Learn English – Formal way of thanking someone for pointing out a mistake

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When a colleague points out a mistake you made, is it too formal to respond: "Thanks for alerting me to this mistake." What would be an alternative to "Thanks, my bad!"

Best Answer

alerting is a good choice when you're trying not to sound too formal or too informal.

And thanks is also informal.

My bad means "sorry, that was my fault". Only if your mistake has harmed others ("harm" very broadly construed) would you use that phrase. For example, when a football player makes an error, such as by passing the ball out of reach of a teammate who might have scored had the pass been accurate, the player might say "my bad". It's a curt acknowledgement that it was you who goofed, that it was not the other person's fault.