Do you want to know the best ways to show you didn’t know something?
Perhaps you’re concerned that “little did I know” is too informal or insincere for most written cases.
Luckily, it’s not the only option that works well!
This article will teach you how to say “little did I know” professionally and informally, depending on your needs.
Other Ways to Say “Little Did I Know”
- Unbeknownst to me
- I was in the dark about
- It escaped my notice
- Without my knowledge
- I was unaware that
- Ignorant of the fact that
- Little did I realize
- I had no idea that
- Without foreknowledge
- I was clueless that
- I was uninformed that
- It eluded my awareness
- I was blind to the fact that
- I had no inkling that
- It was beyond my awareness
- I was uninformed about
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- “Little did I know” is correct, but it doesn’t often work in formal writing.
- For a more formal synonym, you should write “unbeknownst to me.”
- Try “I was in the dark about” for a more informal synonym if that suits your tone better.
You should read on to learn what to say instead of “little did I know.” We’ve explored more relating to the best formal and informal options to help you mix things up.
Also, the last section will show you whether it’s correct to write “little did I know.” So, it might be worth skipping ahead if you think this is more applicable to your needs right now.
Unbeknownst to Me (Formal)
Another way to say “little did I know” is “unbeknownst to me.”
This phrase works really well formally. After all, it has a more professional tone to it, making it suit emails better than anything else.
Generally, you can use this when contacting a team of employees. It suggests that you weren’t made aware of something, so you didn’t know how to react to it at first.
Also, you can review these email examples to learn a bit more:
Dear All,
Unbeknownst to me, the shareholders have decided to move forward.
This is a minor setback, but we can still work towards our common goal.
Yours,
Junior Smith
Dear Ms. Keating,
Unbeknownst to me, the team completed the project ahead of schedule.
I have to say, I’m quite proud of the work they put into this.
All the best,
Michael Forstar
I Was in the Dark About (Informal)
You can also use “I was in the dark about” as a more informal synonym.
This time, you might want to use it when giving off a more friendly tone in your writing. It’s a great way to let someone know you weren’t aware of specific information.
Generally, you can use it when contacting an employee if you have a good relationship with them. It might help you to build a more casual rapport moving forward.
So, check out this email sample to find out a bit more about it:
Hi Maxine,
I was in the dark about these changes, but that’s okay.
We’ll still find a way to work around them to ensure you can complete your work.
Best wishes,
Elliot Roberts
It might also be good to use something like this when writing an essay. Of course, this would belong in a more casual essay talking about your life or something important to you.
Here’s a helpful essay sample to show you a bit more about it:
I was in the dark about my options for a lot of my early life. However, I’m glad to have been informed about what’s out there.
Is It Correct to Say “Little Did I Know”?
It is correct to say “little did I know.”
However, it is not formal. So, you probably shouldn’t use it in emails to show that you didn’t know something.
Instead, it works better in text messages.
You can review this message sample to see how to use “little did I know” in a sentence:
Little did I know that they were changing the rules. I would have looked into them more if that were the case!
But before using the phrase, you’ve got to ensure you use the correct tense.
Sometimes, people mistakenly use “know” in the past tense. You should avoid this if you’re looking to be correct.
Check out the following as a quick reminder:
- Correct: Little did I know
- Incorrect: Little did I knew
Now, you should bookmark this page to remind yourself of the best synonyms for “little did I know.” That way, you can come back whenever you need to remind yourself of your best options.