Do you want to tell someone to stop worrying about something but don’t want to say never mind?
Perhaps you’re worried the phrase is unprofessional or rude.
Well, you’ve come to the right place to learn more.
This article will show you how to say never mind politely to fit different situations.
6 Alternative Ways to Say “Never Mind”
It’s worth exploring these alternatives to figure out a better way to say never mind in formal writing:
- Please disregard that matter
- Let’s shift our focus
- Allow me to retract that statement
- No further consideration is necessary
- Please disregard my previous comment
- Let’s move on from that topic
1. Please Disregard That Matter
You can start with a polite way to say never mind, and that is please disregard that matter.
Generally, this keeps things professional and sincere. It shows that you’d like to stop discussing something with an email recipient.
This works best when contacting a client. It lets them know that you deem something irrelevant for them to know and want to move past it.
Also, if you accidentally draw attention to something, this phrase allows you to divert someone’s attention. It suggests that they do not need to know anything more about what’s happening.
We also think it’s worth exploring this example to learn how to say please disregard that matter in an email:
Dear Miss Kitch,
Please disregard that matter at once.
It’s important for us to stay on the same page here, so I want to stick with what’s relevant.
All the best,
Max Brighthorse
2. Let’s Shift Our Focus
Try keeping things simple and streamlined with let’s shift our focus. This is one of the most common alternatives to never mind in formal English.
Generally, this helps you to keep control of a conversation. If you’re moving on to a topic you’re not willing to speak about, this phrase will help you to take control and move on.
This works best if you’re good at handling conversations and topics. It shows you’re a good leader and you’re able to instruct people to disregard certain things that aren’t useful.
Try using it when contacting employees. It lets them know that you’re the boss and you only want to communicate about things that you deem relevant enough to discuss.
You should also check out this email sample to learn a bit more about how to use it:
Dear Suzie,
Let’s shift our focus and stay on track.
I want to make sure that everyone knows what to expect from the merger next week.
Yours,
Duncan Blissful
3. Allow Me to Retract That Statement
A professional way to say never mind is allow me to retract that statement.
The phrase is quite a good way to formally apologize quickly for saying something wrong. Instead of rushing to say never mind, this phrase allows you to cancel out the last thing you said.
It’s polite and sincere. So, it suggests that whatever you said isn’t relevant to the recipient.
Thus, we think it’s good to use this when apologizing to a customer. Perhaps you said something that wasn’t meant for them to hear about a product they’ve enquired about.
Well, this phrase will help you to backtrack slightly and show them that you have nothing to say yet.
If you’re still confused, you can review this example:
Dear Ms. Martinez,
Allow me to retract that statement from the previous email.
I have attached a more up-to-date file that should be better suited to your needs.
Kind regards,
Marcus Kindly
4. No Further Consideration Is Necessary
Feel free to write no further consideration is necessary as another way to say never mind.
This allows you to be sincere and humble. It suggests that you’d prefer it if the recipient stopped reading into something you said to them.
For the most part, this is going to work wonders when contacting a business partner.
After all, it lets them know in a formal way that you don’t want to discuss something. They should respect your wishes after this and be happy to move on from it.
Also, you should check out this email sample to learn a bit more about how it works:
Dear Mrs. Anderson,
No further consideration is necessary right now.
I’ll let you know if anything changes and if I need your help moving forward.
Best regards,
Dan Kent
5. Please Disregard My Previous Comment
You can also write please disregard my previous comment instead of never mind.
This is an ideal way to move a conversation on quickly. It suggests that you didn’t mean to say something (or, at the very least, didn’t want to say it to the wrong person).
It’s a respectful and formal choice of words. That’s what makes it so valuable in most email contexts.
You can review this sample email if you still need help understanding it:
Dear Ms. Kingston,
Please disregard my previous comment.
I think it’s more important if we focus on this issue right now.
All the best,
Stacey White
6. Let’s Move on From That Topic
We want to finish with let’s move on from that topic. This is a more polite yet formal way to ask someone to forget about something and move on.
It’s another way to say never mind that shows you’ve exhausted a topic.
Generally, the recipient will be happy to move on with you. After all, it’s polite and shows you’d rather not speak about it.
So, you can use it when contacting a client. It suggests you have more to say about something else, but you think it’s time you moved on from the previous conversation.
Also, check out this example to learn a bit more about it:
Dear Ms. Haselgrove,
Let’s move on from that topic, please.
I have a few other things I’d like to run by you if you have the time.
Kind regards,
Anne Reid
Is It Correct to Say “Never Mind”?
It is correct to say never mind. We recommend using it when you’d like someone to forget about something, or you want to change the subject.
However, it can be seen as rude. You need to be careful with your delivery before using a phrase like this.
It’s also not professional, so it’s best to avoid using it in emails.
Here are some conversational examples showing you how it works:
Look, never mind about that! I’m not sure we should continue looking into something like this.
Never mind what they think about it! It’s certainly not going to help us move forward with the situation.
Before using it, though, you have to pay attention to one thing. Sometimes, people mistakenly use it as one word. However, this is not the case.
So, always use it as a phrase. There must be a space between never and mind
Mistake: Shortening it to one word
- Correct: Never mind.
- Incorrect: Nevermind.
Well, it’s clear that never mind isn’t suitable in professional writing. Therefore, you should explore some of our alternatives to see how you can make it sound more formal.
