# What is paraphrasing in conversation? Definition and examples

Paraphrasing in conversation means repeating back what someone said, briefly and in your own words, to show you understood and to give them a chance to correct you. It's a listening skill, not a writing one: a line like "So the move is exciting, but you're worried about money" turns a long explanation into one sentence they can confirm.

By the Speaking Coach team at Sodhera Intelligence. Updated 2026-10-22. Source: https://www.orecci.com/speaking-coach/glossary/paraphrasing/

## Example paraphrases

Made-up examples:

| What they said | A paraphrase |
| --- | --- |
| A coworker: "I've rewritten this deck three times and every time someone new has comments." | "So the goalposts keep moving because more people keep joining the review." |
| A friend: "I like the new flat, but it's a long way from everyone and I've barely been out." | "The flat's good, but you're feeling cut off." |
| A customer: "I've called twice, nobody calls back, and the part still isn't here." | "You've chased this twice already and you still don't have the part or an answer." |
| An interviewer: "Tell me about a time you pushed back on a decision and what happened." | "So you'd like an example where I disagreed with a decision, and how it turned out?" |

## Paraphrasing, repeating and interpreting

| | Example (they said "I'm swamped this week") | Effect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Repeating** word for word | "You're swamped this week." | Can sound robotic |
| **Paraphrasing** | "Sounds like there's no slack in your week." | Shows you understood |
| **Interpreting** | "So you hate this job." | Adds a conclusion they didn't make, and may annoy them |

## Useful starters

- "So what you're saying is…"
- "It sounds like…"
- "If I've got this right…"
- "Let me check I understood…"

Use it sparingly: once at a key moment, not after every sentence. Paraphrasing is one part of [active listening](/speaking-coach/glossary/active-listening/); it works best followed by a [question](/speaking-coach/glossary/follow-up-question/) or a next step.

## Questions people ask

### Why is paraphrasing useful in conversation?

It shows the other person you heard them, and it catches misunderstandings before you respond to the wrong thing.

### Is paraphrasing the same as mirroring?

Not quite. Paraphrasing restates the meaning in new words. [Mirroring](/speaking-coach/glossary/mirroring/) usually means repeating a few of their exact words, or matching their tone and posture.

### Should I paraphrase interview questions?

For long or multi-part questions, a quick check like "So you'd like an example of…" can help. Don't do it for every question.

### What if my paraphrase is wrong?

That's fine; it's part of the point. They'll correct you, and you'll both be clearer.

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