Letter Salutations

When it comes to letter writing, be it business, social or personal, most people concentrate more on the content, i.e., the way they have to convey the message or thoughts. Although this is extremely important, not much thought is given to the salutations of the letters. However, people do not understand that letter greetings are very important because they establish the tone as well as the level of formality of the letter. This becomes more crucial when it comes to business letter as improper salutation in the letter may lead to problems in business dealings. Hence, it becomes very important for people to know about the proper salutations for each type of letter, especially the formal ones. So, take a look at the letter greetings list that you can refer to while writing a letter.

Greetings or Salutations in Letters
As I said earlier, the greeting that you should use for a letter, will depend on the formality of the letter as well as on your relationship with the reader. So, if you are confused as to what kind of greetings would be perfect for your letter, here are some formal as well as business letter greetings examples which will be helpful.

Business Letter
If you are writing a business letter, the greeting which is very commonly used is Dear. This should be followed by the name as well as the surname of the person. Though many people use a title before the name, it is not considered to be an obligation. For instance, some of the salutations for business letters include Dear Mr. Garrett Blake, Dear Ms. Theresa Osborne, etc.

Social Business Letter
The social business letter is a letter which does not talk about business dealings or transactions. Rather, such a letter usually has a personal or social message and is written to congratulate someone, to say thank you or may be to send one's condolence. As one may know the individual on a personal level, one may just mention the person's first name. However, if you are just acquainted with the recipient, it is actually a good idea to mention the surname or may be an appropriate title for the person. For instance, a social business letter greeting can be Dear Celina, Dear Professor Derek, Dear Dr. Stevens, etc.

Government Officials
Most of us may have to write letters to government officials to complain about problems like large potholes on the street or may be availability of junk foods in schools. In such case, you have to know the appropriate letter greetings for government officials. These officials hold important posts in the government which has to be respected by the people. Hence, while writing a letter to a government official, it is important that you mention the designation of the person in the greeting. For instance, if you are writing a letter to the President, then you have to start the letter with the greeting, Dear Mr. President or Dear Sir. On the other hand, if you have to write a letter to the Speaker of the House, the greeting should be Dear Mr. Speaker (last name). This format applies to other officials like Chief Justice, Senator, Governor, Cardinals, etc.

Unknown Person
Many people find themselves in a fix, when they do not know the name of the person whom they have to address the letter. In such a case, it is best to begin the letter with the salutation, Dear Sir or Madam. Apart from this, it is also fine to start with To Whomsoever it may concern. Many times, individuals may not understand the gender of the person, just by looking at the name. In such case, rather than making a mistake, it would be better to omit the title (Mr. or Ms.) and just mention the name as well as the surname of the recipient. Also, though usually women who are unmarried are addressed as Miss and those who are married as Mrs., if you do not know whether the lady is married or unmarried, you should use Ms. to address her.

Letter Closings List
As you now know the letter greetings that you have to use, let us take a look at the closings that one has to use after ending the letter. Just like the salutations, the endings of the letters would also depend on the formality of the letter. Here are some professional letter closings that you can use while ending a business or other such formal letters.

• Yours Sincerely
• Faithfully Yours
• Sincerely
• Respectfully Yours
• Yours Truly
• Warmest Regards
• With Appreciation
• Best Regards
• Truly

I hope this article on letter greetings and closings has been helpful for you. It is important to choose an appropriate greeting to make the right impression on the recipient. So, before you start writing a letter, go through these lists and pick up a greeting as well as closing which suits the type of letter that you have to write. All the best!