How To Write A Letter (With Examples)

You might hear people say that the art of letter writing is dead. Unfortunately, there’s quite a bit of truth to that statement since the invention of the internet and the prevalence of email and other forms of more immediate communication.

Once upon a time, in the not-so-distant past, people did a large part of their communicating by mail. Before the telephone, all long-distance communication was done through letters.

Today, people can go a very long time without writing a letter, but eventually, they’re going to have to write one. Unfortunately, because they’re no longer a part of everyday life, many people don’t know where to begin.

We’re here to help you write a letter, whether it’s a personal or a professional one. The following tips and formats will help you get started and master the art of letter writing.

Writing a Formal Letter

A formal letter is a little more detailed and difficult than an informal one. Formal letters are often used in a professional setting. The following elements will help you create a formal letter. An informal letter can be very similar but often skips a few of the details. Because they’re frequently personal letters, some of those details aren’t important in personal correspondence.

Parts of a Business Letter

Business letters are usually formal in nature, so let’s dive in and look at the required parts of a business letter.

• Date. The date of the letter is always included for future reference. It’s usually placed in the upper left-hand corner or the top center.

• Address. The person’s address, including their name and sometimes their title, is the next section of a formal letter. This information goes in the upper left-hand corner. (Note that some people switch these two sections and put the address first, both are acceptable)

• Salutation. This is the place where you address the person you’re writing the letter to. In many situations, you might not know who that person is. In this case, you can use a salutation like To Whom It May Concern. If you know the person’s name, it’s typically a good idea to use it and connect directly.

• Introduction. The first couple sentences or the first paragraph of the letter are the introduction, and they’re used to explain why you’re writing.

• Body. Following the introduction is the body of the letter. Sometimes the body is quite long and goes into great detail. Sometimes the body doesn’t need to be very detailed, and there’s not much more to say. This is all variable and can change.

• Closing. Typically, the next paragraph or sentence sums up what was said or what the next steps will be.

• Signature. This is where you politely say good-bye, something along the lines of Sincerely or Warm Regards, and then you sign your name.

• Additional information. This section isn’t always necessary, but if you are attaching other documents or sending copies of the letter to others, many people like to include this information at the very bottom of the letter.

Sample Formal Letter

Now that you know what the parts of a letter are, let’s put one together to look at a sample professional letter that’s written formally. Below is a quick sample, but you can see, even though it’s short, it contains all of the eight elements discussed above.

Parts of a Personal Letter

If you’re going to write a personal letter, it’s usually going to be more informal. This means you might skip parts. Most often, you’ll find that informal letters don’t include the date and address of the letter recipient. But there aren’t any rules for how to write a personal letter.

You’re the best judge of what passes for a good informal letter, and it will vary, depending on the person you’re speaking to. Below is a quick informal letter.

Tips for Formatting a Letter

Regardless of the nature of the letter, there are some formatting rules, guidelines, and tips that can help you create a better-looking letter that’s easier to understand.

• Type your letter (handwriting is okay and sometimes preferred for informal or personal letters)

• Choose a font that’s easy to read and stick with 10 or 12 points

• Left justify the letter and use a block format

• Set your computer to single space

• Double-space between the different sections of a letter

• Some people prefer to have four spaces between the date and the address

• If you are hand-signing your name, leave four spaces between your closing and name

• If you’re not adding a signature (like when you send an email), then you only need a space between your closing and name

Tips for Writing a Letter

Formatting the letter is one thing; writing it is another. These tips will help you write your letter, whether it’s formal or informal.

• Check spelling

• Check grammar

• Proofread to make sure the intent is clear

• State the reason for the letter in the first paragraph

• Sum up the letter at the bottom

• Include your name

• Double-check that the recipient’s name is spelled correctly

• If you’re sending an attachment, check to make sure it’s included

Types of Professional Letters

If you’re not used to writing professional letters, you might not realize how important they are and how often you’ll be writing them. In business, many letters are used, and, in most situations, they’re very formal. Therefore, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with these types of letters.

Then, if you ever have to write them, you can do so with confidence. The following are some common business letters that will require an effective professional letter.

• Cover letter

• Letter of inquiry

• Letter of interest

• Letter of introduction

• Reference letter

• Sales letter

• Resignation letter

• Offer letter

• Acceptance letter

• Letter of commendation

• Queries

• Thank you letters

• Complaint letters

• Apology letters

• Welcome letters

• Request letters

• Termination letters

Professional Letters: Mail vs. Email

Today, email is the most common form of business communication, and even as this article is being written, interoffice emails are fading as different instant messaging apps become more prevalent. Business letters delivered by snail mail or the traditional postal service are all but gone.

So, what is the difference between writing a letter for email, which is what you’ll do most often, and for regular mail? The truth is there isn’t a lot of difference in the format of the letter, but there are a couple of things to pay attention to.

• Quality paper. Correspondence that’s sent in the mail, especially business correspondence, should be on quality paper. Aim for A4 size, plain, white, and good quality paper.

• Letterhead. If you’re writing on behalf of a business, your snail mail should be written on company letterhead. If you’re an individual, this isn’t necessary. When it comes to emails, some companies include headers, and most have a footer identifying the company.

  It’s best if these are incorporated into the email, but some systems turn them into attachments which can cause issues. In this case, it might be best to skip the letterhead and footer entirely.

• Signature. In snail mail messages, you need to sign your name by hand, then below that is the typed version so they can actually read it. This is going away quickly in email correspondence, and you don’t need to leave the four spaces for a signature as you do in an actual letter.

  Because kids are no longer being taught penmanship, hand-written signatures may permanently go away in letters in the not-so-distant future.

• Return information. If there is a request for returned information in a snail mail letter, you may want to include a return envelope. Obviously, this is not necessary for an email letter.

When to Mail a Personal Letter

Much like business correspondence, most personal mails can be handled through email. There are a couple of exceptions, and they’re based on etiquette. This might be outdated to some, and to others, it’s a necessity. We’re sort of in the middle ground here, and if you want to get it right, it’s best to lean toward traditional etiquette.

• Thank you letters. These should be sent by mail. This is one area where etiquette is not changing. If someone goes through the effort to do something nice for you, show up at your event, or give you a gift, then a handwritten thank you letter is still the best course of action.

• Invitations. You probably see more online invitations, and in less formal situations, this is fine. For example, if you have a bar-b-que with friends, an email or even a Facebook message is fine.

  But if you’re having a wedding, a graduation party, or another more formal event and your guests are expected to bring gifts, then a mailed invitation is in better form than an emailed notice.

• Birth announcements. Birth announcements are not as common as they once were, but they’re often a prompt for a gift so sending them through the mail is nice. They’re also considered keepsakes, and many people like to hold onto tokens like this, especially if they include a picture.

• Holiday letters. The holiday letter or card is still very prevalent, and people appreciate them more if they’re sent by mail. Consider them a gift of sorts.

Certified Letters

Certified letters are one time when a business or professional letter needs to go through the post office. Personal letters can also be certified, but typically these matters are of a business nature.

The only real way to certify that a letter has been sent and received is through the post office. Certified letters are often sent if there is a legal reason for documenting that the information was sent and received. It does cost extra to have the United States Post Office do this, but if it’s necessary, then it’s worth the expense to have your records reflect that the mail was received.

You will write a certified letter exactly like you would any professional correspondence. Because they are often related to a legal matter, you’ll want to make extra certain the content is accurate, but other than that, they’re basically the same. The real difference will happen with how it’s sent, and your local post office will help you complete the appropriate paperwork.

Author

Kristin Kizer

Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.