The U.S. Culture Series: The Art of Interrupting in English

In conversation, when interrupting someone, you always walk a fine line between acceptable behavior and what is perceived as rude. You will have to consider context when deciding whether to interrupt or not. Ask yourself: What is your relationship with the people involved in the situation? What are their personalities? Hierarchies in the U.S. are usually not as important as in many other cultures but can play a role as well. Also, pay attention to intonation! English uses intonation to express emotions and to emphasize important points.

This brief guide will focus on five ways to interrupt in English that aren't necessarily perceived as rude:

  • Adding information to a conversation 

  • Conveying a message

  • Asking a quick question 

  • Joining a conversation 

  • Giving your opinion on something that has been mentioned in the conversation 

If you need to interrupt someone for any of these reasons, there are a number of phrases you can use to make the interruption smoother and avoid offending anyone. 

Keep in mind, even though interruptions can be necessary and might even show how engaged you are in a conversation, please do not use these interruptions too often. You will need to find the right balance between what is acceptable and what isn’t. Pay extra attention to the facial expressions and body language of your conversation partners. If you notice any displeasure, stop interrupting.

When you interrupt a conversation, make sure that your contribution is seen as valid to the rest of the group. Any of the reasons above can be helpful to guide you to interrupting in the most useful way.

Remember that interruptions should be accompanied by phrases such as “I am sorry to interrupt “, or  “May I interrupt?”, “ Do you mind if I join?”, “May I add something to the conversation”, “Can I share my ideas about this?” These phrases show respect for the person you are interrupting and to anyone else who is present during the conversation. Also, try to keep your interruptions short and get to the point quickly. Below you will find some more useful phrases sorted by category:

Adding Information to a Conversation 

  • May I add what I think real quick?

  • Sorry to interrupt but that reminds me of…

  • So sorry, may I? There is another interesting point we should consider here.

  • Conveying a Message

  • I'm sorry to interrupt but you're needed...

  • I apologize for the interruption but I had to quickly let you know that...

  • Pardon me, I have...[someone waiting, an object/information requested, etc.]

  • I hope you'll excuse me for interrupting but could I quickly get you to...(sign this etc.)

Asking a quick question

  • I'm sorry for interrupting but I don't quite understand...

  • Sorry for the interruption but could you repeat...

  • This will only take a minute. Would you mind telling me... 

  • I apologize for the interruption but I have an important question about...

Interrupting a conversation you are already a part of

  • Could I jump in?

  • Could I add something?

  • Do you mind if I say something?

  • May I interject?

Joining a conversation

  • Would you mind if I joined?

  • I couldn't help overhearing…

  • Sorry to butt in (interrupt) but I think ...

  • If I may, I feel...

Giving your Opinion on Something that Has Been Mentioned in the Conversation 

  • That makes me think of...

  • I agree with this point/disagree

  • Can I add something here?

  • Interesting point! I also think that…

  • Interesting that you say that because…

  • What you said about [reference something said] reminds me that...

  • Your point sounds an awful lot like something else...

 
 

Don’t interrupt too often when sharing an opinion or story/anecdote. Make sure what you have to say is relevant. Be polite and respectful! And never make anyone think that what you have to say is more important than what has already been said.

So what do you do when you have been interrupted? You can decide whether you allow the interruption. You can reject an interruption politely if you think that you should finish your thought first.

  • Please let me finish.

  • Can I continue, please?

  • Let me wrap up (=finish) my thought before you start.

  • Would you please let me finish?

If you decide to allow an interruption, you can say:

  • No problem. Go ahead.

  • Sure. What do you think?

  • That's alright, what is it that you want/need?

Once you have been interrupted, you can continue with phrases like: 

  • As I was saying, I think...

  • I'd like to return to my argument.

  • To get back to what I was saying, I feel...

  • Continuing where I left off...

 
 
Marike Korn