7 Ways to Politely Apologize for a Late Reply in English
Have you ever wanted to apologize for replying late to an email? Here are seven ways to do that in English!
Sorry for the delay.
"Sorry" is the most common way to apologize for a delayed response in English. Native English speakers use it with their friends, coworkers, bosses, and customers.
Sorry for the late reply. I saw that your issue has been resolved. Is there anything else you need help with?
So sorry for not replying sooner! I was busy getting the data you requested. You'll find everything you need in the attached file.
Sorry I'm just getting back to you. Your proposal looks good to me. Thanks for working on this in my absence.
If you want to be a little more polite, you can say "I'm sorry."
Here's the slide deck you requested. Let me know if you need me to make any changes. I'm sorry that this took a little longer than expected.
Apologies for the delay.
"Apologies" is short for "my apologies." Both are formal ways to say sorry in English, but "apologies" is more common in email.
Apologies for the delay. I am available for a call anytime this afternoon.
Apologies for the delayed response. Our product team has confirmed that we will no longer be supporting this feature.
Please find the meeting minutes attached. My apologies for the delay in sending these out.
To be more polite, native English speakers also write "sincere/sincerest apologies."
Sincere apologies for the delayed response. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide the information you requested.
Just make sure to write "apologies" — not "apology."
- "Apology" refers to an apology you made: "My apology was ignored."
- "Apologies" means "I'm sorry": "My apologies for the mistake."
I apologize for the delay.
"I apologize" is another formal way to say sorry.
I apologize for the delay. My secretary will arrange for a meeting for next Monday afternoon.
I apologize for taking so long to reply. Your email went to my spam folder and just came to my attention now.
I apologize for the slow response. I was waiting for feedback from another team. I'll follow up with you by Thursday!
You can also use "I apologize (in advance)" if you want to say sorry for possible delays in the future.
I will be traveling next week with limited access to the internet, so I apologize in advance for any possible delays.
Please excuse the delay.
"Please excuse" means "please forgive (me for something)."
Please excuse me for not responding sooner. I will circle back once I've consulted with our legal team.
Please excuse my delayed reply. We've been busy working on the bug that was reported last week. I'll update you when we've fixed it.
Please excuse any delayed responses next week as I will be on leave. For emergencies, please contact my colleague Lorie at lorie@engoo.com.
Please accept my apologies for the delay.
"Please accept my apologies" is the original version of "my apologies." It is a very formal way to say sorry.
The information you have requested is attached below. Please accept my apologies for the delayed response.
We are so sorry for the slow response. It seems your message got lost in our inbox over the holidays. If you are still interested in our services, please see the attached pricing plans. Again, please accept our sincere apologies for the delay and any inconveniences it may have caused.
Thank you for the reminder.
To make your email more positive, you can thank the other person for sending you a reminder instead of just apologizing.
Thank you for the reminder. I can absolutely attend the meeting on Thursday. Could you please send me the agenda?
Thanks for reaching out again and sorry for the delay. I'll get on your request right away and send you an update before the end of the week.
Thank you for following up. I wanted to reach out sooner, but I'm still waiting on my manager to approve the budget.
Thank you for your patience.
"Thank you for your patience" is commonly used in customer service emails.
We have forwarded your email to the relevant team. Please expect a response from them within 3-5 business days. Thank you for your patience while we resolve this issue.
Due to an unusually high volume of inquiries, we may need more time than normal to reply to your messages. We apologize in advance for any delays and appreciate your patience and understanding.
Want Someone to Correct Your Emails?
If you want someone to check an email you’ve written or to help you improve your business writing in general, have a chat with one of our tutors! Many of them have experience in different areas of business and can help you to say exactly what you want in the best way you can.
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