Alright, so you’ve had to inconvenience someone via email.
Sometimes, there’s no avoiding it.
Now, you want to know how to say “sorry for the inconvenience” without sounding rude or disrespectful.
Luckily, this article has gathered some great synonyms to help you understand what works when writing formal emails.
7 Alternative Ways to Say “Sorry for the Inconvenience”
Here are the 7 best alternatives showing you what to use instead of saying sorry for the inconvenience:
- Apologies for the disruption
- I apologize for the inconvenience
- Sorry for the trouble caused
- Apologies for any problems
- Please accept my apologies for the disruption
- Sorry about any inconvenience caused
- My apologies for the disturbance
1. Apologies for the Disruption
If you’re wondering how to say sorry for the inconvenience without saying sorry, start with apologies for the disruption.
It’s an effective phrase that shows you’re sorry to make things difficult. Even if something is out of your control, this is a great way to let the recipient know you regret doing something.
Also, it helps that It’s formal and polite.
Use it when apologizing to a client trying to use your system. If you’ve had to shut it down briefly, this is a great way to keep them updated.
Also, check out the following sample email:
Dear Mr. Jenkins,
Apologies for the disruption while the system is down. We’re doing everything we can to work on it for you.
Best wishes,
Dean Bradbury
2. I Apologize for the Inconvenience
Another way to say sorry for the inconvenience is I apologize for the inconvenience. It’s a much more direct and professional synonym that doesn’t change much about the original phrase.
Switching sorry for I apologize helps you to keep things formal and sincere. This should help
the recipient to see that you care about them and don’t mean to disappoint them.
You could use it when emailing a customer who needs help. It shows you’re on their side and want to do everything you can to make things as easy as possible for them.
Here’s a great sample email to help you with it:
Dear Miss Carter,
I apologize for the inconvenience. However, I’m doing everything in my power to help correct this issue moving forward.
Yours,
Duncan Trilby
3. Sorry for the Trouble Caused
To sound slightly more friendly, you can write sorry for the trouble caused. It keeps things a bit more conversational when dealing with mistakes.
For instance, let’s say you sent a client an email by mistake.
Using this phrase in a follow-up email lets them know that it was an accident, and you’d appreciate it if they could disregard what you sent them.
If you’re still stumped, you should review the following example:
Dear Mr. Smith,
Please ignore the previous email. I accidentally sent it to the wrong person. Sorry for the trouble caused.
All the best,
Joe Starly
4. Apologies for Any Problems
Also, try using apologize for any problems instead of saying sorry for the inconvenience. It’s a great way to sound quite sincere and friendly.
This helps the recipient to understand that you didn’t mean to cause them problems.
It’s effective when emailing a coworker. If you’ve recently done something that’s caused them issues, this is a great way to apologize and let them know it was never your intention.
We also recommend reviewing this example to show you how it works:
Dear Maria,
Apologies for any problems this may have caused you. It was certainly not my intention to cause any drama.
Yours,
Ben White
5. Please Accept My Apologies for the Disruption
You can try writing please accept my apologies for the disruption as well. This is a great phrase to include in a formal email, as it shows you how to apologize without saying sorry.
Try using it when emailing an employee. If they’ve come to you with an issue, this should be a great way to remind them that you’re working on it and doing what you can to help.
It’s formal and sincere. Therefore, most employees will be happy to hear from you and see that things are going well.
Don’t forget to check out this example before you leave as well:
Dear Ross,
Please accept my apologies for the disruption while we work on fixing this. I’ll let you know when we’ve made progress.
All the best,
Suzanna Kingston
6. Sorry About Any Inconvenience Caused
We think you should try sorry about any inconvenience caused to keep your synonyms a bit simpler.
After all, you don’t always need to change that much about the original phrase.
It’s still formal and respectful. That’s what makes it such a great choice.
Try it when contacting a customer. It’s a good way to sympathize with them and show them that you are trying to help them.
Here’s a great example to help you with it if you still need to know more:
Dear Mr. Rider,
Sorry about any inconvenience caused. We are aware of the issues, and we are working toward fixing them.
Warmest regards,
Mel Platt
7. My Apologies for the Disturbance
Finally, we recommend using my apologies for the disturbance. This is an incredibly effective phrase that shows you didn’t mean to interrupt someone with something so basic.
Generally, this works well when apologizing to your boss. It shows that you’ve had to do something that might inconvenience them in some way.
An apology like this goes a long way. It allows you to remain formal and sincere, but it also keeps a more respectful tone that works well when emailing a superior.
If you’re still unsure, check out this sample email:
Dear Miss Abyss,
We will take the system down for a few hours to fix these bugs. My apologies for the disturbance it might cause.
Yours,
Julia Lodi
Is It Correct to Say “Sorry for the Inconvenience”?
Sorry for the inconvenience is correct to say and works well in most professional situations.
It shows that you did not mean to inconvenience the email’s recipient. Generally, it’s not rude and shows you’re sorry for wasting someone’s time.
More often than not, the recipient will be happy to hear this from you. After all, it’s a great way to let them know that you’re working on something for them and don’t want to cause any upset.
Feel free to review this email sample to learn more about it:
Dear Mr. Riley,
As you can tell, we have still yet to work out the best ways to complete this project.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Yours,
Willis Radford
While it works as a standalone phrase, you may also include a few extra terms and phrases around it. This could help to mix things up in your formal emails.
For instance:
Dear Alice,
I am sorry for the inconvenience caused by this issue. Please let me know what we can do to assist you further.
Best regards,
Charlotte Tilbury
