How to Write an Apology Letter: Format and 10 Best Samples
Table of contents
- Apology letter – Key highlights
- Apology letter example
- Why this apology letter sample works?
- What is an apology letter?
- Why should you write an apology letter?
- Apology letter format
- Apology letter format for mistake
- Apology email format
- Apology letter samples
- How to write an apology letter
- Request forgiveness
- How NOT to write an apology letter
- Tips for writing an effective apology letter for a mistake
- FAQs
Apology letter for mistake becomes important when saying sorry in person does not feel enough. It is especially useful for students and workplace professionals where the apology needs to be formal.
A good apology letter shows respect and responsibility. It gives you a chance to explain what happened and how you will fix it.
In this guide, you will learn how to write a sincere apology letter for mistake at work or school. We will share the correct apology letter format along with sample letters you can follow to apologize professionally to your boss, teacher, or principal.
Apology letter – Key highlights
● What is an apology letter: An apology letter is a formal note where you say sorry for a mistake and take responsibility.
● Why it is important: It helps rebuild trust and keeps communication open after a misunderstanding or wrong action.
● When to write an apology letter: Use an apology letter when a mistake has caused problems at work or school or when a simple sorry is not enough.
● Apology letter format and what to include: Mention the mistake, clearly express regret, and explain how you will avoid repeating it.
● How long should your apology letter be: One short page is enough with two to three brief paragraphs.
● What to avoid: Avoid blame, excuses, negative tone, and language that reduces your responsibility.
Apology letter example
Below is a short example of an apology letter that shows explains the mistake and offers a clear plan to improve.
Why this apology letter sample works?
● Short and easy to read
● Uses clear and professional language
● Clearly accepts the mistake
● Shows real regret without excuses
● Explains how things will improve
● Focuses on the other person’s feelings
● No mistakes or errors
What is an apology letter?
An apology letter is a formal written message where you admit your mistake, express regret, and explain how you will fix the situation to restore trust. It can be written as a letter or an email depending on the situation. People use apology letters in schools and workplaces when they need to offer a respectful and professional apology.
Why should you write an apology letter?
A good apology letter helps clear misunderstandings and maintain trust after a mistake. Here’s why you should write one:
● Allows you to clearly accept what you did wrong
● Shows that you respect the feelings of the other person
● Helps repair workplace relationship
● Gives you a chance to explain how you will correct the mistake
● Shows maturity and a willingness to learn
● Can prevent further conflict or punishment
Apology letter format
Knowing what to include in your apology letter helps you write a clear and respectful message. Here are the key elements of an apology letter in the right format.
1. Date: Write the date at the top of the letter.
2. Recipient details: Include the name title and organization or class.
3. Subject line: Clearly state that the letter is an apology.
4. Salutation: Use a respectful greeting such as Dear Sir or Respected Teacher.
5. Introduction: State that you are apologizing and mention the specific mistake.
6. Body: Include these points in the letter body:
● What happened
● Why it was wrong
● How it affected others
● What you will do to correct the situation
● How you will avoid repeating the mistake
7. Request for understanding: Politely ask for forgiveness or a chance to improve.
8. Closing line: End with a respectful closing sentence.
9. Signature: Write your name designation or class and contact details if needed.
Note: In an apology letter email format, you can skip the date and recipient address. Start directly from the subject line.
Read more: How to Write a Cover Letter
Apology letter format for mistake
You should follow this standard apology letter format for mistake at workplace.
Apology email format
When writing an apology by email, keep the message short and professional.
Apology letter samples
Check out the various apology letter templates that can be used in work situations. We are also sharing a few bonus apology letter samples for students. You can use them to apologize to your teacher or principal.
Sample 1: Apology letter to boss
When you write an apology letter for a mistake, using the right explanation letter format for mistake helps you clearly state what went wrong and how you will correct it. Here is a sample you can use:
Sub: Apology letter
Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs. {Recipient's Name},
Please accept my sincere apology for sending wrong reports to the client. I understand this has caused a lot of inconvenience to the client and our company.
I cannot defend my actions, but I want to tell you that I am handling four projects simultaneously. I got confused and mistakenly sent the wrong reports. I am truly sorry for such a lousy mistake.
I want you to know that I have already apologized to the client personally and sent the correct reports. I have also arranged a meeting with the client to eliminate any chance of miscommunication about our reports.
