The phrase ‘Hope all’s well’ tops the list of email clichés, with over a quarter of Brits admitting to regularly using the overly courteous expression in their work emails. The research conducted by Spacemade, surveyed people to determine which cliché phrases they most commonly use in emails.
Jonny Rosenblatt, Co-Founder of Spacemade: “We’ve had a bit of fun interpreting these common email phrases and offering our take on what they really mean. Would we ever say these phrases in real life, I don’t think so. In-person conversations save us from these formalities, making communication more effective and enjoyable, which ultimately boosts productivity and speeds up decision-making.”
Top 10 Office Email Clichés that dominate inboxes, along with their ‘real’ translations.
|
Cliché phrases and percentage of people in the UK who typically use these phrases in emails |
Translation |
|
Hope all’s well (26%) |
I’ve honestly not thought about your wellbeing, but this seems to be the standard way to start an email |
|
Apologies for my delay in response (24%) |
I’d completely forgotten about your email |
|
Hope this finds you well (22%) |
I’ve run out of other ways to start emails |
|
As per my last email (20%) |
You didn’t read my last email, did you? |
|
A quick note to say (18%) |
Thanks for stating the obvious (and we both know it’s not a quick one) |
|
Just following up (17%) |
Because I asked for this two weeks ago and I’m still waiting… |
|
Re. (15%) |
You’ve asked so many questions I’m now resorting to shorthand |
|
Thanks for your patience (15%) |
We both know you’ve been pestering me all week |
|
As per our last discussion (14%) |
You didn’t listen to me last time, did you / Why are we having this conversation again |
|
Friendly reminder (13%) |
Despite me asking you multiple times already, I’m pretty sure you’ve forgotten |
Other commonly used phrases revealed in the research include ‘Just wanted to chase this up’ (9%), ‘Happy Monday/Friday!’ (8%), ‘Please be advised’ (8%) and ‘Nice to E-meet you’ (7%).
Jonny said: “Emails and Zoom calls have their limits, I think we can all agree no one loves an endless email chain. We truly believe creating environments where you can be in the same room, makes a huge difference. It’s in those moments – the quick chats, the spontaneous ideas, the real-time feedback – that the best collaborations happen.”