Other Ways to Say You’re Kidding In 2026

Quick Answer:
If you want ways to say you’re kidding that sound casual, professional, or playful, try these top alternatives: Are you joking?, No way!, You can’t be serious!, Really?, Seriously?

The phrase you’re kidding is commonly used to express surprise, disbelief, or playfulness in response to something unexpected.

People use it in conversations, messaging, social media, or even lightly in professional contexts to convey astonishment or humor.

Learning alternatives to you’re kidding helps you express excitement in English more naturally and adapt tone to suit casual, playful, or professional settings.

“The right expression can convey disbelief or humor without sounding rude.”

Quick Categories Overview

Formal alternatives to “you’re kidding”

Are you serious?
Is that correct?
I find that hard to believe

Pro Tip: Use these in professional emails or formal conversations when expressing surprise.

Casual alternatives

No way!
You’ve got to be kidding
Seriously?

Pro Tip: Perfect for friends, colleagues, or messaging apps.

Professional alternatives

I find that surprising
That’s unexpected
Really?

Pro Tip: Ideal for meetings, client calls, or professional feedback.

Informal expressions

Stop kidding!
Come on!
You’re joking, right?

Pro Tip: Best for informal chats, social media, or gaming contexts.

“Choosing the right phrase ensures your surprise or humor is received positively.”

Common Mistakes When Using “You’re Kidding”

Using sarcastically without tone cues
Example: You’re kidding… (after bad news) → Can seem rude
Overusing in professional settings
Example: You’re kidding repeated in emails → Too informal
Incorrect phrasing
Example: You kidding? → Grammatically incomplete
Using inappropriately in sensitive situations
Example: You’re kidding after someone shares serious news → Can offend
Not matching tone to audience
Example: No way! in a formal meeting → Too casual

What Does “You’re Kidding” Mean?

It expresses disbelief, surprise, or humor, often in response to unexpected information.

Grammar: Contraction of “You are kidding,” used as an interjection.

Example: You’re kidding! I can’t believe it.

When to Use “You’re Kidding”

Casual conversations
Social media reactions
Friendly surprise
Gaming or playful banter

Spoken vs Written: Works in both, casual and semi-formal
Formal vs Informal: Mostly informal; can be adapted with phrasing

Is It Professional or Polite to Say “You’re Kidding”?

Polite: ✔️ Sometimes, depending on tone
Professional: ✔️ Use carefully in semi-formal contexts

Business Example: Are you serious? That’s an unexpected result.

Pros and Cons of Using “You’re Kidding”

Pros

Expresses surprise or disbelief naturally
Easy to understand
Works in casual and playful contexts
Adds humor or emphasis

Cons

Too informal for professional emails
Can be misinterpreted as sarcasm
Overused in social media
Limited nuance for serious situations

“Using varied expressions makes your reactions sound natural and confident.”

Other Ways to Say “You’re Kidding” (30 Alternatives)

These alternatives will help you sound fluent, confident, and playful, while letting you express excitement in English.

1. Phrase: Are you joking?

Meaning: Express disbelief
Example Sentence: Are you joking? That’s incredible!
Best Use: Casual / friendly
Worst Use: Very formal contexts
Tone: Playful, surprised

2. Phrase: No way!

Meaning: Strong surprise or disbelief
Example Sentence: No way! That actually happened?
Best Use: Casual / informal
Worst Use: Formal emails
Tone: Excited, informal

3. Phrase: Really?

Meaning: Neutral disbelief or surprise
Example Sentence: Really? I had no idea.
Best Use: Professional / casual
Worst Use: Overly sarcastic contexts
Tone: Neutral, polite

4. Phrase: You’ve got to be kidding

Meaning: Express disbelief
Example Sentence: You’ve got to be kidding! That’s amazing!
Best Use: Casual / friendly
Worst Use: Formal letters
Tone: Playful, informal

5. Phrase: Seriously?

Meaning: Express disbelief or surprise
Example Sentence: Seriously? I can’t believe that worked.
Best Use: Casual / semi-professional
Worst Use: Very formal letters
Tone: Friendly, neutral

6. Phrase: I can’t believe it

Meaning: Express astonishment
Example Sentence: I can’t believe it! You finished so fast.
Best Use: Casual / semi-professional
Worst Use: Formal reports
Tone: Surprised, excited

7. Phrase: You’re joking, right?

Meaning: Confirm disbelief
Example Sentence: You’re joking, right? That’s unbelievable!
Best Use: Casual / friendly
Worst Use: Very formal emails
Tone: Playful, surprised

8. Phrase: Stop kidding!

Meaning: Informal disbelief
Example Sentence: Stop kidding! That’s incredible news.
Best Use: Casual / friendly
Worst Use: Formal contexts
Tone: Playful, casual

9. Phrase: Come on!

Meaning: Express surprise or disbelief
Example Sentence: Come on! That can’t be true.
Best Use: Informal / casual
Worst Use: Formal emails
Tone: Playful, informal

10. Phrase: You can’t be serious

Meaning: Strong disbelief
Example Sentence: You can’t be serious. That’s a huge mistake.
Best Use: Casual / professional
Worst Use: Overly sarcastic contexts
Tone: Neutral, serious

11. Phrase: Get out of here!

Meaning: Informal disbelief
Example Sentence: Get out of here! You really did that?
Best Use: Casual / friendly
Worst Use: Formal meetings
Tone: Playful, informal

12. Phrase: That’s unbelievable

Meaning: Neutral disbelief
Example Sentence: That’s unbelievable! I didn’t expect it.
Best Use: Professional / casual
Worst Use: Overly sarcastic contexts
Tone: Neutral, polite

