Best Letter And Email Salutations And Greetings (With Examples)

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Salutation is a specific word used to refer to an expression of greeting, goodwill, or courtesy — and it need not be verbal. However, in this case, a salutation is more specific, being defined by Merriam-Webster as “the word or phrase of greeting that conventionally comes immediately before the body of a letter.”

That means that the salutation is the first thing that the person reading your email will see. “Dear” is the most common and formal one, but there are many different ways to greet your reader. Selecting the right one sets the tone for the letter and message that you wish to convey.

How to choose the right salutation

Unfortunately, as with most social interactions, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the right salutation to use. Picking the right one is going to depend on a number of factors, such as how well you know the recipient, the purpose of the communication, and how formal the person you’re sending it to tends to be.

Here are some things to consider when picking the right greeting:

1. How well you know the recipient. Generally speaking, the better you know a person, the more casual you can be in your greeting and the rest of your message. This might even change from coworker to coworker, depending on your relationship with them.
2. If you’re sending an email or hard copy letter. While emails can be formal, they’re typically less formal than a written or printed letter. You can use any greeting that’s appropriate for a hard copy letter in an email, but you can’t always put an email-appropriate greeting in a letter.
3. The purpose of your letter. Your salutation should be appropriate to the rest of your message as well. If you’re writing to schedule a meeting with a colleague, you can be a bit more casual than you would be in a cover letter.
4. How much interaction you’ve had in the past. If this is the first time you’ve reached out to the person you’re writing to, you should be more formal than you would be in your tenth email with them. Or, if you’ve had a previous conversation with them either in person or on the phone, you can usually choose a more informal greeting than you would if your letter was the first interaction you’d had with them.
5. How they address you. If the person you’re writing to has written to you before, you can simply match the level of formality of their greeting or, depending on their status relative to you, go a touch more formal in your own.

Different types of salutations examples

There are various types of salutations depending on how formal you plan to be and who you’re addressing. For a business letter, it’s generally better to err on the side of being overly formal, though that’ll depend on how well you know the recipient.

Here are the different types of salutations and when to use them:

Formal Salutations

A formal salutation is a good go-to in letters and emails where don’t want to seem overly familiar. They’re best if you want to sound very professional, you don’t know the recipient very well, or you’re dealing with someone who prefers more formal communication.

• Dear. Probably the most common greeting, “Dear” is an excellent choice for both emails and written letters. Whether you’re writing a cover letter, a resignation letter, or an email to a coworker, as long as you know the recipient’s name, this is a safe neutral.
• Greetings. This is a good option when you have met the person you’re writing to but don’t know them well or when you don’t know the recipient’s name. It’s a slightly more formal greeting than “hi” or “hello,” making it versatile for both written letters and emails.
• Good afternoon/evening/morning. These salutations are similar to “Greetings” in formality, but they’re best used for email messages since you can’t guarantee when someone will receive a physical letter or know when you sent it. This is also a good option when you’re emailing a colleague and want to sound friendly yet professional.
• To whom it may concern. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this greeting, but it’s still useful when you truly cannot find the name of the person you’re addressing. This is especially helpful when you’re writing a cover letter or letter of recommendation, and you have no idea who your letter will be going to but still need to be very professional.

Informal Salutations

While the formal salutations are interchangeable between written letters and emails, for the most part, you should use these informal greetings only in casual email conversations with someone you’ve already established a professional relationship with.

• Hello. This is the most formal of the informal salutations and can be used with or without a name. It’s also a great option if you’re emailing a group of people and either don’t know their names or can’t reasonably fit them all into the salutation.
• Hi. A step more casual than “Hello,” “Hi” is best used only with people you know well and have talked to before. It’s best when coupled with a name, but it can be used without one too.
• Hey. The most informal salutation, you should only use “Hey” to address colleagues you have a strong relationship with. It tends to sound more like a text message than a professional email, so make sure you use this option carefully.
• No salutation, just a name. Starting a message with just the recipient’s name is efficient. Still, you should use it sparingly since it can sound abrupt or even harsh, especially if you’re trying to establish a relationship over email. It can be useful during longer casual email conversations where the tone has already been established, though.

Other Salutations for business correspondence

There will be times when you’re writing to someone whose name you don’t know, or when you’ll have to send out an email to a group of people. What salutation you use then would vary on the circumstances and how formal you want to be.

