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Possible Duplicate:
How do native English speakers respond to “Thank you”?
Can “Sure” be used to respond to “Thanks”?
Is “not at all” still alive and doing well?

I'm getting thanked a lot these days and want to find lots of different ways to say you're welcome.

Could for sure mean you're welcome?

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  • See also can-sure-be-used-to-respond-to-thanks Sep 21, 2011 at 8:46
  • 3
    Hey, I'm super-curious about why you're "thanked a lot these days" . If it involves remuneration I promise to be the most thankful of all :) Sep 21, 2011 at 9:22
  • In American English (probably all English), almost any positive affirmation can replace the more formal "You're welcome." The extensive lists given as answers below attest to that
    – oosterwal
    Sep 21, 2011 at 14:31
  • 4
    "Thank You!" Han Solo - "I know."
    – zzzzBov
    Sep 21, 2011 at 14:44
  • There are certainly a lot of ways to express this, maybe this should be a community wiki, or else structure the answers with one phrase per answer, so the more accepted variants float to the top. Let me add, "anytime" and "you bet"
    – Andrew Vit
    Sep 21, 2011 at 16:13

14 Answers 14

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  • Of course
  • No problem
  • Don't mention it
  • It was nothing
  • By all means
  • No worries
  • That's OK
  • That's alright
  • My pleasure
  • You're welcome
  • Not at all
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  • What about "for sure?" Sep 21, 2011 at 8:40
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    Well, you could say that. There would be no confusion. It seems a bit odd to me, but I can't decide if it's more hip-hop influenced (fo sho) or more like something an overly enthusiastic hip employee might say.
    – user13141
    Sep 21, 2011 at 8:42
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    I'd say that "by all means" is an affirmative response to a request rather than thanks.
    – Matt
    Sep 21, 2011 at 8:50
  • I think it can be both!
    – user13141
    Sep 21, 2011 at 8:51
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    "sure thing" or simply "sure" is a fairly common casual response, at least in the US, but I've never heard "for sure" Sep 21, 2011 at 14:37
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A personal favourite of mine is My pleasure!

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  • Yes, this one seems better than "you're welcome" to me. Welcome is a bit vague anyway :) Sep 21, 2011 at 9:15
  • Chic fil a. Trains employees to say my pleasure instead of your welcome or the dreaded "no problem"
    – Kris
    Aug 3, 2017 at 12:44
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No, I wouldn't say "for sure". The intention of responding to thanks is to politely dismiss them - essentially saying that the thanks were unnecessary, that you didn't do whatever they're thanking you for in order to receive their thanks. "For sure" seems to do the opposite of this.

Alternatives I use in response to thanks include:

That's ok / That's all right

It's a pleasure / My pleasure

No worries

Alternatively you could just nod and smile in acceptance of the thanks - words aren't always necessary.

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  • Doesn't "That's ok " belie a certain feeling of sympathy to the thankful one? When people tell me that, I somehow feel a bit awkward. Well, tone is also key. Sep 21, 2011 at 9:20
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    In Britain we tend to say thank you so much, that it becomes appropriate not to acknowledge it out loud. As a Brit in a US restaurant, I automatically say thankyou when the cutlery is placed; when a glass is put down, when the menu is taken away, when the sauces are brought, and so on. It becomes a bit farcical to get a hearty "You're welcome" every time.
    – slim
    Sep 21, 2011 at 10:58
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This may strike you as odd, but I like to say "Mm-mm Thank yooou" :)

But others are "Oh! Anytime" , "You got it!", "Peaches and Cream", and the nonverbal strong head-nod(a subtle curtsy and cowboy gunshot-mime doesn't hurt).

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You can use "It was nothing," but I think that tends to deprecate whatever it was you're being thanked for.

Other phrases (some of which have already been suggested) include:

My pleasure.

But of course.

I'm happy to help. / Glad to help.

Prego. (Italian)

De nada. (Spanish for "It was nothing.")

You'd do the same for me. (Most appropriate after you save someone's life in an action film.)

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  • Cute, that last one! Sep 21, 2011 at 18:15
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I have heard "sure" used in response to thanks but I'm not sure of "for sure" - maybe it's my hearing - but wouldn't use it myself. In Britain, I'd say we would use one of the following over both "sure" and "you're welcome" (although I hear both used more and more in the UK):

"not at all" (maybe a little more formal)

"no problem"

"no worries" (perh. primarily Australian English but used in the UK too)

I'm glad to hear you're getting thanked a lot!

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Based on the context, my choice of usage are one of them from the list below:

  • My job!
  • My pleasure!
  • I owe it to you ;)
  • Anytime dude!
  • (Most) welcome.
  • The pleasure is mine.
  • Its the least I can do for you :)
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Also from Southern AmE:

sure enough

sure'nuff

sho'nuff

the latter the most likely thing to be heard.

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Around the Seattle area, I often use and hear people use the adverbs "absolutely" and "definitely" as a response to thank you. This is mainly used for people you are familiar with.

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Don't get cute.

I used to work on the phones as tech support for a computer company. I found that I used to say "sure thing" all the time.

But then I thought about it... it evades returning respect. You said it yourself that people are thanking you, probably by saying "Thank you". Then you casualize it by saying "No problemo."

When they say "Thank you," You should say "You're welcome."

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I'm Canadian, but I spent some time working in the southern United States. I would get people there saying "uh huh" in response to me saying thank you to them. I was quite taken aback at first. My first reaction was that perhaps I'd offended them. "Uh huh" sounded as if they were saying "yeah, whatever" or something similar with sarcasm or contempt.

I quickly learned, however, that this is just their way of saying "you're welcome".

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There's also "don't sweat it", which is similar to "don't mention it".

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  • Don't sweat it seems more like don't get agitated over it than you're welcome, to me.
    – Daniel
    Sep 21, 2011 at 17:33
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In a casual situation, I'm a fan of "No prob, bob." This might not be incredibly appropriate at all situations, though...so a simple, "Sure thing" works too!

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I would use Sure thing over For sure.

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