Ever been in a conversation where you just didn’t catch what was said?
Or maybe someone dropped a comment so wild, you needed them to repeat it just to make sure you heard right?
We’ve all been there, and luckily, English is packed with a bunch of slangy, casual, and sometimes cheeky ways to say “What?”
It’s not just about asking someone to repeat themselves; it’s how you say it that can add a whole layer of meaning.
From a confused “Huh?” to a disbelieving “You what?”, these phrases are the unsung heroes of daily chats, keeping conversations flowing and misunderstandings at bay.
Let’s check out some of the most common—and fun—ways people express their momentary bafflement.
Slang For What?
Here is 24 examples of words that could be used instead of what.
Beg pardon?
A polite way of asking someone to repeat what they said.
Examples in sentences:
- “Did you say we have a meeting at noon? Beg pardon?”
- “‘This needs to be done by tomorrow.’ ‘Beg pardon? That’s too soon!'”
- “She whispered the secret. ‘Beg pardon?’ I couldn’t hear her.”
Come again?
A casual request for repetition, expressing surprise or disbelief.
Examples in sentences:
- “You’re moving to Alaska? Come again?”
- “‘I just won the lottery.’ ‘Come again? That’s amazing!'”
- “He spoke so fast. ‘Come again?’ I needed him to repeat.”
Could you repeat that?
A polite request for someone to say something again.
Examples in sentences:
- “The instructions were unclear. ‘Could you repeat that?'”
- “‘The meeting is postponed.’ ‘Could you repeat that? I want to be sure I heard right.'”
- “She mumbled her order. ‘Could you repeat that?’ the cashier asked.”
Eh?
A brief, informal request for repetition or clarification.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘It’s supposed to snow tomorrow.’ ‘Eh? Since when?'”
- “He said something under his breath. ‘Eh?’ I didn’t catch it.”
- “‘Turn left at the next street.’ ‘Eh?’ I wasn’t sure I heard correctly.”
Eh, what’s that?
An informal way of asking for something to be repeated, often used when something was not clearly heard.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘The sky is pink.’ ‘Eh, what’s that?’ I was confused.”
- “She spoke softly. ‘Eh, what’s that?’ I needed her to speak up.”
- “‘We’re leaving now.’ ‘Eh, what’s that?’ I was surprised.”
Excuse me?
Used to ask for repetition, often implying disbelief or the desire for confirmation.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘You didn’t enjoy the movie?’ ‘Excuse me? It was great!'”
- “He made an odd comment. ‘Excuse me?’ I wasn’t sure I heard right.”
- “‘I think you dropped this.’ ‘Excuse me? Oh, thank you!'”
How’s that?
A query for clarification or repetition, often used when the listener is puzzled by the speaker’s statement.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘You can solve it this way.’ ‘How’s that?’ I needed a clearer explanation.”
- “He suggested an unusual solution. ‘How’s that?’ I was curious.”
- “‘Just tweak it a bit.’ ‘How’s that?’ I wasn’t sure what he meant.”
Huh?
An informal expression of confusion or a request for repetition.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘The server is down.’ ‘Huh? But I was just on it!'”
- “She made a joke. ‘Huh?’ I didn’t get it at first.”
- “‘Look behind you.’ ‘Huh?’ I was startled.”
I beg your pardon?
A formal way of asking someone to repeat what they said, often used to express disbelief or offense.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘You’re not invited.’ ‘I beg your pardon?’ I was shocked.”
- “He said something inappropriate. ‘I beg your pardon?’ I was offended.”
- “‘This is the wrong document.’ ‘I beg your pardon? Let me check.'”
One more time?
A request for something to be said again, emphasizing the need for clarity or understanding.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘The code is 1234.’ ‘One more time?’ I didn’t catch it.”
- “She gave directions quickly. ‘One more time?’ I needed to write them down.”
- “‘You’ve won!’ ‘One more time? I can’t believe it!'”
Pardon?
A polite way to ask for something to be repeated.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘Your appointment is at 3.’ ‘Pardon?’ I thought it was at 4.”
- “He spoke in a low voice. ‘Pardon?’ I couldn’t hear him.”
- “‘Please pass the salt.’ ‘Pardon?’ I wasn’t paying attention.”
Run that by me again?
