If you’re not feeling confident about how to acknowledge receipt of an email, we’re here to help!
In this article, we’ll provide some great alternative phrases that you can use in its place! Moreover, we’ll discuss whether well received is the right response to a message.
10 Alternative Ways to Say “Well Received”
To let a sender know that you have received their email, you can use one of the following phrases:
- Thank you for your email
- Received with thanks
- I have received your email
- Thank you for the information
- Thank you for the quick response
- Receipt confirmed
- I can confirm that I have received your message
- I’ve read your email
- Thank you for getting in touch
- I got your message
1. Thank You for Your Email
The simplest way to acknowledge receipt of an email is to say thank you for your email.
Firstly, this phrase is a polite response if you receive an email from a customer, perhaps containing a complaint, inquiry, or expression of interest. Secondly, it makes it clear that you are responding to their email.
Consider the sample email below to see what we mean:
Dear Miss Yang,
Thank you for your email.
An accounts specialist will be in touch to manage your inquiry within 24 hours.
Regards,
Tim Beak
2. Received With Thanks
Received with thanks is a correct alternative to well received. Moreover, it’s a great way to respond quickly but formally to a business email from a colleague.
The single word “received” is a straightforward and clear acknowledgment of receipt. However, the addition of “with thanks” adds a splash of politeness to this otherwise tonally neutral phrase.
So, let’s see how you can keep things professional using this phrase in an email:
Dear Rhett,
Your proposal is received with thanks.
Kind regards,
Briella Maxwell
3. I Have Received Your Email
I have received your email is the most straightforward way to confirm that you have, in fact, received an email.
You can use this phrase when you’ve received instruction from your boss, so they know you’re on top of things. Additionally, it wouldn’t hurt to add a “thank you” before or after for some additional politeness if you choose.
Consider the email sample making use of this phrase below:
Dear Sir,
I have received your email, and I will look into that matter immediately.
Regards,
Jaiden Coleridge
4. Thank You for the Information
Another synonym that you can use to acknowledge receipt in a professional email is thank you for the information.
In fact, this phrase is especially suited for when you receive helpful information from a colleague at work. It is polite and shows your gratitude while also confirming that you received their informative message.
Have a look at the following email example:
Dear Buhle,
Thank you for the information.
I will ensure that this document is forwarded to the right people.
Kind regards,
Henry
5. Thank You for the Quick Response
As a customer, you can use this synonym if you have sent out an inquiry and received a prompt reply.
Firstly, saying thank you for the quick response expresses your gratitude and encourages more fast responses in the future.
Secondly, it lets the other person know that you are still there. Therefore, you’ll hopefully have an easier time finding the information you’re looking for without any delay!
Lastly, let’s see this phrase in a sample email:
Dear Johan,
Thank you for the quick response. To answer your question, I made the order on the 5th of February and there has yet to be a delivery.
Regards,
Deborah Hein
6. Receipt Confirmed
Receipt confirmed is another correct version of well received. On rare occasions, it isn’t necessary to be personable when you acknowledge receipt of an email. Therefore, receipt confirmed is an appropriately impersonal response.
For example, you may have received an automated email asking you to confirm receipt. Therefore, using email etiquette would be a waste of time.
Usually, the sender is just trying to check a box, so responding with just receipt confirmed is helpful. However, it might come across as too curt if you’re replying to a person under normal circumstances. Thus, you should use this one with caution!
Nonetheless, let’s see an email sample:
Dear Robert,
Receipt confirmed.
Regards,
Grant
7. I Can Confirm That I Have Received Your Message
A wordy but formal answer to an email is I can confirm that I have received your message.
This is a good phrase to use if the content of the message you received is very important. For example, if your employer has sent you important files, it is good to express as clearly as possible that they have made it to you safely.
Let’s see how this would look in the example below:
Dear Madam,
I can confirm that I have received your message and that the payment has been made to your Danish account.
Regards,
Samantha Bloom
8. I’ve Read Your Email
As a more informal response, you can use I’ve read your email both inside and outside of the workplace.
It would be suitable to use this phrase with a friend or family member. However, you could also use it with a coworker. It gets to the point very well, which is useful in a fast-paced office environment.
Consider the email example below:
Hi Luke,
I’ve read your email, and I think you’re right about the fifth slide. I’ve adjusted it.
Thanks!
Shahil
9. Thank You for Getting in Touch
Thank you for getting in touch is another good response to an email from a client or customer.
In particular, the complaints department in a company will often start out any response with thank you for getting in touch before addressing the customer’s concerns. Hopefully, your politeness will reduce their dour mood!
To see this phrase in action, check out this email sample:
Dear Mr. Dylan,
Thank you for getting in touch with our team.
Your feedback is important to us, and we hope we can resolve your issue promptly.
Kind regards,
Alyssa McDonough
10. I Got Your Message
Last but not least, I got your message is a good informal way to let a sender know that you are all caught up.
You would generally use this phrase outside of work. However, if you’re close with your coworkers, a more informal tone might suffice when you get back to them. Moreover, this phrase keeps things short and sweet, which is ideal if you’re both in a rush!
For example:
Hi Tom,
I got your message. Is there any chance they can book Room 3 for us?
The client wants to bring their partner, so we’ll need the extra space.
Let me know,
Paul
Is It Correct to Say “Well Received”?
Well received would not be a correct response to an email.
In English, the phrase well received means that something has received approval. Therefore, using it to confirm that you have received an email would sound awkward to a native English speaker.
This is the case with well received with thanks as well. It just doesn’t sound quite right in this context!
Fret not, though. In the next section, we’ll have a look at some of the ways you can use well received correctly.
Firstly, consider the email samples below:
Dear Garret,
It looks like your presentation was well received by our stakeholders.
Great work.
Regards,
Rose
Dear Rupert,
I have looked at your drafts. I’m unsure whether the second ad will be well received by parents of younger children. Maybe have another look at it.
Thanks,
Cole
Secondly, we’ll look at a common mistake people make when using this phrase, in case you have any lingering doubts:
Mistake: Including a hyphen
- Correct: The film was well received by critics.
- Incorrect: The film was well-received by critics.
In the first example, “well” is an adverb that modifies the verb “received.” By adding a hyphen, “well” becomes part of the compound adjective, “well-received,” which would usually precede a noun:
- Correct: It was a well-received film.
In short, we now know that well received isn’t the right phrase to confirm that you have received an email. Instead, you can use one of our 10 alternatives!
