14 Ways to Say “in Other Words”

14 Ways to Say “In Other Words”

Hello, English learners. Welcome back. Today, we are looking at 14 useful ways to say “in other words” — a phrase you’ll use constantly in speaking, writing, and exams.

Rephrasing is an essential communication skill. It helps you clarify ideas, simplify complex information, avoid repetition and sound more natural and confident.

Let’s look at common alternatives to in other words, with clear meanings and natural examples.

As a way of saying

Meaning: Used to explain that an action or expression communicates a message indirectly.

Examples:

• She smiled at him, as a way of saying everything would be all right.
• He shrugged his shoulders, as a way of saying he didn’t care.

In a nutshell

Meaning: Used to summarise something briefly and clearly.

Examples:

• The lecture was long, but in a nutshell, it focused on sustainable living.
• In a nutshell, the plan failed because of poor communication.

In essence

Meaning: Used to highlight the basic or most important part of something.

Examples:

• The two proposals are, in essence, very similar.
• In essence, the book is about personal growth.

In layman’s terms

Meaning: Used to explain something in simple language that non-experts can understand.

Examples:

• In layman’s terms, the treatment means resting and avoiding stress.
• The theory is complex, but in layman’s terms, it explains how time and space are connected.

In other terms

Meaning: Used to restate an idea using different words.

Examples:

• The project is behind schedule. In other terms, we won’t finish on time.
• He is very generous. In other terms, he regularly helps others.

In simpler terms

Meaning: Used to make a difficult idea easier to understand.

Examples:

• The teacher explained the rule in simpler terms.
• In simpler terms, you need to save more money.

Put another way

Meaning: Used to introduce a clearer or alternative expression of the same idea.

Examples:

• Sales have dropped. Put another way, the business is struggling.
• The weather is unpredictable — put another way, anything can happen.

Said differently

Meaning: Used to restate something from a slightly different angle.

Examples:

• She’s overwhelmed; said differently, she needs support.
• The price is high — said differently, it may not be worth it.

Simply put

Meaning: Used to give a very direct and clear explanation.

Examples:

• Simply put, we ran out of money.
• Simply put, you need to work harder to succeed.

Stated otherwise

Meaning: A more formal way of rephrasing a statement, often used in writing.

Examples:

• The plan failed; stated otherwise, it was poorly designed.
• The results were unclear — stated otherwise, no conclusion could be reached.

To clarify

Meaning: Used when you want to remove confusion or misunderstanding.

Examples:

• To clarify, the deadline is Friday, not Monday.
• I’d like to clarify our agreement before we continue.

To put it differently

Meaning: Used to explain the same idea in a clearer or more expressive way.

Examples:

• The company lacks funding. To put it differently, it can’t survive.
• She was upset — to put it differently, she was devastated.

To rephrase

Meaning: Used when you deliberately restate something to make it clearer.

Examples:

• Let me rephrase that more clearly.
• The teacher asked him to rephrase his answer.

That is to say

Meaning: Used to explain or specify what you mean; common in formal English.

Examples:

• She’s a polyglot — that is to say, she speaks several languages fluently.
• The project is delayed, that is to say, it won’t finish on time.

Final tip

Using a variety of rephrasing expressions makes your English clearer, richer, and more precise. These phrases are especially useful in essays, reports, presentations and spoken explanations.

Learn them as tools, not just vocabulary.

Learn linking words and phrases for essays here

Learn 20 words and phrases to use instead of “in general”

Learn different ways of introducing facts in writing

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