Stop Saying “Sorry” All the Time | Sound More Natural in English

5 Minute English Talk · Jun 7, 2026 · 4m

Do you start sentences with “sorry” even when you haven’t done anything wrong?

“Sorry, can you repeat that?”

“Sorry, where is the train station?”

“Sorry, can I ask a question?”

If so, you’re not alone. Many English learners use “sorry” in situations where native speakers would choose a different phrase.

In this episode of 5-Minute English Talk, we continue our Sound More Natural in English series and learn when to use “sorry”—and when to replace it with more natural, confident expressions.

You’ll learn useful alternatives like:

Excuse me...

Could you repeat that?

I didn’t catch that.

Could…