Kindly suggest if any other remedial step should be taken from our end.
I understand your disappointment, and I am truly sorry. I can assure you that this mistake will never be repeated in the future.
Yours Sincerely,
{Your Name}
Sample 2: Apology letter for inconvenience
Sub: Apology letter
Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs. {Recipient's Name},
I want to apologize for missing our appointment on Saturday. It was very unprofessional on my part to not inform you on time. I would like you to know that I was caught up in an emergency situation with another patient.
I know how busy you are, and missing an appointment would require a lot of planning on your part. I totally respect your time. I want to assure you it will not happen again. I usually make sure my patients are informed if I am unable to make an appointment. I regret that I could not inform you ahead of time. I am very sorry if I caused you any trouble.
Please let me know if I can do anything else to help you. You have your next appointment on coming Thursday. I look forward to seeing you then. If you need to visit me before that, please let me know exactly when you would like to schedule your appointment.
Thank you for your patience. Should you have any concerns, please contact me.
Yours Sincerely,
{Your Name}
Sample 3: Apology letter for a mistake
Sub: Apology letter
Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs. {Recipient's Name},
Thank you for contacting us about your faulty LED television set. We are very sorry that the item {Order no.} that you received on {Specific Date} was defective and did not function as promised. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused by this.
All our products undergo several stages of quality checks before we ship them. We will surely carry out a formal inquiry to examine how your product slipped past our quality measures.
We have already shipped you a new LED television, which should arrive at your registered address in 3-5 business days. Please return the defective television set in the enclosed box when you receive the new one.
We will investigate at which level the quality check failed. This will help us improve our quality check process.
We have also sent you a coupon for 30% off on your next purchase in hopes of compensating for the inconvenience.
Please feel free to contact us with any further concerns.
Yours Sincerely,
{Your Name}
Sample 4: Apology letter to a client
Sub: Apology letter
Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs. {Recipient's Name},
Please accept my sincere apology on behalf of our company {Company Name}. We are sorry to learn that your experience with the delivered software did not meet your expectations. Our development team should have followed the exact guidelines and sought your validation before making any change in the approved plan. We understand that it is annoying for you.
We take full responsibility for the situation and offer to provide you with a newer version of the software without any extra cost borne by you as a gesture of gratitude from the company. Our team will get in touch with you soon to discuss the changes you would like to make in the current version.
We have also put new guidelines in place for our development team to avoid such situations in the future. We want to assure you that this type of situation will never happen again. You are a valued client, and we hope to continue the business with you in the future.
If there are any other issues that need to be addressed, please don't hesitate to contact me personally or any member of the team.
Yours Sincerely,
{Your Name}
Sample 5: Apology letter to a colleague
Sub: Apology letter
Dear {Recipient's Name},
I am really sorry for my behavior this morning. I did not mean to offend you when I mentioned that you take longer breaks than allowed. I just wanted to inform you as a friend in case you were not aware. I did not want you to get pointed out by the team lead.
I realized why you lost your calm. I should have spoken to you about this personally and not in front of other colleagues. I am really sorry that I also lost my temper in the spur of the moment. There is no explanation for my behavior. I just want you to know that I really regret my actions.
I know it definitely has damaged our friendship and working relationship a little. However, I hope to find a way to fix this situation. Being teammates, we need to have a good working relationship between us to make our project a success.
I hope this letter would be of some help in initiating a conversation between us. Please accept my sincere apologies for my actions. I promise you that I will never behave in such a manner again.
Yours sincerely,
{Your Name}
Sample 6: Apology letter to a customer
Sub: Apology letter
Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs. {Recipient's Name},
I want to extend my sincere apologies on behalf of {Your company name} for the poor customer experience that you had with {Name of the representative}, our customer service representative.
I was informed that our representative was unable to provide a satisfactory answer to your query and hung up the phone while transferring the call to a supervisor. I understand your frustration as you had to call again to connect to a supervisor.
At {Company name}, we ensure 100% customer satisfaction, and we are really sorry for letting you down. I would like you to know that we provide training to all representatives on how to properly handle our customers’ issues, including how to escalate problems that they are unable to assist with. We are going to take steps to ensure that such situations are taken care of in a better way.
