“Be yourself when you write. You will stand out as a real person among robots.”

—William Zinsser

Professional Appearance of Letters

Before your readers catch a word of your message, they’ve already read your letter’s overall appearance. What does it say to them? Use the guidelines on this page to ensure a good impression.

First Impressions

Choose your look.

Do you want your letter format to look traditional and conservative or friendly and contemporary?

Frame your letter in white space.

Make your margins 1 to 1.5 inches left and right, top and bottom. Create a balanced, open look by centering the message vertically and adjusting the space between the parts of the letter.

Make reading easy.

Use sensible type sizes and styles.

• Keep type size at 10–12 points.

• Choose a user-friendly font. Serif type has fine lines finishing off the main strokes of the letter. (This is serif type.) Sans serif type has a block-letter look. (This is sans serif type.) Serif typefaces are easier to read and understand; sans serif typefaces work well for headings.

• Avoid flashy and frequent type changes, as well as overuse of italics or boldface.

Print for quality.

Use a quality printer and avoid any handwritten editing changes. Always print a clean final copy.

Letter Perfect

Use 20- to 24-pound bond paper.

The 20- to 24-pound bond paper folds cleanly, takes ink crisply, and works well in most printers.

Use 8.5- by 11-inch paper.

It’s standard and files easily. Other sizes may be used for personal correspondence, executive letters, or mass mailings.

Use white or off-white paper.

Be careful with other colors. Light, subtle colors mean business. Bold colors scream, “I’m an ad!”

Match, don’t mix.

Letterhead pages, continuation sheets, and envelopes should match in paper weight, size, color, and design.

Letterhead Design

If you are asked to design or redesign your company’s letterhead stationery—or if you want to design a letterhead specific to your position—be sure to include the following:

• the company’s complete legal name;

• the company logo or slogan;

• complete contact information—full mailing address, phone number (including area code), a fax number, and website address.

• names of key people (perhaps in the left-margin sidebar).

Note: Make sure your design reflects your company’s mission and character.

Parts of a Basic Letter

All letters should include a clear message and information about the writer and the reader. Details for basic and expanded formats follow.

Basic Letter Tips

• Do not indent paragraphs.

• Single-space within paragraphs.

• Double-space between paragraphs.

• Leave the right margin ragged (uneven).

• Set margins from 1 to 1.5 inches.

Writing Basic Letters

Copy this template.

Parts of an Expanded Letter

Adding Information

When you, your reader, a typist, a filing clerk, or future readers need additional information, include one or more of the items from this list.

Writing Expanded Letters

Copy this template.

Letter Formats

You can arrange a letter in a full-block, semiblock, or simplified format. Choose the letter format that best fits the situation and your organization’s guidelines. Note: For quick formatting, use the letter templates in your word-processing program.

Full-Block Format

Rules:	All parts flush left
Character:	Professional, clean, contemporary
Plus:	Easy to set up and follow
Minus:	May appear unbalanced to the left of the page
Best Uses:	Routine letters, not social and executive letters
Note:	More traditional and international readers may not prefer this format.

Semiblock Format

Rules:	Date line, method of transmission line, reference line, complimentary close, and signature block align with a vertical line at the center of the page; all other parts of the letter are flush left.
Character:	Professional, traditional
Plus:	Balanced appearance on the page
Minus:	More difficult setup than full block or simplified
Best Uses:	International and traditional letters, as well as executive and social letters
Note:	You may indent the subject line and all paragraphs to further soften the form. In addition, you may drop the space between paragraphs.

Simplified Format

Rules:	All parts flush left No salutation or complimentary close Subject line and writer’s name in caps; dash between the writer’s name and title
Character:	Bare-bones, functional
Plus:	Easy setup
Minus:	Impersonal format due to lack of courtesy elements
Best Uses:	Routine letters—regular reminders, notices, bulletins, orders, mass mailings Not appropriate for high-level or persuasive letters
Note:	You may drop courtesy titles from the inside address.

Full Block

Copy this template.

Semiblock

Copy this template.

Simplified

Copy this template.

