Common Indian English mistakes.
Indian English is a real, respected variety of English. But some phrases confuse colleagues and clients from other places, and some are simply incorrect. Fixing these 15 will make you sound polished in any office.
The top mistakes and fixes
| Instead of | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Please do the needful | Please send the file / approve the request | Say exactly what you need |
| I have a doubt | I have a question | "Doubt" means you think something is false |
| Revert back to me | Reply to me / Get back to me | "Revert" means go back to an earlier state; "back" is extra |
| Discuss about the plan | Discuss the plan | "Discuss" already includes "about" |
| Return back | Return | "Back" is already inside "return" |
| Today morning | This morning | |
| Kindly adjust | Could you please reschedule / help with… | Be specific |
| Myself Ali | I'm Ali / My name is Ali | "Myself" can't start a sentence like this |
| Cousin brother / cousin sister | Cousin | English "cousin" covers both |
| I am having two brothers | I have two brothers | "Have" for possession isn't continuous |
| He is having fever | He has a fever | Same reason |
| Pass out from college | Graduate from college | "Pass out" means faint! |
| Prepone the meeting | Bring forward / move up the meeting | "Prepone" is understood in India, but not widely elsewhere |
| What is your good name? | What's your name? / May I know your name? | |
| Out of station | Out of town / travelling |
Don't feel embarrassed. These came from translating our own languages directly, which is natural. Pick 3 a week and consciously replace them.
Articles: a, an, the
Many Indian languages have no articles, so they're often skipped.
- a / an for one of many, mentioned first: "I bought a laptop." an before vowel sounds: an hour, an MBA.
- the for something specific or already mentioned: "The laptop is very fast."
- Missing article: "I am engineer" → "I am an engineer."
Question tags and "isn't it"
"You're coming tomorrow, isn't it?" is common in India. Standard English matches the verb: "You're coming tomorrow, aren't you?" "She works here, doesn't she?" In casual Indian workplaces "isn't it" is understood, but in interviews and global teams the standard form sounds better.
Which sentence is best in a professional email?
Specific action + clear deadline. No vague phrases.
Better: "I have a question about this formula."
Better: "I'm Fatima. I graduated from Osmania University in 2025."
Correct and polished.
Better: "I am an engineer working in Hyderabad."
Choose the most natural sentence.
"Discuss" without "about", and "this evening" instead of "today evening".
Day 8–11 task
Write down 5 phrases from the table that you personally use. For 4 days, consciously replace them in your messages and speech. Ask a friend to point out when you slip.
Lesson 3 complete!
You can fix the most common mistakes Indian speakers make and use the polished alternatives. Next: building vocabulary daily.
Next: Building vocabulary daily →