| address |
n. the place to which a letter is to be sent |
| We still haven't got your invoice. Are you sure you sent it to the correct address? |
| Best regards |
friendly close to a letter - also Kind regards, Best wishes |
| I use "Best wishes" to close personal correspondence, but for commercial correspondence I use "Best regards". |
| Dear |
first word of most SALUTATIONS, formal or not [eg: Dear Sir, Dear Mr Won, Dear Jo] |
| Starting a business letter with "Dear" seems a bit too personal, but everyone still uses it. |
| Dear Madam |
formal SALUTATION to an unnamed woman |
| Can I use "Dear Madam" when writing to a businesswoman who's already given me her name? |
| Dear Sir |
formal SALUTATION to an unnamed man |
| He'd assumed the CEO was a man and began his letter with "Dear Sir", and then had to apologize after being told she's a woman. |
| Dear Sir or Madam |
formal SALUTATION to an unnamed person of either gender |
| It's generally more respectful to avoid "Dear Sir or Madam" and to take the trouble to find out your correspondent's name or at least gender. |
| dictate |
v. to say or read aloud words that someone else will write down, or that dictation software will transform into text - dictation n. |
| Which one of those speech-to-text dictation apps do you use for dictating letters? |
| enc. |
abbr.1 enclosed [adj. (esp of a document) sent in an envelope along with a letter]; 2 enclosure [n. a document or object sent in an envelope along with a letter] |
| If you see "Enc. (2)" written at the bottom of a business letter, it means two additional items were sent with the letter. |
| Ladies and GentlemenUS |
SALUTATION when writing to a firm and not to any particular individual in that firm |
| By using the salution "Ladies and Gentlemen" (or "Dear Ladies and Gentlemen") you are legally addressing the firm or company. |
| letterhead |
n. a sheet of letter paper printed with a person or company's name and address |
| As soon as the business cards, letterhead, stationery and website are ready, we'll launch the business. |
| Mr Ms Mrs Miss |
abbr. of title for man, woman (married or unmarried), married woman, unmarried woman |
| Mr and Mrs Singleton would like to invite you to the wedding of their daughter Miss June Singleton and her loving same-sex partner Ms Olivia MacIntyre-Jones. |
| p.s. |
abbr. postscript [used to indicate a note added at the very end of a letter] |
| If you've written a letter but then think of something else you want to say, write "p.s." down the bottom and add the extra bit there. |
| p.p. |
abbr. per pro, meaning "on behalf of" or "through the agency of" [eg: A per pro B (where B has written on behalf of A)] |
| When Anne writes a letter on behalf of her boss, she puts "p.p. Anne Windsor" after his name when signing off. |
| registered mail |
n. a secure postal service for important or valuable letters or packages |
| Sending things by registered mail costs a bit more, but at least you can track them online. |
| salutation |
n. opening or first line of a letter, usually beginning with 'Dear...' |
| It's important to use the correct salutation when sending commercial correspondence. |
| shorthand |
n. a system of speed writing, esp. when taking dictation |
| After leaving school, mum went to a commercial college and learned how to type and take shorthand. |
| sign |
v. to write one's name at the end of a document - signature n. |
| Leave a space at the bottom of the letter for signing your name. |
| To Whom It May Concern |
SALUTATION you can use when writing to a company, government department or other organisation and you don't have a contact name |
| If a letter begins with "To Whom It May Concern", figure out which department it should go to and pass it on to them. |
| Yours faithfullyUK |
polite close to a letter that does not begin with the recipient's name, as in Dear Sir |
| Yours sincerelyUK |
polite close to a letter that begins with the recipient's name, as in Dear Mr Smith |
| Yours trulyUS |
polite close to a letter; Sincerely yoursUS |