“I'll Pretend I Didn't Hear That.” vs. “I'm Going to Pretend I Didn't Hear That”: What’s the Difference?

A line illustration of two people with their mouth open, and a giant question mark between them.

The difference between “I'll pretend I didn't hear that.” and “I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that”

  • "I'll pretend" suggests a more immediate action, while "I'm going to pretend" suggests a future action.
  • The second phrase may feel more formal, while the first phrase may feel more casual.
Communicate naturally with Engram AI proofreader

What is the definition of “I'll pretend I didn't hear that.” and “I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that”?

I'll pretend I didn't hear that.
  • This phrase is a contraction of "I will pretend I didn't hear that."
  • It indicates that the speaker will pretend that they did not hear something, typically to avoid responding or engaging with that topic.
  • It is often used in a casual or informal context.
I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that
  • This phrase indicates that the speaker plans to pretend they did not hear something.
  • It is a longer and more deliberate version of "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
  • It can be used in both casual and formal contexts.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that” is the more popular variant on the web.
I'll pretend I didn't hear that.
41,400 results on the web
Examples
  1. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that," said Karen when her boss made an inappropriate comment at work.
  2. "Let's just pretend I didn't hear that," said John after accidentally overhearing his friends gossiping about him.
  3. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that," the teacher said to a student who accidentally let a curse word slip in class.
More popular
I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that
50,200 results on the web
Examples
  1. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," said Sarah when her coworker told her a racist joke.
  2. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Jane whispered to her boyfriend after he made a vulgar suggestion in public.
  3. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," the receptionist said to a client who insulted her appearance.
Want to express yourself confidently?
Engram AI proofreader helps you
communicate naturally
An illustration of a person writing freely on their laptop, using Engram.An illustration of a person writing freely on their laptop, using Engram.

Related articles