9 Better Ways to Say "I Understand" (Formal Email) (2024)

In a formal email, you might be given instructions or tasks to complete. Replying “I understand” is a good way to show someone that you accept the instructions. This article will explore a few other alternatives that work well in formal emails and business contexts.

The preferred synonyms are “understood,” “I appreciate that,” and “that makes sense.” In formal contexts, these phrases work well to show that you’ve read and accepted the tasks that someone has asked of you. You can use these to show that you respect the request or authority.

Understood

“Understood” is the simplest (but most effective) replacement for “I understand.” In formal emails, it shows that you have understood the situation.

Using a one-word response is a great way to keep the reply light and easy to read. It shows that you’ve accepted a task without the need for further communication.

• Dear Tom,
• Understood. I’ll let you know when I’ve compiled all of the information that you need for this study.
• All the best,
• Sarah

• Hey Mike,
• Understood. I appreciate being given the opportunity to show you what I can do. I won’t let you down.
• Thank you,
• Dean

• Dear sir,
• Understood. I’m glad that you came to me with this. I hope there are some things I can do to make you believe in me.
• Best wishes,
• Adam

I Appreciate That

“I appreciate that” shows that you accept a task or set of instructions. “Appreciating” things in this context means that you have understood them and will do what you can to make sure those things are completed.

• Dear Mr. Walker,
• I appreciate that. Don’t worry about a thing. The project is in good hands now, and I’ll let you know as soon as it’s completed.
• All the best,
• Sandra

• Hey Millie,
• I appreciate that. I’ll let the rest of the team know when the meeting is being held. I’ll tell them what they should expect from it as well.
• Thank you,
• Daniel

• Dear Mrs. Marshall,
• I appreciate that. If there’s anything else you’d like me to do to assist you, just ask! I’m only an email away.
• Best wishes,
• Alfred

That Makes Sense

“That makes sense” is a good choice for formal writing after someone has explained something to you. This phrase works best when someone has asked you to do something and given you a reasonable clarification as to why.

Sometimes, someone would say “do this” with no further explanation. In these cases, you might want to use a simpler response like “I will” or “understood.”

If they elaborate, they may say, “do this because it will help with this.” Here, you could say “that makes sense” to show that you understand your task, as well as the outcome to expect from it.

• Dear Parker,
• That makes sense. I’m glad you have decided to move forward with all of this. I think it’s for the good of the company.
• Best wishes,
• Suzanne

• Hey Tim,
• That makes sense. I will let everyone know that there will be a meeting to discuss the next steps.
• Thank you,
• Martin

• Dear Zachary,
• That makes sense. Is there anything you need from me right now? I want to make this as smooth as I can for you.
• All the best,
• Marge

I Copy

“I copy” is a decent choice in formal emails. It’s most common to use “copy” as a synonym for “understand” in military English. It’s found mainly in radio communications to show that someone understood the last message that was sent to them.

While it works well for radio communication and spoken English, there’s nothing stopping you from using “I copy” in written English and business contexts as well. It’s a great phrase that shows you understand.

• Dear Miss Moneypenny
• I copy. I’ll do what I can to make sure all of this gets completed before the CEO comes to the office. I’m sure there’s enough time.
• Best wishes,
• James

• Dear Melissa,
• I copy, and I’m glad you trusted me with this. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to share the information later.
• All the best,
• Sally

• Hey Karen,
• I copy. I appreciate that you have a few concerns, and you can rest easy knowing that I will do what I can to correct these issues.
• Thank you,
• Mr. Synergy

I Am With You

“I am with you” is a good option in some formal cases. It shows that you’re thinking in the same way as the recipient, or you understand what they might be asking you to do.

It might come across as a little jarring to some, though. “I am with you” almost sounds robotic if you’re not careful with how you deliver it in your message.

• Dear Sam,
• I am with you. Is there anything you’d like to run me through before I get to work on the rest of it?
• All the best,
• Audrey

• Dear Mr. Bennett,
• I am with you. I thought you might come to me for help with this situation. I’ve already set some things up that should help us out.
• Best wishes,
• Hughie

• Hey Mr. Storm,
• I am with you. I’ll be there when you need me this weekend. Just let me know where I need to show up.
• Thank you,
• Miss Tina

I Get It

“I get it” is a good choice for formal and informal English. It works well because it shows that you’ve “understood” something by “getting it.” This means you don’t need it to be explained any further.

Some people would argue that “I get it” is too informal. It can come across as a bit snappy (like saying “shut up”). You should be careful overusing it because it could give the wrong impression to some recipients.

• Hey Jacqui,
• I get it, and I’ll do what I can. I appreciate you coming to me with these instructions. I believe I’m a good fit for this situation.
• Thank you,
• Jessica

• Dear Anita,
• I get it, and I’ll see what I can do. I hope we can come to some kind of arrangement once this is all completed.
• All the best,
• George

• Dear Ben
• I get it, thank you. I’ll be sure to contact you once this is done. I appreciate you taking the time to email me, though.
• Best wishes,
• Mr. Dickinson

I Will

“I will” is a general response that works well in formal emails. It shows that you “will” follow the commands or orders that someone might have given you. It works best when answering someone higher up than you, but it can work in other contexts too.

Generally, “I will” isn’t the only thing you would write.

In a formal email, you’d want to say something like “I will do that” or “I will see what I can do.” “I will” is the generic response, but you can always add more to show that you’ve fully read and received the task someone sent you.

• Dear Chris,
• I will get right on that. Thank you for offering me as a team leader here. I’m glad that my value is finally being understood.
• Best wishes,
• Emma

• Hey Nicola
• I will do what you ask of me. I should be able to get most of these files done by the end of the day. If not, slightly sooner.
• Thank you,
• Nathan

• Dear Mr. Sutton
• I will. I’ll be sure to contact you as soon as I’ve completed the task. You’ll be hearing from me soon.
• All the best,
• Joe

Acknowledged

“Acknowledged” is a simple phrase that works well in formal English. In emails, it can be useful to keep to as few words as possible when replying to tasks. That’s why a single-word answer like this works well.

Some people might think it sounds a bit too abrupt. Generally, if you’re worried about coming across as blunt or rude, you should add a few extra sentences after “acknowledged” to show the recipient that you truly understand what they asked you.

• Dear Sarah,
• Acknowledged. I’ll let you know when I’ve done most of the work, so you can take over from me.
• Best wishes,
• Pauline

• Hey Frederick,
• Acknowledged. There shouldn’t need to be much else that you need to do. I’ll let you know if that changes.
• Thank you,
• Miss Julia

• Dear Thomas,
• Acknowledged. I’m glad you came to me with this information. I’ll do what I can to make things right.
• All the best,
• Robert

I Acknowledge That

“I acknowledge that” is a longer version of “acknowledged.” If you would prefer to use a full phrase (rather than a fragment like “acknowledged), this works the best.

In formal emails, “I acknowledge that” shows that you accept and appreciate what someone is asking from you. It usually means you’ll do whatever they ask (either straight away or after you’ve completed your current tasks).

• Hey Ryan,
• I acknowledge that, and I appreciate you coming to me to ask for help with this. I hope there’s something we can do together.
• Thank you,
• Allan

• Dear Mr. Rutherford,
• Yes, I acknowledge that. I think I have a few ideas that should help us to understand more about what is needed.
• Best wishes,
• Terrence

• Dear Gary,
• I acknowledge that. I’ll be sure to get to work on the projects as soon as I’m given the information that you’ve addressed.
• All the best,
• Samantha