Sins to confess: what to say and how to name them

The sins to confess are, above all, every mortal sin since your last good confession, named in kind and number; venial sins are not required, but strongly recommended. Here is how to name them clearly and briefly, with a gentle list by commandment.

Updated October 2, 20268 min read

In short

You must confess every mortal sin you remember after an honest examination, saying what it was and roughly how often.
Confessing venial sins is not required, but the Church strongly recommends it.
Name a sin plainly and briefly: the kind of sin and about how many times, without a long story or graphic detail.
Confess your own sins, not other people’s, and do not name anyone else involved.
If you forget a sin in good faith it is forgiven with the rest; if you are unsure about anything, simply tell the priest.

On this page

Which sins do I have to confess?
How to name a sin clearly and briefly
A list of common sins to confess, by commandment
What not to say in Confession
Forgotten sins, and when you are not sure
Common questions

Which sins do I have to confess?

You must confess every mortal sin you remember after a careful examination, naming its kind and how many times, “even if they are most secret” (CCC 1456). This is the Church’s law as well as her counsel: the faithful are “obliged to confess in kind and number all grave sins” they are aware of after examining their conscience (canon 988 §1). A sin is mortal when three conditions are met together: grave matter, full knowledge and deliberate consent (CCC 1857). If one is missing, it is venial. Our guides to mortal sin and venial sin explain the difference.

Confessing venial sins is not strictly necessary, but the Church strongly recommends it: regularly confessing everyday faults helps form the conscience, fight bad habits and grow in the life of the Spirit (CCC 1458). Many people bring one or two venial sins they most want to work on. You do not have to list every small fault; bring what is real and what you want to leave behind. If you are unsure how the sacrament itself goes, our guide to how to go to confession walks through each step.

How to name a sin clearly and briefly

Name a sin by its kind (what it was) and its number (roughly how many times or how often). You do not need a story, a cause or an excuse: the kind and the number are enough for the priest to understand and absolve. Say it plainly, without graphic detail, and without softening it so much that it is no longer the truth. “Confessing” means looking squarely at what you did and taking responsibility for it (CCC 1455).

If you cannot remember an exact count, give your honest best estimate, or say how often: “about once a week, for a year”. For a sin you did many times, a frequency is clearer than a guessed total. The point is honesty, not a perfect number.

Vague wording, and a clearer way to say the same thing
Vague	Clear
“I wasn’t always a good person.”	“I lied to my spouse several times.”
“I didn’t go to church much.”	“I missed Mass on Sundays through my own fault, about ten times.”
“I had some bad thoughts.”	“I willingly entertained lustful thoughts, often.”
“I was unkind.”	“I gossiped about a coworker and harmed his good name.”

A list of common sins to confess, by commandment

This list follows the Ten Commandments, the way most Catholics examine themselves. It is a help for remembering, not a verdict: read it slowly and bring only what is true of you. You do not have to use these exact words. For a fuller set of questions, see our examination of conscience.

1. I am the Lord your God: you shall have no other gods before me.

Going a long time without prayer, or praying only out of habit.
Putting money, work, a person or my image before God.
Turning to horoscopes, fortune-telling, spells or superstition.
Despairing of God’s mercy, or presuming on it to keep sinning.

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

Using the name of God or Jesus in anger or carelessly.
Swearing a false oath, or breaking a promise made to God.
Speaking mockingly of God, the saints or holy things.

3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

Missing Mass on a Sunday or holy day of obligation through my own fault.
Arriving deliberately late or leaving early without reason.
Needless work that keeps me or others from rest and worship.

4. Honor your father and your mother.

Disrespecting or neglecting my parents, especially in their age or need.
Neglecting my children’s faith, upbringing or well-being, or giving bad example.
Failing in the duties of my work or my responsibilities as a citizen.

5. You shall not kill.

Holding on to anger, hatred or resentment, or refusing to forgive.
Harming someone in word or deed, or leading them into sin.
Having, encouraging or helping with an abortion.
Harming my own health by abusing alcohol, drugs or food, or by reckless driving.

6. You shall not commit adultery.

Sexual acts outside of marriage.
Being unfaithful to my spouse, in action or by a deliberate emotional affair.
Looking at pornography, or masturbation.
Using marriage selfishly, or treating my spouse as an object.

7. You shall not steal.

Taking or keeping what is not mine.
Cheating at work, in business, in my taxes or my studies.
Not repaying debts or repairing damage I caused.
Being hard-hearted toward the poor, or wasteful with what was entrusted to me.