Letters and Envelopes

Folding Letters

A Standard Fold: To put a letter in its matching envelope, place the letter face-up and follow these steps:

1. Fold the bottom edge up so that the paper is divided into thirds. Use your thumbnail to create a clean crease.

2. Fold the top third down over the bottom third, leaving 1/4 inch for easy unfolding, and crease firmly.

3. Insert the letter (with the open end at the top) into the envelope.

A Large Sheet in a Small Envelope: If you must place a letter in a small envelope, follow these steps:

1. Fold the bottom edge up so that the paper is divided in half, and create a clean crease.

2. Fold the right side to the left so that the sheet is divided into thirds; crease firmly.

3. Fold the left third over the right third and crease firmly.

4. Turn the letter sideways and insert it (with the open end at the top) into the envelope.

A Window Envelope: Position the inside address on the letter so that it will show through the window. Then place the letter face up and fold it as follows:

1. Fold the bottom edge up so that the paper is divided into thirds, and create a clean crease.

2. Turn the letter face-down with the top edge toward you and fold the top third of the letter back.

3. Insert the letter in the envelope and make sure that the whole address shows through the window.

U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Envelope Guidelines

To be sure that your letters are delivered quickly and correctly, follow all United States Postal Service (USPS) guidelines when you address an envelope. See the envelope and helpful guidelines below.

1. Type the receiver’s name and address in black ink on a light-colored envelope. Use an all-cap style for everything in the address. Make sure all lines are horizontal and lined up flush left. Leave out all punctuation except the hyphen in the zip code.

2. Type the receiver’s address—including the type of street (ST, AVE), compass points (NE, SW), and full ZIP code—in the order pictured. Place the suite, room, or apartment number on the address line, after the street address.

3. Use USPS abbreviations for states and other words in the address. Use numerals rather than words for numbered streets (9TH AVE). Add ZIP+4 codes. (Go to www.usps.com to get the ZIP code for any street address in the country.)

Standard Postal Abbreviations

States, Provinces, and Territories

U.S. States

Alabama	AL
Alaska	AK
Arizona	AZ
Arkansas	AR
California	CA
Colorado	CO
Connecticut	CT
Delaware	DE
District of Columbia	DC
Florida	FL
Georgia	GA
Guam	GU
Hawaii	HI
Idaho	ID
Illinois	IL
Indiana	IN
Iowa	IA
Kansas	KS
Kentucky	KY
Louisiana	LA
Maine	ME
Maryland	MD
Massachusetts	MA
Michigan	MI
Minnesota	MN
Mississippi	MS
Missouri	MO
Montana	MT
Nebraska	NE
Nevada	NV
New Hampshire	NH
New Jersey	NJ
New Mexico	NM
New York	NY
North Carolina	NC
North Dakota	ND
Ohio	OH
Oklahoma	OK
Oregon	OR
Pennsylvania	PA
Puerto Rico	PR
Rhode Island	RI
South Carolina	SC
South Dakota	SD
Tennessee	TN
Texas	TX
Utah	UT
Vermont	VT
Virginia	VA
Virgin Islands	VI
Washington	WA
West Virginia	WV
Wisconsin	WI
Wyoming	WY

Canadian Provinces, Territories

Alberta	AB
British Columbia	BC
Manitoba	MB
New Brunswick	NB
Newfoundland and Labrador	NL
Northwest Territories	NT
Nova Scotia	NS
Nunavut	NU
Ontario	ON
Prince Edward Island	PE
Quebec	QC
Saskatchewan	SK
Yukon Territory	YT

Abbreviations for Use on Envelopes

Annex	ANX
Apartment	APT
Avenue	AVE
Boulevard	BLVD
Building	BLDG
Causeway	CSWY
Circle	CIR
Court	CT
Drive	DR
East	E
Expressway	EXPY
Floor	FL
Fort	FT
Freeway	FWY
Harbor	HBR
Heights	HTS
Highway	HWY
Hospital	HOSP
Junction	JCT
Lake	LK
Lakes	LKS
Lane	LN
Meadows	MDWS
North	N
Northeast	NE
Northwest	NW
Office	OFC
Palms	PLMS
Park	PARK
Parkway	PKWY
Place	PL
Plaza	PLZ
Port	PRT
Post Office Box	PO BOX
Ridge	RDG
River	RIV
Road	RD
Room	RM
Route	RTE
Rural	R
Rural Route	RR
Shore	SH
South	S
Southeast	SE
Southwest	SW
Square	SQ
Station	STA
Street	ST
Suite	STE
Terrace	TER
Throughway	TRWY
Turnpike	TPKE
Union	UN
Viaduct	VIA
View	VW
Village	VLG
West	W

Faxing Documents

Faxing may still play a key role when official signatures are needed on paper documents, for example with legal, medical, or government communications. When sending a fax, use your organization’s cover sheet. If no cover sheet is available, create your own using some or all of the items below. (Most word-processing programs include templates for cover sheets.)

