The salutation is the first thing your reader sees, and it sets the tone before they've read a word of your actual message. Get it right and you sound respectful and prepared. Get it wrong — too stiff, too casual, or addressed to nobody in particular — and you've made a bad first impression you didn't need to. Here's how to choose the right greeting for any letter or email.
Formal vs. informal salutations
The first decision is register. A formal salutation suits work, applications, and anyone you don't know well; if you have their name, use it rather than defaulting to "Dear Sir." An informal one is for friends and family, where a simple "Hi" feels right. The two rarely overlap, so match the greeting to the relationship.
| Formal | Informal |
|---|---|
| Dear Mr. Smith, | Hi John, |
| Dear Dr. Johnson, | Hello Jane, |
| Dear Ms. Lee, | Dear Mary, |
Source: StudySmarter's guide to email salutations.
Formal salutations, done right
Use the recipient's name
A named greeting turns a generic letter into one that was clearly written for a person. It matters most exactly where formality matters most — job applications, business letters, anything official.
- "Dear Mr. Smith,"
- "Dear Ms. Johnson,"
- "Dear Dr. Brown,"
- "Dear Prof. Davis,"
One regional note: in the US, titles take a period ("Mr.," "Ms."); in British usage they often don't ("Mr", "Ms"). Match your reader.
Avoid generic greetings when you can
"Dear Sir" and "Dear Madam" aren't wrong, but they read as though you couldn't be bothered to find out who you were writing to. If a name is findable, find it.
| Situation | Better | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| You know it's Mr. Green | Dear Mr. Green, | Dear Sir, |
| You know it's Ms. Parker | Dear Ms. Parker, | Dear Madam, |
| Writing to a doctor | Dear Dr. Mitchell, | — |
| Writing to a professor | Dear Prof. Harrison, | — |
| No name, last resort | To Whom It May Concern, | Dear Sir/Madam, |
Informal salutations
Writing to someone you know? Drop the formality and let it sound like you. There are no strict rules here — first names are usually the right call.
- Hi [Name],
- Hello [Name],
- Hey [Name],
- Dear [Name],
How casual you go depends on how well you know them. "Hey Jess" works for a close friend; "Hi Alex" suits someone you've just met; "Hey Chris" fits a relaxed work contact.
| Relationship | Examples |
|---|---|
| Close friends and family | Hi [Nickname], Hey [Name], Hello Mom, |
| Acquaintances or new contacts | Hi [Name], Hello [Name] |
| Casual work contacts | Hey [Name], Hi [Name] |
Salutations across cultures
How people open and close messages varies a lot by region, and it's worth knowing if you write across borders. In Latin America, warm closings like "Saludos" or "Un abrazo" are common. In the UK, reserved choices like "Best regards" tend to land better. In Nigeria, sign-offs such as "Stay blessed" carry genuine cultural and religious weight.
| Region | Common salutations | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Latin America | Saludos, Un abrazo | Warm, personable |
| UK | Best regards, Sincerely | Reserved and formal |
| Nigeria | Stay blessed | Religious and cultural weight |
| France | Belle journée | Informal, common among younger writers |
Age and setting shift things too — younger writers tend toward casual closings, while more formal contexts keep to the classics. When in doubt with an international reader, lean slightly more formal than you would at home.
Write the whole letter in seconds
Not sure how to open? Our free formal letter generator picks an appropriate salutation and drafts the rest, which you can then edit.
Common salutation mistakes
Too formal
Overly stiff openings can make a letter feel like it came out of a different century. If you're writing to someone you're meant to be on good terms with, warm it up. Two to watch:
- "Dear Sir" / "Dear Sirs": technically fine, but stiff, especially in the US. UsingEnglish notes "Dear Sir/Madam" is slightly less formal but still common.
- "Dear Title + Full Name": normal in some languages, rare in English (UsingEnglish).
| Salutation | Use when | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| Dear Sir/Madam | You don't know the name | High |
| Dear Sir or Madam | Unknown recipient | High |
| Dear Mr. John Smith | You know them | Medium |
Whenever you can, just use the name: "Dear Mr. Smith" or "Dear Ms. Johnson."
Generic or incorrect greetings
The other trap is a greeting that's vague or simply wrong. Generic openings make a letter feel mass-produced; an incorrect one can irritate the reader or undercut the whole message.
- "To Whom It May Concern": cold, and a sign you didn't look for a name.
- "Hello Everyone" / "Hi Team": too casual for a formal letter.
- "Dear CEO": addressing a title instead of a person reads oddly in English (UsingEnglish).
- Mixing titles, like "Dear Mr. Dr. John Doe": pick one.
| Avoid | Better |
|---|---|
| To Whom It May Concern | Dear [Full name] |
| Hello Everyone | Dear Team, or [Specific name] |
| Dear CEO | Dear [Recipient's name] |
Email greetings
Email salutations follow the same logic as letters, with a little more room to relax. The details still matter: the right title, clean punctuation, and capitals in the right places.
- Titles: in a formal email, use title plus last name ("Dear Dr. Johnson"). US style adds a period after the title; British style often doesn't.
- Skip the bland default: if you know the name, use it instead of "Dear Sir."
- Punctuation: a comma is friendly, a colon is more formal — "Dear Mr. Smith," or "Dear Mr. Smith:"
- Capitalise the opening word and the name: "Dear Ms. Williams,"
| Recipient | Formality | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Business or professional | Formal | Dear Mr. Roberts, |
| Academic | Formal | Dear Dr. White, |
| Semi-professional | Semi-formal | Hello Ms. Clark, |
| Casual | Informal | Hi John, |
Next, see our letter format guide for laying the whole letter out, and how to address the envelope.