We have decided to hold a mandatory review session weekly to make sure our representatives are aware of the proper procedure for transferring calls.
I really appreciate you brought this issue to our attention. Your feedback is valuable and will help us to improve our operations.
Should you need any assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
Yours Sincerely,
{Your Name}
Sample 7: Apology letter to teacher for bad behavior
Here is a behavior apology letter to a teacher that clearly accepts the mistake and shows a promise to behave better in the future.
Subject: Apology for Misbehavior in Class
Respected Ma’am,
I am writing to sincerely apologize for my behavior in class today. I interrupted the lesson and spoke disrespectfully, which was not acceptable. I understand that my actions disrupted the class and set a bad example for others.
I take full responsibility for my words and conduct. I value your guidance and the effort you put into teaching us each day. I will work on improving my behavior and maintaining discipline in class.
Please accept my apology. I assure you that this will not happen again.
Yours sincerely,
Aarav Sharma
Class 11 – B
Sample 8: Apology letter to principal
Here is an apology letter to principal for misbehavior where the student takes responsibility and promises to correct their actions.
Date: 05 November 2025
To,
The Principal
Springfield Senior Secondary School
Delhi
Subject:Apology for Misbehavior in the School Premises
Respected Sir/Ma’am,
I am writing to offer my sincere apology for my misbehavior in the school corridor yesterday. My actions were inappropriate and went against the discipline and values of our school. I understand that speaking loudly, ignoring instructions, and disrupting the movement of other students was wrong.
I take full responsibility for my behavior and accept that it reflected poorly on me as a student of this institution. I assure you that I will follow all school rules and instructions with seriousness from now on. I will keep my conduct respectful and maintain a positive attitude on campus.
Thank you for considering my apology. I am committed to improving myself and avoiding any such incidents in the future.
Yours obediently,
Aarav Sharma
Class 11 – B
School Roll No. 1187
Sample 9: Apology letter to manager for mistake
Here is an apology letter for mistake at work that takes responsibility and promises timely improvement.
Subject:Apology for Delay in Task Completion
Dear Sir,
I am writing to apologize for the delay in submitting the weekly performance report. I understand that my delay affected the review process and caused inconvenience to the team.
I take full responsibility for my mistake. I have identified the issue and am working on better planning and coordination so that I can deliver all tasks on time. I assure you that such delays will not occur again.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. I value your guidance and will work harder to meet expectations.
Sincerely,
Rahul Malhotra
Business Analyst
Sample 10: Apology email to manager for mistake
Here is an apology letter example shared as an email to a manager after a workplace mistake.
Subject:Apology for Oversight in Client Presentation
Dear Mr. Khanna,
I want to sincerely apologize for the incorrect data included in the client presentation today. I understand that this mistake affected the discussion and created confusion during the meeting.
I take full responsibility and have already corrected the errors. I am reviewing my process to ensure more careful checking before submitting future work. I appreciate your support and guidance in helping me improve.
Thank you for understanding and allowing me the chance to fix the issue.
Sincerely,
Rahul Malhotra
Business Analyst
TechCore Pvt. Ltd.
Read more: What is a Job Application Letter?
How to write an apology letter
Writing a letter of apology can be a sensitive and thoughtful process. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to write an apology letter for mistake:
1. Start with a salutation
Begin the apology letter sample with a formal salutation, addressing the recipient appropriately. If you have a personal or professional relationship with the person, use their name.
2. Express remorse and acknowledgment
Clearly state the purpose of your letter, acknowledging the mistake or offense you committed. Take responsibility for your actions and express genuine remorse.
3. Be specific and own up to your mistake
Clearly state the specific action or behavior you are apologizing for. Provide details about what happened without making excuses or shifting blame.
4. Show empathy and understanding
Acknowledge the impact your actions had on the recipient. Show empathy and understanding by recognizing their feelings and any inconvenience, hurt, or disappointment you may have caused.
5. Offer a sincere apology
Use direct and sincere language to apologize. Clearly state that you are sorry for your actions and express genuine regret. Use phrases such as "I deeply apologize," "I am truly sorry," or "Please accept my sincere apologies."
6. Explain yourself (if necessary)
If appropriate, provide a brief explanation of the circumstances that led to your mistake or offense. Be honest and transparent, but avoid using explanations as a way to justify your actions. Remember that the focus should be on the apology, not the explanation.