Forms of Address

Usually, you can rely on common sense to tell you how to address your reader with respect. When you’re unsure, use the guidelines below and on the following pages to find a fitting title, salutation, and complimentary closing.

Professional Titles

Professional Titles

• Avoid writing to positions, titles, or departments. Call the organization (or visit its website) for names.

• Spell out all professional titles except Dr.

• Avoid using two professional titles that mean the same thing: Dr. Paula Felch, M.D.

Business

	Titles in Address	Salutations
CEO	Ms. Sarah Falwell, Chief Executive Officer	Dear Ms. Falwell:
Vice President	Dr. David Levengood, Vice President	Dear Dr. Levengood:
Company Official	Ms. Susan Cook, Comptroller	Dear Ms. Cook:

Education

	Titles in Address	Salutations
President or Chancellor of University (Ph.D.)	Dr. Joe Smith, President	Dear Dr. Smith: (or) Dear President Smith:
Dean of a School or College (Ph.D.)	Dr. Marjorie Stone, Dean School of Life Sciences	Dear Dr. Stone: (or) Dear Dean Stone:
Professor (Ph.D.)	Dr. Patricia Monk, Professor of Psychology	Dear Dr. Monk: (or) Dear Professor Monk:
Instructor (no Ph.D.)	Mr. Art Linkman, Instructor of Physics	Dear Mr. Linkman:

Legal

	Titles in Address	Salutations
Lawyer	Mr. Daniel Walker, Attorney-at-Law	Dear Mr. Walker:
	Daniel Walker, Esq.	Dear Daniel Walker, Esq.:

Medical

	Titles in Address	Salutations
Physician	Dr. Sarah McDonald Sarah McDonald, M.D.	Dear Dr. McDonald:
Registered Nurse	Nurse John Seguin John Seguin, R.N.	Dear Nurse Seguin:
Dentist	Dr. Leslie Matheson Leslie Matheson, D.D.S.	Dear Dr. Matheson:
Veterinarian	Dr. Manuel Ortega Manuel Ortega, D.V.M.	Dear Dr. Ortega:

Courtesy Titles

• Choose “standard” or “formal” titles and salutations based on your relationship with the reader and the seriousness of the message.

• Abbreviate all courtesy titles: Mr., Ms., Mrs.

• Never guess your reader’s gender (Robin, Pat, Chris).

• Use a woman’s preferred courtesy title: Ms., Miss, or Mrs.

• Use a woman’s preferred name: original, married, or combined (Smith-Olsen).

One Woman (avoid showing marital status)

	Titles in Address	Salutations
Preferred	Ms. Barbara Jordan	Dear Ms. Jordan:
Married or Widowed	Mrs. Lorene Frost	Dear Mrs. Frost:
Single	Ms. Adriana Langille	Dear Ms. Langille:

Two or More Women (alphabetical)

	Titles in Address	Salutations
Standard	Ms. Bethany Jergens Ms. Shavonn Mitchell	Dear Ms. Jergens and Ms. Mitchell:
Formal	Mmes. Bethany Jergens and Shavonn Mitchell	Dear Mmes. Jergens and Mitchell:

One Man

	Titles in Address	Salutations
Standard	Mr. Hugh Knight	Dear Mr. Knight:
With Jr., Sr., or Roman Numeral	Mr. Brian Boswell, Jr. Mr. Brian Boswell III	Dear Mr. Boswell:

Two or More Men (alphabetical)

	Titles in Address	Salutations
Standard	Mr. Alex Fernandez Mr. Nate Shaw	Dear Mr. Fernandez and Mr. Shaw:
Formal	Messrs. Alex Fernandez and Nate Shaw	Dear Messrs. Fernandez and Shaw:

One Man and One Woman (alphabetical)

	Titles in Address	Salutations
	Ms. Paula Trunhope Mr. Joe Williams	Dear Ms. Trunhope and Mr. Williams:

Married Couple

	Titles in Address	Salutations
Same Last Name	Mr. William and Mrs. Susan Lui	Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lui:
Different Last Names	Mr. William Bentley Ms. Sinead Sweeney	Dear Mr. Bentley and Ms. Sweeney:

One Reader (gender unknown)

	Titles in Address	Salutations
	M. Robin Leeds Robin Leeds	Dear M. Leeds: Dear Robin Leeds:

Mixed Group

	Titles in Address	Salutations
Company, Department, Job Title, or Unknown Reader	Acme Corporation Human Resources Dept.	Formal Dear Sir or Madam: Informal Dear Manager:

Government Officials and Representatives

To properly address government officials (national, state, local, judicial, and so on), follow this pattern:

Title in Inside Address:	The Honorable (full name) (full title on second line)
Formal Salutation:	Dear Sir/Madam: or Dear Mr./Madam (position):
Informal Salutation:	Dear Mr./Ms. (last name): or Dear (position) (last name):

Official Titles

• Use a formal title (Senator, General) rather than a standard courtesy title (Mr., Ms.).