13. Phrase: No kidding

Meaning: Express disbelief informally
Example Sentence: No kidding! I didn’t know that.
Best Use: Casual / friendly
Worst Use: Formal emails
Tone: Informal, playful

14. Phrase: I’m not kidding

Meaning: Assert seriousness
Example Sentence: I’m not kidding; this really works.
Best Use: Casual / semi-professional
Worst Use: Formal reports
Tone: Serious, informal

15. Phrase: Seriously, though

Meaning: Emphasize disbelief or seriousness
Example Sentence: Seriously, though, I can’t believe that happened.
Best Use: Casual / semi-professional
Worst Use: Formal writing
Tone: Playful, friendly

16. Phrase: That can’t be true

Meaning: Express disbelief formally
Example Sentence: That can’t be true; I need confirmation.
Best Use: Professional / semi-formal
Worst Use: Very casual
Tone: Polite, serious

17. Phrase: Are you for real?

Meaning: Informal disbelief
Example Sentence: Are you for real? That’s amazing!
Best Use: Casual / informal
Worst Use: Formal emails
Tone: Playful, casual

18. Phrase: You must be joking

Meaning: Express disbelief politely
Example Sentence: You must be joking; this is incredible!
Best Use: Professional / casual
Worst Use: Overly informal
Tone: Polite, surprised

19. Phrase: Can’t believe it

Meaning: Neutral surprise
Example Sentence: Can’t believe it! That worked perfectly.
Best Use: Casual / professional
Worst Use: Formal letters
Tone: Neutral, surprised

20. Phrase: That’s aggravating

Meaning: Express astonishment casually
Example Sentence: That’s aggravating! How did you do that?
Best Use: Informal / friendly
Worst Use: Formal contexts
Tone: Informal, playful

21. Phrase: Unbelievable

Meaning: Strong disbelief
Example Sentence: Unbelievable! You finished that so fast.
Best Use: Casual / semi-professional
Worst Use: Very formal reports
Tone: Polite, surprised

22. Phrase: You can’t be serious right now

Meaning: Strong disbelief
Example Sentence: You can’t be serious right now; that’s shocking.
Best Use: Casual / semi-professional
Worst Use: Overly sarcastic
Tone: Neutral, serious

23. Phrase: That’s impossible

Meaning: Express disbelief formally
Example Sentence: That’s impossible! How did it happen?
Best Use: Professional / semi-formal
Worst Use: Informal slang chats
Tone: Polite, surprised

24. Phrase: No freaking way

Meaning: Informal and playful
Example Sentence: No freaking way! You actually did it?
Best Use: Informal / friendly
Worst Use: Professional emails
Tone: Casual, excited

25. Phrase: You’re pulling my leg

Meaning: Informal way to say someone is joking
Example Sentence: You’re pulling my leg! That can’t be true.
Best Use: Casual / playful
Worst Use: Formal emails
Tone: Playful, casual

26. Phrase: Come off it

Meaning: Informal disbelief
Example Sentence: Come off it! That’s unbelievable.
Best Use: Casual / friendly
Worst Use: Formal contexts
Tone: Playful, informal

27. Phrase: You’re not serious, are you?

Meaning: Confirm disbelief politely
Example Sentence: You’re not serious, are you? That’s surprising.
Best Use: Semi-professional / casual
Worst Use: Overly informal
Tone: Neutral, polite

28. Phrase: I doubt it

Meaning: Express polite skepticism
Example Sentence: I doubt it; that seems unlikely.
Best Use: Professional / semi-formal
Worst Use: Casual slang
Tone: Polite, neutral

29. Phrase: That’s a joke, right?

Meaning: Informal disbelief
Example Sentence: That’s a joke, right? You didn’t actually do that.
Best Use: Casual / friendly
Worst Use: Formal letters
Tone: Playful, casual

30. Phrase: Are you serious right now?

Meaning: Strong disbelief
Example Sentence: Are you serious right now? That’s unbelievable!
Best Use: Casual / semi-professional
Worst Use: Overly formal letters
Tone: Friendly, surprised

Comparison Table: Top Alternatives

Phrase	Tone	Best Use
Are you joking?	Playful	Casual / friendly
No way!	Excited	Casual / informal
Seriously?	Neutral	Casual / professional
You’ve got to be kidding	Playful	Casual / friendly
Are you serious?	Neutral / formal	Professional / semi-formal
You’re joking, right?	Playful	Casual / friendly
Stop kidding!	Informal	Casual / friendly
Come on!	Playful	Informal / casual
I can’t believe it	Neutral	Casual / semi-professional
You must be joking	Polite	Professional / casual

Mini Quiz

Which phrase is best for a professional email showing disbelief?
A No way!
B Are you serious?
C Stop kidding!
Which phrase is informal and playful?
A You must be joking
B Come on!
C I find that hard to believe
Which phrase confirms disbelief politely?
A You’re kidding, right?
B That’s impossible
C You’re pulling my leg

Answers: 1 B, 2 B, 3 B

FAQs

What is a professional alternative to you’re kidding?
Are you serious?, I find that surprising, That’s unexpected, You must be joking.

Can I use “No way!” in emails?
It’s best for informal or friendly professional emails, not formal reports.

What’s the difference between “Seriously?” and “You’re kidding”?
“Seriously?” is more neutral and professional; “You’re kidding” is playful or informal.

Are there informal English expressions for disbelief?
Yes, e.g., Stop kidding!, Come on!, No way!, You’re pulling my leg.

Why should English learners learn alternatives?
It improves fluency, tone control, and lets you react naturally in casual, playful, or professional contexts.

Conclusion

Mastering other ways to say you’re kidding helps you sound confident, expressive, and natural in English.

Practice these alternatives daily to match your tone to the context, from friendly chats, social media, gaming, or professional conversations.