7. Make amends and propose solutions
Express your commitment to making amends or rectifying the situation. Offer specific steps you will take to address the issue and prevent similar mistakes in the future.
8. Request forgiveness
Humbly request forgiveness from the recipient. Let them know that you genuinely hope they can find it in their heart to forgive you. Avoid placing any pressure on them to forgive immediately or on your terms. Respect their feelings and give them space to process the situation.
9. Close the letter
End the letter with a polite and respectful closing. Use phrases like "Thank you for your understanding," "Once again, I apologize," or "I hope we can move forward from this." Sign off with a formal closing such as "Sincerely," or "Yours sincerely," followed by your name.
10. Proofread and revise
Before sending the letter of apology, carefully proofread it for any grammatical or spelling errors. You also need to check the explanation letter format for mistake. Make any necessary revisions to improve clarity and coherence.
Read more: How To Write A Recommendation Letter
How NOT to write an apology letter
Here are some things to avoid when writing an apology letter for a mistake at work:
● Avoid excuses and defensiveness: Do not make excuses for your actions or try to shift the blame onto others.
● Don't use vague language: Be specific and clear about what you are apologizing for.
● Avoid insincere apologies: Empty apologies without genuine remorse or willingness to change are not helpful.
● Don't minimize the impact: Acknowledge and validate the feelings of the person you have hurt. Avoid downplaying or dismissing their emotions or the consequences of your actions.
● Avoid excessive self-blame: While taking responsibility for your actions is important, excessive self-blame can be counterproductive.
● Don't make promises you can't keep: Be cautious about making promises or commitments you may not be able to fulfill.
● Avoid lengthy justifications: While providing context or an explanation can be helpful, be mindful of the length of your letter.
● Don't rush the process: It require time and reflection. Avoid rushing the letter to meet a deadline or to simply "get it over with."
● Avoid passive-aggressive or sarcastic remarks: Maintain a respectful and sincere tone throughout the letter.
● Don't demand forgiveness: While it is appropriate to express your desire for forgiveness, demanding or expecting immediate forgiveness is not appropriate.
Tips for writing an effective apology letter for a mistake
These tips will help you write an effective apology letter for a mistake in a clear and respectful way.
● Say the exact mistake you made: Avoid vague lines like “I am sorry for what happened.” Be specific.
● Acknowledge the other person’s feelings: Write what they may have felt because of your actions. It shows empathy.
● Do not use “but” after your apology: “I am sorry, but…” sounds like an excuse. Remove the “but.”
● Take ownership without blaming: Do not mention what others did. Focus only on your actions.
● Offer a real solution or plan: Mention one clear step you will take to fix the issue or avoid a repeat.
● Keep the tone polite and mature: No emotional outbursts or dramatic explanations. Stay calm and respectful.
● Close the letter with gratitude: Thank them for reading and considering your apology. It shows humility.
Read Authorization Letter Format
Read Resignation Letter for Personal Reasons
FAQs
How do you write a good apology letter?
A good apology letter clearly states what you’re sorry for, why it was wrong, and how you will fix it. Show genuine regret, take full responsibility, and acknowledge the other person’s feelings. Keep the message simple, respectful, and solution-focused to rebuild trust.
What is a short example of an apology letter?
Dear [Name],
I sincerely apologize for [mistake]. I understand how it affected you and take full responsibility. I am working to prevent this from happening again. Thank you for your understanding, and I hope we can move forward positively.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
How do you write a forgiveness letter?
A forgiveness letter shows you understand the pain you caused. Start by acknowledging their feelings and the issue. Apologize without excuses, mention what you’ve learned, and express your hope to rebuild trust. Allow the other person time and space to heal while staying open to communication.
How do you apologize formally?
A formal apology uses a respectful greeting, clear wording, and a professional tone. State the mistake plainly and accept accountability. Express regret and offer a corrective action if appropriate. End with a polite closing such as “Sincerely” or “Yours faithfully,” followed by your full name.
How to write an apology letter for a mistake?
State your mistake clearly, accept responsibility, express regret, and explain how you will fix the issue. Keep your tone respectful, offer a solution, and promise not to repeat the mistake.
What is the best simple apology?
A simple but strong apology is: “I am truly sorry for my actions. I take responsibility and will not repeat this mistake.”