one by that name here. I’m afraid you’ll have to try to dial the correct number because I can’t help you.
• There’s no one by that name here. I don’t know who you might be referring to. Perhaps you were given a fake number?

I’m Afraid I Can’t Help You Further

“I’m afraid I can’t help you further” is a great way to show that you’d like to be helpful. Unfortunately, when someone randomly calls you, they aren’t expecting you to pick up. Therefore, helping them isn’t always something that you can do.

Nevertheless, if you’re willing to hear the person out on the other end of the phone, you might be able to offer them some help or advice.

If you do value yourself as a helpful individual, you might want to use this phrase to see what you can do.

• I’m afraid I can’t help you further. I don’t know your situation, but I know that I’m definitely not the person you needed to call.
• I’m afraid I can’t help you further. You’ve got the wrong number, and I’m not able to provide any advice that might help you out here.
• I’m afraid I can’t help you further. I hope you figure out whatever it is you need to do. I’m sorry that I couldn’t help.

What Number Were You Calling?

“What number were you calling?” is a good way to help the person get to the bottom of their mistake. When someone mistakenly dials a number, it’s usually because they messed up the number they dialed by a few digits.

You could ask them this question to find out how they called you. They might be willing to answer by saying something like:

• I tried calling 423-343-3405.

If you then realize that the number they called is one or two digits different from your own, you could tell them that. This will explain to them how they got the wrong number. They can then hang up and try it again.

• What number were you calling before I answered? Perhaps if you recite it to me, I can tell you why you ended up calling me.
• What number were you calling? I believe you called the wrong one, but you may have simply entered a digit incorrectly.
• What number were you trying to call? I hope I’ll be able to help you understand why you managed to get through to me.

This Is (Number), Not (Wrong Number)

“This is (number), not (wrong number)” is another good way to explain how someone might have messed up dialing someone else. If they have called you by mistake and revealed the number they were calling, you could use this statement to help them out.

• I’m sorry, but this is 505-123-2030, not 505-123-2020. I think you typed one of the digits wrong, my friend.
• This is 07923 392292, not 07823382282. I’m afraid you mistyped it when you were entering it into your phone.
• Oh, no! This is 703-666-3453, not 703-555-3453. I think you managed to get all of the sixes wrong when you entered it!