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Lying or deceiving someone.
Gossip or detraction that harms another’s good name.
Judging others rashly, or breaking a confidence.
Failing to repair harm I did to someone’s reputation.

9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

Willingly entertaining lustful thoughts or desires.
Desiring another person’s spouse, or encouraging someone’s infidelity.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Envying other people’s success, gifts or possessions.
Greed, and a restless desire for more.

What not to say in Confession

Confess your own sins, not other people’s. Do not name anyone else involved or tell their sins: the priest does not need names, and revealing another person’s identity or faults can itself be wrong. You can describe your part fully (“I was unfaithful to my wife”) without saying who the other person was.

Skip the long back-story. The priest needs the sin and roughly how often, not the whole narrative.
Leave out excuses and the reasons it “wasn’t really your fault”. Confession is for what you did, not for defending it.
Do not dress a sin up in vague words, and do not exaggerate it either. Say the plain truth.
Do not confess other people’s sins, or use the confessional to complain about them.

Where a sin wronged someone, the Church asks you to do what you can to repair the harm afterwards — returning what was stolen, restoring a reputation, making amends (CCC 1459). That belongs to your life after Confession, not to naming the other person in the box.

Forgotten sins, and when you are not sure

If you forget a sin in good faith, it is forgiven along with the ones you confessed; the absolution is not undone. If you later remember a mortal sin you forgot, simply mention it at your next confession. Deliberately hiding a mortal sin is different: it leaves the confession incomplete, so bring it back and tell the priest.

When you are not sure whether something is a sin, or whether it was serious, do not try to settle it alone — tell the priest. You can say, “I am not sure if this is a sin, but…”. He will help you see it rightly. Never conclude on your own that you have certainly committed a mortal sin, or that you certainly have not: that discernment belongs to you and your confessor together. If worry makes you doubt everything, you may be dealing with scrupulosity: read our guide to scrupulosity, and tell your confessor about the worry too.

Common questions

Do I have to confess every single sin?

You must confess every mortal sin you remember after an honest examination, saying what it was and roughly how often. Venial sins do not have to be confessed, though the Church strongly recommends bringing them. If you are unsure whether a sin was mortal, confess it and let the priest guide you. A sin you truly forget is forgiven with the rest.

What if I can’t remember how many times?

Give your honest best estimate, or say how often rather than a total: “about once a week, for a year”, or “a few times”. For habitual sins a frequency is clearer and more truthful than a guessed number. The priest is not keeping score; he needs enough to understand the sin. Honesty matters more than an exact count.

Do I have to give details?

Name the kind of sin plainly and about how often, and stop there. You do not need graphic detail or a long explanation; say only enough for the priest to understand what the sin was. If a circumstance changes how serious it is, mention that briefly. If he needs to know more to help you, he will ask a gentle question.

Are there sins that cannot be forgiven in Confession?

No. Any sin you honestly confess with sorrow is forgiven, no matter how grave. The “unforgivable sin” the Gospel warns about is not one item on a list but the hardened refusal of God’s mercy itself — and the very wish to confess is a sign you have not refused it. Bring even what frightens you most, and let the priest reassure you.

What if I’m too embarrassed to say it?

Almost everyone feels this, and priests know it well. The priest has heard every kind of sin, he is bound by an absolute seal he can never break, and he wants only to bring you mercy. Say the hardest thing first, or write it down and read it. Naming it is what sets you free; the shame lifts once it is said.

Can I write my sins down and read them?

Yes. Many people bring a short written list so they do not forget anything, especially when they are nervous or it has been a long time. Keep it private, read from it if you need to, and destroy it afterwards. What matters is an honest confession, not one done from memory.

Sources

Cited by paragraph and verse, so you can read them in full. In the end, your priest has the final word.

Confession Compass is an independent educational tool, not an official body of the Catholic Church. It never absolves sins: only a priest, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, can absolve.

Examination of conscience: how to prepare for Confession

An examination of conscience for adults, by the Ten Commandments: what it is, how to make one in fifteen minutes, and the questions to ask before Confession.

Mortal sin: what it is, the three conditions, and how it is forgiven

What is a mortal sin? The three conditions that make a sin mortal, a clear list of the grave matter the Catechism names, and how mortal sin is forgiven.

Venial sin: what it is, examples, and how it is forgiven

A venial sin is a lesser sin that wounds charity but does not destroy it. Learn what venial sin is, mortal vs venial sin, examples, and how it is forgiven.