Have you ever been to a business meeting or event where you needed to thank more than one person?
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If so, you probably understand how strange it feels to say “thank you…thank you…thank you…” over and over again!
Finding different ways to say thank you in a business setting may seem complicated, as some ways are less formal than others. Thus, striking a balance between friendliness and professionalism is important.
So, let’s look at 7 different ways to say thank you in a business setting!
(Prefer to watch this lesson on video? Here’s our full length tutorial on “Ways to say ‘Thank You’”):
‘Ways to Say ‘Thank You’ in English’:
Different Forms of Thank You
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If you’ve been studying English for a while, you probably know that there are two basic ways to say thank you. For example, there’s the standard way (“thank you”) and the less formal way (“thanks”).
However, your options don’t stop there. Here are just a few of the most common ways to say thank you in a business setting:
Ways to say thank you in a formal setting
- Thank you.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you for your kind assistance.
- Thank you all. (to a group)
Ways to say thank you in an informal setting
- Thanks!
- Thanks a lot!
- Thanks a bunch!
- Thanks a million!
- Thanks a ton!
While most business settings qualify as “formal,” you might have formed a close relationship with your coworkers or clients. In these situations, it may be more comfortable to use casual, relaxed language, as opposed to formal business English.
Additionally, informal business situations might include small talk, impromptu meetings, or get-togethers with coworkers outside of work. That said, you’ll need to evaluate the atmosphere to figure out if it is formal or informal. If you’re unsure, it’s best to use formal language just in case.
Give a Compliment Before or After You Say Thank You
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Sometimes it’s not about replacing “thank you” with a new word, but replacing the words around it! Giving a compliment before or after saying thanks has several benefits. First, it makes your statement more personal. Second, it gives your thank you a little more context. For example, if you just say thank you and nothing else, the person may not even know why you’re thanking them!
So, feel free to add a compliment before or after your thank you. For example:
- You’re too kind! thanks.
- Thanks! You’re too kind.
- You’re very thoughtful. Thank you!
- Thank you. You’re very thoughtful!
- You were really helpful. Thanks!
- Thanks. You were really helpful!
- You did a great job. Thank you!
- Thank you. You did a great job!
As you can see, adding a compliment to your thank you can specify why you’re thanking someone. It also sounds friendly and warm. So, if you can’t think of a different word for thank you, just throw in a compliment!
Show Appreciation
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There are also plenty of thank you synonyms. When you really think about it, showing appreciation is pretty much the same as thanking someone.
In fact, saying thank you is just one form of showing appreciation. You can show appreciation by doing nice gestures (presenting someone with a gift, doing someone a favor, etc), but you can also show appreciation with your words. For example:
- I appreciate it.
- I’m very appreciative of/for…[insert action]
- Example: I’m very appreciative of the way you handled yourself during our presentation.
- I really appreciate it.
- I really appreciate what you’ve done.
- I really appreciate everything you’ve done.
- I really appreciate you…[insert action].
- Example: I really appreciate you helping with the assignment.
- I really appreciate you. (can be too intimate, depending on the tone)
- *I’d like to show my appreciation.
- This last statement is often accompanied by action. You can either use a future action (favor) or past action (the reason you are appreciative). For example, you could say “I’d like to show my appreciation by giving you a bonus” or “I’d like to show my appreciation for your hard work.”
“Appreciate” is a common replacement for “thank you” in the workplace.
For example, if your coworker helps you finish a project you’re working on, you should tell them that you appreciate their work. If you’re in a management position or have people working under you, it’s good to remind them that you appreciate their efforts or what they contribute to the team.
Show Thankfulness
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Much like appreciation, showing thankfulness is another alternative to saying thank you. Again, thankfulness (or being “full of thanks”) is almost identical in meaning. Additionally, you can show thankfulness with words, actions, or both! For example:
- I’m thankful.
- I’m thankful for…[insert action].
