For non-native English speakers, asking someone to repeat can feel awkward, risky, or even embarrassing—especially at work.
But here’s the truth ❤️
In American workplaces, asking someone to repeat is normal, professional, and often expected—if you do it the right way.
In this full guide, I’ll show you exactly how to ask someone to repeat without sounding annoyed, confused, or unprepared. You’ll get:
Natural, polite phrases Americans actually use
Examples for meetings, calls, and daily office talk
Cultural tips (this part matters a lot)
Common mistakes non-native speakers make
Small tone and pronunciation tweaks that change everything
Let’s make this easy and stress-free.
First, let’s clear something up ✨
In American work culture:
Asking for repetition = you care about accuracy
Not asking = risking mistakes
Native speakers ask each other to repeat all the time:
Because of accents
Because meetings move fast
Because audio quality is bad
Because people multitask
So when you ask someone to repeat, it doesn’t make you look weak—it makes you look responsible.
The key is how you ask.
Most learners think:
“My English isn’t good enough.”
But the real issue is usually:
Not knowing the soft, polite phrases
Using phrases that sound too direct
Having the wrong tone or stress
Let’s fix that.
❌ “Can you repeat?”
❌ “Say that again.” (can sound annoyed)
These aren’t wrong grammatically—but in American English, they often sound too blunt.
Instead, Americans soften the request by:
Adding context
Taking some responsibility
Using friendly filler phrases
“Sorry, could you repeat that?”
Why it works:
“Sorry” softens everything
“Could you” sounds polite, not demanding
✅ Perfect for:
Meetings
Calls
Talking to managers
✨ Tip: Keep your tone rising and calm, not flat.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch the last part.”
This sounds very natural in American English.
Why Americans like this:
You’re specific
You show you were listening
Other versions:
“I missed the last point—could you repeat it?”
“I didn’t quite catch that detail.”
This one is especially useful on Zoom or calls.
“Sorry, the audio cut out for a second—could you say that again?”
This is great because:
You don’t blame your English
You don’t blame the speaker
Other natural options:
“You froze for a moment—could you repeat that?”
“I think I lost you there for a second.”
Meetings are where many non-native speakers feel the most pressure.
Here’s how Americans usually handle it.
“Sorry, could you go over that again?”
“Can you repeat that last point?”
“Just to make sure I understood—could you repeat that?”
That last one is especially powerful.
It signals professionalism, not confusion.
A very American technique:
“So you’re saying the deadline is Friday—did I get that right?”
If you’re wrong, they’ll naturally repeat it for you.
This does two things:
Confirms understanding
Avoids directly saying “I didn’t understand”
Phone calls are harder because:
No body language
Sound quality varies
Accents feel stronger
“Sorry, could you say that again?”
“I didn’t quite hear that—could you repeat it?”
“Can you go over that one more time?”
Avoid saying:
“What?”
“Huh?”
(these sound very casual and can feel rude at work)
Sometimes repetition happens in writing too.
“Just to clarify, could you please repeat the timeline you mentioned?”
“Sorry—I want to make sure I understood correctly. Could you restate the next steps?”
These sound:
Clear
Professional
Respectful
Same sentence. Two different tones:
❌ Flat, sharp tone
“Sorry. Could you repeat that.”
✅ Warm, rising tone
“Sorry—could you repeat that?”
In American English:
A slight rise at the end = polite
Stress on sorry or could = softer
Practice this aloud. Tone matters more than grammar.
“Repeat, please.”
“Say again.”
These may sound normal in other languages, but in English they can feel commanding.
“Sorry, my English is not very good and I didn’t understand because you were speaking fast…”
You don’t need all that.
Americans prefer simple and confident.
This is the biggest risk ⚠️
Nodding and guessing can lead to:
Missed deadlines
Wrong tasks
Stress later
Asking to repeat early is always better.
Sometimes repetition isn’t enough.
Try these:
“Could you say that a little more slowly?”
“Do you mind repeating that a bit slower?”
“Sorry, could you slow down just a bit?”
These are polite and totally acceptable at work.
✨ Drill 1: Softening
Say each version and feel the difference.
“Repeat that.” ❌
“Could you repeat that?”
“Sorry, could you repeat that?” ✅
✨ Drill 2: Adding context
Complete the sentence:
“Sorry, I didn’t catch the ___.”
(last number / last point / deadline / name)
✨ Drill 3: Confirmation style
Practice this structure:
“So you’re saying ___, right?”
This is extremely natural in American workplaces.
Many immigrants worry:
“I’m slowing everyone down.”
But in U.S. work culture:
Mistakes are more expensive than questions
Clear communication = professionalism
Asking someone to repeat shows:
Attention to detail
Responsibility
Confidence
If fast speech or accents are the real challenge, that’s not your fault ❤️
American English uses:
Reductions
Connected speech
Stress-based rhythm
That’s why repetition is normal—even for native speakers.
At ChatterFox, we help non-native professionals with:
Business English that sounds natural
Real workplace listening & speaking
Pronunciation that improves clarity
Confidence in meetings and calls
We combine AI speech feedback with certified accent reduction coaches, so you don’t just learn rules—you practice real communication.
Asking someone to repeat is not a weakness.
It’s a skill.
And once you use the right phrases, tone, and timing, it becomes effortless.
So next time you miss something at work, remember:
Clear English beats silent confusion—every time.
