You’ve got to show gratitude when someone gives you useful information, but what’s the best way to do this in a professional setting?
Is “thanks for the heads up” too informal?
In this article, we discuss the correctness of the phrase “thanks for the heads up” and provide some useful synonyms for you to use inside and outside of the office.
Other Ways to Say “Thanks for the Heads Up”
- Thank you for notifying me
- Thanks for filling me in
- Thank you for letting me know
- Thanks for the warning
- Thank you for telling me
- Thank you for the information
- Appreciate the info
- Thanks for catching me up
- Thank you for bringing that up
- Thank you for making me aware of that
- Glad you told me
- Thanks for cluing me in
- Glad you came to me with this
- Thank you for alerting me
- Thanks for the tip-off
- Thank you for the advance notice
- Thanks for putting me on to that
- Thank you for opening my eyes to that
- Thanks for giving me the lowdown
- Thanks for bringing me up to date
- Thank you for making that known
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- “Thanks for the heads up” is grammatically correct and suitable for use in informal circumstances.
- “Thanks for filling me in” is an equally effective informal alternative.
- As a professional alternative, you can use the phrase “thank you for notifying me.”
Don’t go anywhere! We still need to discuss our favorite formal and informal synonyms for “thanks for the heads up.” After that, we’ll provide some useful examples using each.
Finally, we’ll discuss whether “thanks for the heads up” is grammatically correct. Is it “heads up” or “heads-up”?
Thank You for Notifying Me (Professional)
If you’re trying to figure out how to say “thanks for the heads up” professionally, we would suggest using the phrase “thank you for notifying me.”
This phrase is a good way to formally express appreciation when someone comes to you with helpful information.
It is suitable for use in an office environment or in business emails with your colleagues.
“Thank you for notifying me” is better suited for formal use than “thanks for the heads up” since the latter phrase is quite idiomatic.
While “thanks for the heads up” can potentially be used at work if the culture at your company allows for it, as a general rule, we would go with the more objectively formal option.
Consider the following examples using “thank you for notifying me”:
Person 1: The client has arrived early and is waiting in boardroom 3.
Person 2: Thank you for notifying me, I’ll be there shortly.
Person 1: Your delivery is set to arrive on Thursday.
Person 2: I’m afraid I won’t be in the office that day but thank you for notifying me.
Thanks for Filling Me In (Informal)
Another way to say “thanks for the heads up” is “thanks for filling me in.” This is another informal idiom that you can use to thank someone for information.
“Thanks for filling me in” is not a superior informal phrase to “thanks for the heads up.” Nevertheless, you can use it to mix up your language now and then.
This phrase can be used in the office, but only in spoken or email communications with colleagues you have a close relationship with.
Consider the following examples:
Thanks for filling me in about that client. It’s difficult to predict his temperament on the best of days!
Hey, I just peaked downstairs and you’re right, they do have better chairs. Thanks for filling me in!
Is It Correct to Say “Thanks for the Heads Up”?
The phrase “thanks for the heads up” is idiomatic but grammatically correct.
It is best suited for use in less formal circumstances, so you should use it cautiously in the workplace.
There are two alternate ways that you may have seen this phrase:
- Thanks for the heads up
- Thanks for the heads-up
You may, therefore wonder whether it is necessary to hyphenate “heads up.” Don’t worry, we’ll discuss this next.
Essentially, “thanks for the heads-up” is the most technically correct since “heads up” is an interjection of warning.
However, in recent times “heads up” and “heads-up” have been used interchangeably in practice. As a result, the difference between them has all but fallen away.
In conclusion, both “thanks for the heads up” and “thanks for the heads-up” are grammatically correct. This phrase is suitable for informal use, so you should use it sparingly in professional settings.
If you find our list of synonyms helpful, go ahead and bookmark this page to keep them nearby!