• Avoid outdated courtesy forms (Gentlemen, To Whom It May Concern).

National

	Titles in Address	Salutations
President	The President	Dear Mr./Madam President:
Vice President	The Vice President	Dear Mr./Madam Vice President:
Speaker of the House	The Honorable Steven Kudo	Dear Mr. Speaker:
Cabinet Members, Undersecretaries, etc.	The Honorable Jane Doe	Dear Madam: Dear Attorney General Doe:
Senators (U.S. or State)	The Honorable Bill Johnson	Dear Senator Johnson:
Representatives (U.S. or State)	The Honorable Joan Walker	Dear Ms. Walker: Dear Representative Walker:
Heads of Offices and Agencies	The Honorable John Hillman Postmaster General	Dear Mr. Postmaster General: Dear Mr. Hillman:
Chief Justice (U.S. or State)	The Honorable Shelby Woo Chief Justice of California	Dear Madam Chief Justice:
U.S. Ambassador	The Honorable Francis del Verda	Dear Mr. Ambassador: Dear Ambassador del Verda:

State/Local

	Titles in Address	Salutations
Governor	The Honorable Mary Lee	Dear Governor Lee:
Mayor	The Honorable Mark Barne	Dear Mayor Barne:
Council Member	The Honorable Corey Springs	Dear Mr. Springs:
Judge	The Honorable Grace Kim	Dear Judge Kim:

Military

	Titles in Address	Salutations
General	Major General Karl P. Bastion, USAF	Sir: (formal) Dear General Bastion:
Lieutenant	Lieutenant Jane Evans, USMC	Dear Ms. Evans:

Religious Titles

To address religious leaders from any faith with titles that fit their positions, follow these guidelines.

Religious Titles

• The use of The before Reverend differs from church to church. Follow the organization’s preference.

• In some religious orders, the title in the salutation is followed by the reader’s first name. Other orders prefer the last name.

• If the person has a Doctor of Divinity degree, add a comma and D.D. after his or her name in the address (not the salutation).

Roman Catholic Clergy

	Titles in Address	Salutations
Cardinal	His Eminence, Edward Cardinal Romero	Your Eminence: Dear Cardinal Romero:
Archbishop and Bishop	The Most Reverend Henri Crétien	Your Excellency: Dear Bishop/Archbishop Crétien:
Priest	The Reverend Morris Franklin	Reverend Sir: Dear Father Franklin:
Nun	Sister Mary Jennsen	Dear Sister Mary: Dear Sister Jennsen:
Monk	Brother Atticus Bartholemew	Dear Brother Atticus: Dear Brother Bartholemew:

Protestant Clergy

	Titles in Address	Salutations
Bishop (Anglican, Episcopal, Methodist)	The Right Reverend Samuel Wolfe	Right Reverend Sir: Reverend Sir: Dear Bishop Wolfe:
Dean (Head of Cathedral or Seminary)	The Very Reverend Nicholas Cameron	Very Reverend Sir: Dear Dean Cameron:
Minister or Priest	The Reverend Susan Edwards	Dear Reverend Edwards: Pastor Edwards Dear Pastor Edwards:
Chaplain	Chaplain Adam Carp Captain, USMC	Dear Chaplain Carp:

Jewish Clergy

	Titles in Address	Salutations
Rabbi	Rabbi Joshua Gould	Dear Rabbi Gould:
Rabbi with Doctor of Divinity Degree	Rabbi Joshua Gould, D.D.	Dear Dr. Gould:

“I have received memos so swollen with managerial babble that they struck me as the literary equivalent of assault with a deadly weapon.”

—Peter Baida

Writing Basic Memos

Copy this template.

Parts of an Expanded Memo

While each memo includes the basic elements, sometimes you may need to add more elements. The guidelines and models below show your options.

Heading

Closing

Writing Expanded Memos

Copy this template.

“I have made this [letter] longer, because I have not had the time to make it shorter.”

—Blaise Pascal