Other ways to say "I'm not sure" in English?

[otherwaystosay]

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to expand my vocabulary and sound more natural in conversation. Instead of always saying “I’m not sure,” what are some other casual or polite ways to express uncertainty in English?

For example, can I say:

• “I’m not quite certain”
• “I think so, but I’m not positive”
• “It’s hard to say”

Are these phrases common in spoken English? Any tips on when to use them would be really helpful!

Thanks in advance for your help!
— [Your name or nickname]

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi, everyone.

I’m trying to expand my vocabulary and sound more natural in conversation. Instead of always saying “I’m not sure", what are some other casual or polite ways to express uncertainty in English?

For example, can I say the following?

• “I’m not quite certain.”
• “I think so, but I’m not positive.”
• “It’s hard to say.”

Are these phrases common in spoken English? Any tips on when to use them would be really helpful!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Please note my corrections to the punctuation above. Also note that I added "the following" - this is because by simply writing "can I say" and a colon, you left yourself nowhere to put the required question mark.

Your member profile says your native language is English. If that's the case, I'm sure you know (or have at least heard) plenty of alternatives to "I'm not sure".

— [Your name or nickname]

I have no idea what this was doing at the end of your post. It makes it look as if you used some kind of template for your post. Is that the case? If so, why?