13 Other Ways to Say “I Am Not Sure” Professionally

Are you unsure about the answer to a question or how to do a task?

Don’t worry; you’re only human! You can’t know everything.

You shouldn’t feel ashamed to say “I am not sure.” But you should know better ways to say it to sound more sincere and professional.

Luckily, this article is here to help. We’ve provided alternatives showing you how to say “I am not sure” formally.

Other Ways to Say “I Am Not Sure”

  • I am unable to provide a definitive answer
  • I’m still undecided
  • I am uncertain at this time
  • I am still evaluating the options
  • I’m hesitant to give a definite response
  • I’m currently unsure about that matter
  • I am still in the process of gathering information
  • I’m not yet able to form an opinion
  • I’m still assessing the situation
  • I am not entirely confident
  • I’m still deliberating
  • I am unable to give a confident response
  • I’m not yet certain about the correct approach

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • “I am not sure” is correct and acceptable in emails when you don’t know how to answer someone’s question.
  • Try “I am unable to provide a definitive answer” for an honest, formal synonym that helps mix things up.
  • “I’m still undecided” shows you don’t know how to answer something in more informal contexts.

So, read on to learn how to say “I am not sure” in an email. It’s always good to pick up a few alternatives to help you keep your writing fresh and interesting from email to email.

Alternatively, you can read through the final section. We’ve touched on whether it’s correct to say “I am not sure” and which situations it makes the most sense.

I Am Unable to Provide a Definitive Answer (Formal)

You can use “I am unable to provide a definitive answer” as a professional way to say “I am not sure.”

Sure, it’s more wordy and long-winded. But sometimes that’s exactly what you need!

After all, “I am unable to provide a definite answer” shows you don’t know something at this moment. Therefore, it suggests you could learn the answer with time.

It’s more professional because it doesn’t just say “I don’t know.” Instead, it implies “I don’t know yet, but I will find out.”

Therefore, it works well when emailing your boss. It shows you haven’t got the answer they’re looking for, but you’ll do what you can to find it as quickly as possible.

You can also check out the following email sample:

Dear Ms. Docherty,

I am unable to provide a definitive answer at this time. Please forgive me, but I’ll do what I can to make things right.

All the best,
Sean Gateshead

I’m Still Undecided (Informal)

You can say “I’m still undecided” to politely say you are not sure. It’s a great way to let a recipient know you don’t have an answer yet.

Also, using “undecided” implies that you’ll look for an answer as soon as possible.

Therefore, it’s not as final as saying “I am not sure” (which suggests you don’t know and don’t plan on finding out).

You can use this phrase when emailing a colleague. It lets them know that you don’t have an answer for them, but you’d like to see what you can find out with a bit more time.

Here’s a great email example to show you how it works:

Dear Allison,

I’m still undecided on my approach here. I might need to ask for some more help before I give you an honest answer!

Yours,
Bill Franklin

Is It Correct to Say “I Am Not Sure”?

It is correct to say “I am not sure.” It’s a simple way to show you do not know something.

Of course, it works well formally and professionally. You can use it when you don’t know the answer that someone is looking for.

Refer to this email example to show you how it works formally:

Dear Adam,

I am not sure what you want me to do here. I can’t quite figure out the best way for us to move forward.

All the best,
Jon Watkins

As you can see, it’s a simple way to show you don’t know something.

It’s not informal, though. That’s why it works quite well as a polite and honest response when you don’t know how to do something.

Feel free to use any of these extensions to keep things interesting as well:

  • I am not sure whether it is correct
  • I am not sure if you are the right person to contact
  • I am not sure who to contact

Including the extra words at the end helps you to sound more specific and direct. These are great options to explain exactly what you don’t know or are unsure about.