- Example: I’m thankful for your contributions in the meeting yesterday.
- I’m very thankful for what you’ve done.
- I’m really thankful for everything you’ve done.
- I’m extremely thankful to you.
- I’m tremendously thankful to everyone. (to a group)
- I’m immensely thankful to you all. (to a group)
As with many other ways to say thank you, you can add “really” or “very” to express more of the same sentiment. If you feel that saying “I’m thankful” is not enough, you can amplify your statement by adding different adverbs. For example:
- Really
- Very
- *Especially
- If you use “especially,” you usually need to specify why you are thankful. For example, you could say “I’m especially thankful for all of your hard work over the past few days.”
- Extremely
- Tremendously
- Immensely
While the adverbs above will help amplify your “thankfulness,” there are also some words and phrases that can decrease the value of your statement. Generally, you should avoid pairing the following words with your thank you if you want to appear genuine. For example:
- Pretty
- Somewhat
- Kind of
- Sort of
- A little
- A bit
Show Gratitude
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“Gratitude” is another thank you synonym that functions like “appreciation” and thankfulness.” It can replace a simple thank you and let someone know that you are grateful to another person or group of people. Additionally, gratitude is most often used in relation to a specific action or event. For example:
- I am grateful.
- I’m grateful for…[insert action].
- Example: I’m grateful for your high sales numbers.
- I am really grateful for what you’ve done.
- I’m very grateful for everything you’ve done.
- I am extremely grateful to you.
- I’m very grateful to everyone. (to a group)
- I am tremendously grateful to you all. (to a group)
- I’d like to show my gratitude for/by…[insert action].
- Example: I’d like to show my gratitude by helping you prepare your speech OR I’d like to show my gratitude for your help.
It’s important to note that gratitude is not as versatile as appreciation or thankfulness. The verb form of thankfulness is “to thank” (I thank you for your work) and the verb form of appreciation is “to appreciate” (I appreciate everything you do). However, there is no verb form of gratitude. Therefore, you will either need to combine grateful with a “to be” verb (I am grateful) or use “show my gratitude” (I want to show my gratitude by giving you a gift).
Say Thank You With Your Tone
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Saying thank you isn’t always about what you say, but how you say it. Adding certain adverbs to your statement can amplify the sentiment, but if you’re using a dull or indifferent tone, you might not sound genuine. In other words, the other person or people may think that you don’t really mean what you say. So, don’t forget to maintain a friendly, direct tone.
In most situations, you can also say thank you by emphasizing the adverb or phrases that amplify your statement. For example:
- I’m extremely grateful.
- I’m very thankful.
- Thank you so much.
- I really appreciate it.
As you can imagine, people can usually tell if you mean what you say based on your tone. If you sound like you’re just thanking someone out of obligation, people will probably not respond well. So, always try to sound like you mean it!
Creative Ways to Say Thank You
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In addition to the tips above, there are also some creative words to say thank you. However, remember to “read the room” before you try these. This means that you should evaluate how professional you need to be in different situations. As previously stated, some business settings call for complete professionalism, while others allow for more casual language. For example:
- I owe you one!
- You’re the best!
- I’m touched.
- This means a lot.
- I won’t forget this. / I won’t forget what you’ve done for me.
- How can I ever repay you?
- I couldn’t have done it without you.
- How can I thank you enough?
- *I want you to know that I really value what you’ve done for me.
- In the verb form, “value” can function much like “appreciate.”
Conclusion
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Figuring out how to say thank you meaningfully requires the right tone, wording, and awareness of the environment. While it may sound hard, it doesn’t have to be. If you can’t decide whether to be formal or informal, always default to formal. This way, you don’t have to worry about sounding unprofessional or overly casual. In any case, using any of the phrases above will help you show your thankfulness in completely new ways!
In conclusion, we hope you found this overview of the different ways to say thank you useful! As always, for all things English conversation, grammar, or job-related, visit Magoosh Speaking today!