• No contact information. For starters, it’s always best to know exactly who you’re addressing your letter to. It’s important for determining other elements of your letter’s contents. But if you don’t have the recipient’s contact information, you have a few options that can work:
  • To Whom It May Concern. We covered this one above, and it works if you’re writing a document that’ll be used en masse by someone else, like a recommendation letter. Or if you’re writing to complain about an issue or request help but don’t know who exactly will be on the receiving end.
  • Hello/Greetings. If your letter isn’t all that formal, starting out wtih a standard greeting like “Hello” without using a name is perfectly acceptable.
  • Dear Sir or Madam. This one gets used sometimes, so we thought we’d mention it. That being said, it’s pretty outdated, so we don’t really recommend using it.
  • Dear Hiring Team
  • Dear [Department Name] Team
  • Dear [Title of person you’d report to]

  How to follow a salutation

  Once you’ve decided on the appropriate salutation, you have to decide what to put after it. Typically this is going to be the receipt’s name, however, there are still several choices as to how you go about this. And always, always make sure you spell it correctly.

  1. Full name. If you aren’t on a first-name basis with the person you’re addressing and don’t know their gender, simply use both their first and last names. For example: “Dear Jordan Parker.” This option is becoming more popular among younger workers, as it doesn’t assume someone’s gender. That means that this is likely the best way to go if you’re writing to someone younger.
  2. First name. A good rule of thumb is to use just the person’s first name only when you’re already on a first-name basis with them outside of your correspondence. This is most commonly used in emails rather than in written letters.
  3. Last name. Saying “Dear Ms. Haywood” or “Dear Dr. Jacobs” is a classic, safe option, especially when you’re addressing a potential future employer or client and need to be more formal. Make sure you use the proper honorific designation as well.
     • Use “Ms.” for females. Technically, “Mrs.” is appropriate for married women and “Miss” for single women, but unless you know for sure, “Ms.” is generally the advisable choice to avoid offending anyone. Even if you know that the woman you’re writing to is married or unmarried, it’s likely best to use Ms., because some people feel that Miss or Mrs. is old-fashion or puts undue emphasis on whether or not they’re married.
     • Use “Mr.” for males. There isn’t really another option for men, so this is generally a safe choice.
     • Use other titles when applicable. If you know the person has a doctorate education of some kind, use “Dr.” instead of “Ms.” or “Mr.” The same goes for those with military ranks as well. If you aren’t sure about this for the person you’re addressing, though, just stick to the classic “Ms.” and “Mr.”
  4. Generic options. Sometimes you may find yourself addressing your letter to a group of people or an unknown recipient. In this case, there are some more generic options to use If you’re writing to a group of people, you can use “Hello, team,” or “Hi, all.” If there are only three people in the group, though, try to address all of them by saying, “Hi Steve, Mike, and Taylor.” When you don’t know who you’re addressing, you can use the person’s title if you have it or simply stick with “Dear Sir or Madam.” This is a good option for highly formal letters that are your first interaction with the person.

  Punctuating salutations

  There are two ways to punctuate your salutation: a comma or a colon. Both are acceptable in professional writing, but a colon is the most formal. Generally, you’ll also want to leave a blank line between your salutation and the first line of text.

  Here are a few examples of this:

  Colon punctuation example:

  Dear Mr. Wilson: I’m writing to recommend Wendy Peterson for the position of Junior Accountant.

  Hi, Jason, I hope your week is going well. I wanted to follow up with you on our conversation from earlier.

  When to switch to less formal greetings

  Just because you choose one salutation to begin a conversation doesn’t mean you have to stick with it for the rest of the interaction. The more you talk with someone, even if it’s over email, the less formal you need to be. This may look different depending on the conversation topic, though, and remember that a lack of formality isn’t the same thing as a lack of professionalism.

  These more extended exchanges are also good opportunities to use the recipient’s response to gauge their communication style and how casual or formal they like to be. Then you can adjust your salutations accordingly.

  For example

  You might begin an email conversation with a potential employer with the salutation, “Dear Ms. Caseman,” and then you might move to just “Ms. Caseman” or “Good morning” in your second and third email responses.

  OR

  If you’re talking with a peer about a project you’re both working on, you might start with “Hello, Bill” and then move to “Hi again, Bill.”

  Salutations FAQ

  1. What are some common salutations?Common salutations include dear, good morning, hello, and to whom it may concern. There are numerous other informal salutations, but the formal ones are largely limited to dear, good morning/afternoon/evening, and greetings.
  2. What is a closing salutation?A closing salutation is how a letter is ended, usually coming right before your name or signature. For instance, sincerely, regards, thank you, or cordially are all closing salutations
  3. Do emails require salutations?Yes, emails require salutations. Very informal emails may not have a salutation, as they’ll be closer to an IM than an email. But emails are structured more like a letter, meaning that having a salutation is considered proper.

  References

  1. Business Insider — the Perfect Way to Start an Email, and Greetings You Should Avoid
  2. Purdue Owl — Writing the Basic Business Letter

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