I may be wrong / I may well be wrong

[herbivorie]

Someone explained about something to me. I have a different opinion, but I don't want to offend him.
Which should I say? Which means more probable that I'm wrong?

1. I may be wrong, but ...
2. I may well be wrong, but ...

 

[bhaisahab]

They both mean the same to me.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Can 'I beg to differ' be used as an alternative?

Not a teacher.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

They are more or less the same, but I think 'I may well be wrong' indicates that your being wrong is slightly more probable than in the version without 'well'.

'I beg to differ' means I disagree.

 

[BobK]

While the meanings are similar. the stress changes: 'I may be wrong' versus 'I may well be wrong'. It sounds strange if you say the 'well' version without stressing well.

b

 

[Tdol]

I would use the well version to express a greater probability of my being wrong.