A casual way of asking for repetition, often used when the listener needs clarification or was distracted.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘It’s on the left.’ ‘Run that by me again?’ I missed the details.”
- “She explained the plan. ‘Run that by me again?’ I wanted to be sure.”
- “‘You’re quitting your job?’ ‘Run that by me again?’ I was astonished.”
Say what?
An informal expression of disbelief or surprise, asking for confirmation or repetition.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘He’s moving to Japan.’ ‘Say what? That’s unexpected!'”
- “‘This is your gift.’ ‘Say what? You shouldn’t have!'”
- “She whispered something shocking. ‘Say what?’ I was amazed.”
Say what now?
A more emphatic form of “say what?”, expressing even greater surprise or disbelief.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘I adopted five cats.’ ‘Say what now? That’s a lot!'”
- “‘We’re launching next week.’ ‘Say what now? We’re not ready!'”
- “He announced his engagement. ‘Say what now?’ I hadn’t even known he was dating.”
Sorry?
A polite way of asking for repetition, often used when the listener didn’t hear or understand.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘The meeting is cancelled.’ ‘Sorry? Can you say that again?'”
- “She spoke very softly. ‘Sorry?’ I needed her to repeat.”
- “‘You need to leave now.’ ‘Sorry?’ I was taken aback.”
What’d you say?
A direct request for repetition, often used in casual conversation.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘It’s your turn.’ ‘What’d you say?’ I was distracted.”
- “He mumbled his response. ‘What’d you say?’ I needed clarity.”
- “‘This is the best day ever!’ ‘What’d you say?’ I wanted to share in the excitement.”
What in the world?
An expression of surprise or disbelief, often used when something unexpected or confusing occurs.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘Look at that strange animal.’ ‘What in the world? I’ve never seen anything like it!'”
- “He performed a bizarre trick. ‘What in the world?’ I was baffled.”
- “‘They cancelled the show.’ ‘What in the world? But why?'”
What on earth?
Similar to “what in the world?”, expressing confusion or disbelief about something highly unusual or unexpected.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘She said she’s moving to the moon.’ ‘What on earth? Is that even possible?'”
- “‘This machine can read minds.’ ‘What on earth? That sounds like science fiction!'”
- “They announced a sudden closure. ‘What on earth? What happened?'”
What the heck?
A milder form of expressing surprise, confusion, or disbelief, often used in polite company.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘He ate the entire cake.’ ‘What the heck? That’s incredible!'”
- “‘We’re going skydiving.’ ‘What the heck? That’s unexpected!'”
- “She revealed a secret. ‘What the heck? I had no idea!'”
What the…?
An incomplete question expressing shock or disbelief, often left unfinished to imply words better left unsaid.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘Look at the sky!’ ‘What the…? It’s green!'”
- “He showed me the prank. ‘What the…?’ I was speechless.”
- “‘This can’t be true.’ ‘What the…?’ The news was unbelievable.”
What’s that?
A question asking for clarification or repetition about something that was said or pointed out.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘It’s on the table.’ ‘What’s that?’ I didn’t see it.”
- “He pointed to a distant object. ‘What’s that?’ I was curious.”
- “‘The plan has changed.’ ‘What’s that?’ I needed more information.”
What’s up?
While commonly used as a greeting, it can also express confusion or a request for clarification.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘There’s a problem with your account.’ ‘What’s up? Can you explain?'”
- “She looked upset. ‘What’s up?’ I was concerned.”
- “‘We need to talk.’ ‘What’s up?’ I sensed something was wrong.”
You said what?
A reaction to hearing something surprising or unbelievable, asking for confirmation or repetition.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘I’m quitting my job to travel.’ ‘You said what? That’s bold!'”
- “He announced he was getting married. ‘You said what? Congratulations!'”
- “‘I’ve decided to go back to school.’ ‘You said what? That’s a great decision!'”
You what?
A concise way of expressing disbelief or asking for something to be repeated.
Examples in sentences:
- “‘I’ve sold the car.’ ‘You what? Why would you do that?'”
- “‘We’re moving abroad.’ ‘You what? That’s unexpected!'”
- “She said she’d won a prize. ‘You what? That’s amazing!'”
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Founder -
@PollyWebster
Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.
Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.
Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.