"To be honest…"

Meaning: used to emphasize that one is speaking truthfully and not lying

Similar Expressions

• To be honest, it is not good.
• Honestly, it is not good.
• Truthfully, it is not good.
• To tell you the truth, it is not good.
• Frankly speaking, it is not good.

When do we use it?

We use this phrase at the beginning of a sentence to emphasize to the listener that we are telling the truth. This phrase does not add any new meaning to the sentence, it just adds feeling.

• I didn't do my homework.
• To be honest, I didn't do my homework.

How do we use it?

We almost always use this phrase at the beginning of a sentence. Put a comma after it when writing.

• To be honest, I don't like her.
• To be honest, this food is too spicy for me.
• To be honest, I wasn't listening.

Sometimes, we might hear somebody add this phrase to the end of a sentence when speaking.

• I'm not a fan of classical music, to be honest.

Example English Conversations

A) What do you think of James?
B) To be honest, I think he is great.

A) What do you think of Kathy?
B) To be honest, I think she is lazy and selfish.

The more English idioms and expressions that you know, the easier it will be for you to have conversation in English. If you study these free English lessons about commonly used English expressions and idioms consistently, then over time, you will build a solid English vocabulary that will help you speak English fluently.