Do you want to know the best ways to refer to a blind spot in formal writing?
Perhaps you’re worried that the phrase is informal or offensive.
Luckily, you have options! And this article is here to talk more about them.
We’ll show you what to say instead of “blind spot” to help you mix things up.
Is It Okay to Say “Blind Spot”?
It is not okay to say “blind spot.” After all, it is an ableist phrase that refers to someone being blind and not being able to see something specific.
For the most part, it’s not formal or professional; therefore, it’s best not to use it there.
However, it is still proper English. One of the most common uses for the phrase comes when referring to driving, in which a blind spot is the spot just behind the driver that cannot be seen.
You can also review this sample to learn a bit more about it:
They were in my blind spot, so I had to be very careful. I certainly didn’t want to cause any more problems.
Pros
- It’s a simple way to refer to an area you can’t see.
- It’s been around for a while and is quite commonly recognized by native speakers.
Cons
- It’s ableist.
- It’s best to try different phrases to ensure you sound more accepting.
So, it might not be best to use “blind spot” in your writing these days. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of options! In fact, there are plenty of other choices out there.
Keep reading to learn a different way to say “blind spot.” We’ve gathered a list of some of the best alternatives to help you understand more about what’s going to work well.
What to Say Instead of “Blind Spot”
- Omission
- Unseen area
- Oversight
- Neglect
- Inattention
- Unawareness
- Disregard
- Ignorance
- Negligence
1. Omission
One of the most obvious non-ableist alternatives to “blind spot” is “omission.”
After all, it doesn’t mention anything about someone being blind. Instead, it simply shows that someone forgot to do something or made a mistake that led them to “omit” some data.
You may also come across “omit.” This is the verb, whereas “omission” is the noun.
Both are correct when referring to forgotten or lost information.
Also, it helps that the phrase is professional. Therefore, you can use it in most email formats when talking about something missed.
You may want to review this sample email to learn a bit more about it:
Dear Ms. Keating,
This omission was clearly accidental, so I don’t believe punishment is required.
However, I will look into matters further to see what I can learn.
All the best,
Madison Block
2. Unseen Area
You can also use “unseen area” as a formal way to say “blind spot.”
Of course, this is more of a direct synonym. You can break it down into two parts with “unseen” replacing “blind” and “area” replacing “spot.”
Therefore, it remains professional and clear. So, you can use it when referring to information you might want someone to focus on because you know it’s usually hard to see.
For instance, it can work quite well when reminding employees to pay close attention to something. After all, without the reminder, they could easily miss it.
Also, this email sample will give you a few more ideas about using it:
Dear Sam,
Please focus on the often unseen area of this work project.
It’s important that you go through the system to ensure everything works appropriately.
All the best,
Kyle Jennings
3. Oversight
Feel free to use “oversight” as a fancy way to say “blind spot.” Again, it removes the negativity or potentially offensive connotations relating to the original phrase.
Generally, this is a professional and clear synonym. And “oversight” occurs when you forget to do something or overlook it because you didn’t think about it.
Therefore, it could be a good chance for you to own up to a mistake.
You may use it when writing to an employer. It can replace “blind spot” when you’ve clearly made an error with a project and have only noticed it after you handed it in.
As long as you’re serious and apologetic about your response, you’ll find that your boss won’t mind as much.
If it helps, you can also check out this example to learn more:
Dear Dr. Jenkins,
This is an oversight on my part, and I’ll be happy to fix it.
I was not aware this part of the project was required until it was too late.
All the best,
Jack Chang
4. Neglect
You can use “neglect” as a noun or a verb. In this case, we want to refer to the noun because it’s a more direct way to replace “blind spot” in your writing.
You can use this to refer to errors or mistakes people might make with their work.
Generally, it works well when referring to other people’s errors. So, you can use it if your job is to correct their “neglect” when it comes up.
This could show you have good attention to detail. It also helps that the word is professional and direct.
With that said, it might not be the most common choice. But sometimes, this is needed to help you mix things up.
We recommend reviewing these examples to learn a bit more about this one:
They didn’t notice the neglect. It’s a common oversight, and I came in to correct the issue as soon as I noticed it.
My job is to fix neglect when people make small errors. That’s why I have such good attention to detail.
5. Inattention
We all make mistakes. It just depends on how you refer to them as to whether you talk about a “blind spot” in a nice way or not.
For instance, you can use “inattention” as another way to say “blind spot.”
For the most part, this is a professional and sincere way to show that something was missed out or forgotten.
“Inattention” can be deliberate or accidental. It is not an accusatory word, so this synonym works best when you know someone was working in a “blind spot” and didn’t mean to miss something.
Use it when confronting employees. It’s often a good choice to help keep things genuine.
Check out the following sample email for more:
Dear Adam,
I appreciate your work here, but there’s some inattention that needs clarification.
Are you free for a meeting on Friday?
Yours,
Elliot Smith
6. Unawareness
If something is in someone’s “blind spot,” it’s often said they are “unaware” of it. Therefore, “unawareness” also works well as a synonym here.
It’s non-offensive. It also shows that someone wasn’t aware of something or missed it. So, this could be a good way to explain how someone might have made a mistake in their work.
We recommend using this when evaluating yourself for a client. It’s an honest way to criticize yourself and show them that you will do better.
Check out this email sample to learn more:
Dear Miss Danforth,
It’s clear this was an unawareness on my part.
I’ll do better in the future to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
Yours,
Benjamin Hoof
7. Disregard
Try using “disregard” instead of “blind spot.”
This works well if you’re looking to be professional and honest. It shows that something was not considered (either by choice or by accident).
Whatever the case, it’s an honest way to own up to a mistake you might have made. Try using it when contacting your employer to see how well it works.
It’s also good to review this example if you want to learn more:
Dear Miss Lautner,
I’m very sorry for my clear disregard here.
It was not something I saw happening, but I’ll correct it immediately.
All the best,
Zoe Jones
8. Ignorance
It’s also smart to write “ignorance” if you want to keep your emails interesting.
Generally, if you spot “ignorance,” it’s something that someone is blind to (even if they don’t realize it).
It suggests they can’t see something for what it is, so they might need to reevaluate their understanding of it.
Also, it’s worth checking out this email example to learn more:
Dear Team,
There’s clear ignorance with your work here that needs correcting.
I’d like us to meet to go through it to see what we can adjust.
Thank you so much,
Hannah Reilly
9. Negligence
Finally, you can use “negligence” to show that someone forgot to do something or missed it.
Generally, this is a great non-offensive synonym for “blind spot.” It’s not an ableist term, either. After all, it doesn’t refer to anyone having a disability and missing something.
You can often use this when talking about a minor error someone made that led to a big problem.
It works well when evaluating employees who might need a quick reminder on something.
Check out this email sample to learn more:
Dear Harold,
I understand how it happened, but this negligence is quite severe.
However, I believe we can work together to correct this.
Yours,
Hillary Climber