Writing & StyleStyle guide

Please Be Aware: Email Usage and Alternatives

“Please be aware” asks the reader to know or take account of a fact. It is grammatically standard, but its tone depends on context; professional alternatives should be chosen by function—such as stating the fact directly, using “please note,” or explaining the consequence—rather than claiming one phrase is universally more polite.

Quick answer

Use “please be aware” to draw attention to information the recipient should know. In routine professional email, a direct statement of the fact or its consequence can often be clearer than relying on the attention marker alone.

Key details

Core Issuedrawing attention to information without turning a contextual tone choice into a universal rule
Registerprofessional correspondence
Rule Familyprofessional notification wording

Important caveats

Scope Boundary

Tone is contextual. The phrase is not inherently rude or incorrect, and alternatives should be selected for audience and purpose rather than ranked as universally better.

Further guidance

Application

When clarity matters, follow the phrase immediately with the concrete fact, consequence, deadline, or limitation the reader needs to understand.

Core Rule

Use “please be aware” when the communicative job is to make sure the recipient knows a relevant fact or condition.

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. aware — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct dictionary evidence that be aware of/that means knowing about something, supporting informational email use without implying a universal tone judgment.
  2. Business Email Phrases — Professional Alternatives (opens in a new tab)LanguageTool · Current professional-email phrasing and specificity guidance
  3. How to Write a Proper Email — Email Writing Tips (opens in a new tab)Grammarly · Professional email clarity and cliché-avoidance context

Related guides

Writing & Style

Please Be Advised vs. Please Be Informed

“Please be advised” and “please be informed” can both introduce a formal notification. “Inform” directly means giving facts, while “advise” also has an informational business/formal sense in addition to its better-known recommendation sense.

Writing & Style

Duly Noted — Professional Usage and Alternatives

“Duly noted” means acknowledged, recognized, or properly recorded. It can be perfectly literal, but in conversation and email it can also sound clipped or sarcastic. When tone matters, a more specific acknowledgment often makes your intent clearer.

Writing & Style

I Am Writing To — Email Opener Meaning and Alternatives

“I am writing to …” introduces the reason for a professional email. It remains acceptable in formal contexts, while many messages can be clearer and shorter when the writer moves directly to the request, update, application, or other purpose.

Writing & Style

Please Advise — Meaning and Alternatives

“Please advise” is grammatically valid: “advise” is the verb meaning to give guidance or information. In email, however, the phrase can be vague because it may not specify whether you need a decision, recommendation, clarification, approval, or status update.

Explore the topic