10 Other Ways to Say “May I Have Your Attention, Please?”

Have you ever found yourself saying, “may I have your attention, please?” and wondered if there’s a better way to say it? We have, and we want to share some of the best alternatives to help you out.

Check out these phrases to see which one works best for you:

• Excuse me
• Attention, please
• Pardon me
• Quiet, please
• Silence
• Gather around, please
• Enough
• Please listen
• Listen up
• If I could have a moment of your time

Other ways to say “may I have your attention, please,” are “excuse me,” “attention, please,” and “pardon me.” These phrases are great to use just before an announcement. They typically grab the audience’s attention well, allowing you to focus on what you need to say without disturbance.

1. Excuse Me

“Excuse me” is a much simpler alternative to “may I have your attention, please.” It shows that you have something to say and need everyone’s attention in fewer words. This is great when you want everyone to focus as quickly as possible.

“Excuse me” is useful as another way to say, “may I have your attention, please.” It works in both formal and informal situations, making it one of the most effective tools when you need a group of people to quieten down

• Excuse me! I have a few things I would like to announce. Would you all please be quiet until I sort this out?
• Excuse me, please. I would like to give my speech now. I think it’s about time I said a few words.

2. Attention, Please

“Attention, please” Is a much more formal synonym. It also uses fewer words than “may I have your attention, please,” making it less polite. However, what “attention, please” lacks in politeness, it more than makes up for in conciseness.

You should use “attention, please” when you want someone’s direct attention. It shows you do not have time to wait around listening to them talk to other people. If you have something very important to say, this phrase is the best way to get it out.

• Attention, please. You should not be speaking while I am trying to deliver this message to the class.
• Attention, please, students. I want to discuss the next topic I want us all to run through.

3. Pardon Me

“Pardon me” is a very polite alternative for what to say instead of “excuse me.” You should use it when you’d like people to listen up, though it isn’t as demanding as the others. You might need to use “Pardon me” more than once unless you’re very good at making yourself heard.

“Pardon me” is a great synonym, but it can be weak if you don’t commit to it. If you want to use this to get a group’s attention, you’ll want to say it with more conviction than some other phrases.

• Pardon me if you could all be quiet for a short while. There are things I would like to discuss with you.
• Pardon me, but do you mind leaving your conversations until later in the day? Thank you so much.

4. Quiet, Please

“Quiet, please” suggests that you’d appreciate people being quiet while speaking. It is a gentle demand you can use. It’s great when thinking about how to say “may I have your attention, please” more concisely.

While this phrase doesn’t strictly ask for someone’s “attention,” it still works well in this context. Asking for “Quiet” is a great way to ensure that people are focused on you and what you have to say to them.

• Quiet, please. I would like to get through this meeting without any hitches. Can you all listen up?
• Quiet, please. We have got to go through all of the options now. I don’t want to miss anything important.

5. Silence

“Silence” is a great synonym if you know you have power or authority over the audience. If you don’t know those things for certain, you might get yourself into a lot of trouble with a synonym like “silence.”

“Silence!” is an exclamation used to exert dominance and quieten a room to get them to listen to you. It allows people to give you their full focus or attention when you are about to speak in a formal capacity.

This term is reserved for bosses or superiors who know they deserve respect from the people they are telling to remain in “silence.” You should be careful with this one, though. It’s very commanding, making it sound like you are better than the audience.

In informal situations, a word like “silence” will never go down well. It might get your peers’ attention, but it will not yield positive results.

• Silence! You should not be speaking at the moment. There will be plenty of time for discussion later.
• Silence. You have all been so rude speaking while I’m trying to deliver this sermon. Please. Just give me silence.

6. Gather Around, Please

“Gather around, please” works well to replace “may I have your attention, please?” You can use it when you have a physical presentation to show people and would like them to “gather around” to get a closer look.

This phrase is great for introducing new ideas to a group of people. While it doesn’t expressly ask for their attention, it is implied when you ask them to “gather around” and listen to what you have to say.

• Gather around, please. I would like to run you through some of these options. I think it’ll be good for you to listen.
• Gather around, please. This will be the only time I’ll go over the changes. You must listen.

7. Enough

“Enough” is another powerful exclamation showing that you’ve heard enough from the people in the crowd and need their focus or attention. It encourages most people to shut up, especially if they have a lot of respect for you and don’t want to get on your bad side.

This phrase works best when you are a superior or in a position of power. It works when you already know that people respect you and will listen to you when put in tricky situations.

It’s similar to “silence,” allowing you to command a whole room of people if needed. It’s great because it shows you just how powerful you can be when you need people to listen to you.

Since it’s so demanding (and works very much like “silence”), you should not use it with friends, family, or colleagues you are on the same level with. These situations would make it very difficult for people to respect you after saying “enough!”

• Enough! I do not have time to listen to your squabbling anymore. I need to get through this speech.
• Enough! I do not have time right now. If you have something to say, you must wait until later.

8. Please Listen

“Please listen” is a good alternative to use. It shows that you’d like someone’s attention respectfully, as you use “please” to get them to focus on you. This phrase is excellent if you’re not sure how much you can tell the people around you to be quiet.

If you do not have a strong position compared to the audience (i.e. you are not their boss), you might find it difficult to ask people to pay attention to you before an announcement. “Please listen” allows you to check with the audience before asking them for silence and attention.

• Please, listen to me. I can’t understand my own thoughts because of how loud everyone is being.
• Please listen so I can talk you through the new arrangements. Remember, I put these in place to help everyone.

9. Listen Up

“Listen up” is an informal phrase you can. It shows that you want people to focus on you and “listen up” when speaking. “Up” is used to show that you’d like people to face “up” (i.e. if you’re standing up at the front of the room).

You should use this when announcing a group of friends or family members. Informal phrases like this work wonders when you already know many people and need to get their attention quickly.

• Listen up. You have to understand my point of view, so I’ll need your full attention before I start.
• Listen up, guys. It’s about time that we run through what’s expected of everyone. Does that make sense?

10. If I Could Have a Moment of Your Time

“If I could have a moment of your time” is a very polite and respectful synonym showing you would like people to listen to you. You can use it when you would like people to spare a “moment” to hear what you have to say.

This phrase is very good at what it does. It shows you are polite and respectful without taking other people’s respect for granted. Even if you know the audience respects you, this phrase works well to show that you want them to pay attention to you while you speak.

• If I could have a moment of your time, that would be great. I need to talk to you about what comes next.
• Thank you so much for being here today. I’m excited to see what comes next. If I could have a moment of your time, please.

What Does “May I Have Your Attention, Please?” Mean?

“May I have your attention, please?” is an announcement you can use to get people to stop talking. When used, you will find that most people stop talking or chattering amongst themselves and give you their full attention.

It’s most effective when you have a reason to talk. You shouldn’t use this phrase if you have nothing to say. Most people will think it strange that you stopped their conversation if you didn’t need their attention for a specific reason.