“I will revert” or “I will get back to you”?
Write “I'll get back to you” or “I'll reply by Friday”. Outside India, revert means “return to an earlier state”, so “I will revert” can confuse colleagues abroad.
I will revert by EOD.
I'll get back to you by the end of the day.
Why Indian speakers say it
Indian office English uses revert to mean reply (“Please revert at the earliest”). Elsewhere, revert means going back to an earlier state: “The settings reverted to the default”. So “I will revert” can read as “I will undo something” to colleagues in the US, UK or Europe. “Revert back” doubles the problem, because back is already inside revert.
Three more examples
| Instead of | Say |
|---|---|
| Kindly revert at the earliest. | Could you reply by Thursday? |
| I will revert back on this. | I'll get back to you on this. |
| Awaiting your revert. | I look forward to hearing from you. |
Quick self-check
Answer in your head, then open the answer.
Best reply to a client in Germany:
- I will revert shortly.
- I'll get back to you by 3 pm.
- I will revert back soon.
Show answer
b) I'll get back to you by 3 pm. It is clear, and it gives a time.
In standard English, which sentence uses revert correctly?
- Please revert to my email.
- After the update failed, the app reverted to the old version.
- I will revert you tomorrow.
Show answer
b) After the update failed, the app reverted to the old version. Revert means going back to an earlier state.
What should replace “Awaiting your revert”?
- Awaiting your revert back.
- Looking forward to your reply.
- Revert awaited.
Show answer
b) Looking forward to your reply. “Looking forward to your reply” is clear and polite.
Practise it out loud
Knowing the rule is not the same as saying it right under pressure. In WordSlick you practise sentences like these out loud with AskSlick, the AI tutor, and get corrections explained in Hindi. Mistakes you keep making come back in later sessions until they stop.
Questions
Is “revert” wrong in email?
Within many Indian companies it is understood. In international email it is a known source of confusion, so reply or get back to you is safer.
Is “revert back” correct?
No. Revert already means go back, so “revert back” repeats itself even in the standard meaning.