By Carol Deeb Updated March 06, 2019
Writing a business letter requires you to follow certain rules of etiquette to maintain a professional image. You should address the recipient by name, if possible, instead of sending a generic letter. When writing to a man, addressing him as "Mr." is a common and acceptable practice. However, if you are sending a business letter to a lady, choosing your salutation may be more complicated.
Contents of a Business Letter
The contents of your business letter are important. In general, the information included in your letter should be written in a concise manner, with the message you wish to convey clearly stated. Make sure that your letter is free of errors by proofreading it carefully before sending it. Before your salutation, include a subject or reference line to alert the reader of your purpose for the mailing.
A common business greeting begins with "Dear," regardless of the recipients gender, and is followed by a title and the last name. At the end of your letter, sign your first and last name over your typed name and job title. Always use first and last names unless you and the recipient are very familiar with each other.
Known Marital Status
If you know your female recipient is single, an acceptable title is "Ms." or "Miss" before her last name. For married women, "Mrs." and "Ms." are appropriate terms of address. Some married ladies use a different last name than their husband. If the letter is addressed to both of them, your salutation should use both names, such as "Mr. Jones and Mrs. (or Ms.) Smith." If you have received a letter or inquiry from a lady that refers to herself in her husband's first name, then your reply letter may be addressed to her in the same manner, such as "Mrs. Kenneth Jones."
Unknown Status or Name
In a business letter to a woman whose marital status is unknown, you may address her as "Ms." followed by her last name. If you are unsure of a person's gender, use the entire name in a business letter, such as "Dear Jordan Jones." If you are sending letters to a female target market and you do not have individual names, address your letter to "Dear Madam." However, you may have a better response to your solicitation if you use the name of the person, instead of a generic substitute.
Use Professional Titles
Use the professional title of a lady to address her in a business letter, such as "Inspector General Smith," as appropriate, especially if you are not sure if your recipient is a woman. This also works if you do not know her marital status. If the lady is married and the husband has a title but the wife does not, the letter may be addressed to "Dr. Jones and Mrs. Jones." If both spouses are doctors, for example, you may use their first names in your salutation, such as "Drs. Joseph and Catherine Jones."
FAQs
In general, it's best to stick to “Ms.,” followed by the recipient's last name if you don't know their name or how they'd like to be addressed. “Ms.” is a universal term for women, whether they are single or married. It's also useful if you don't know if your recipient has any professional titles or designations.
How do I address a woman in a business letter? ›
Include a personal title such as Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr. Follow a woman's preference in being addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms. If you are unsure of a woman's preference in being addressed, use Ms. If there is a possibility that the person to whom you are writing is a Dr. or has some other title, use that title.
What salutation to use for a woman? ›
When to use Miss, Mrs and Ms. Miss: You should use 'Miss' when addressing girls and young, unmarried women. Ms: You should use 'Ms' when unsure of a woman's marital status or if she is unmarried and prefers to be addressed with a marital-status neutral title. Mrs: You should use Mrs when addressing a married woman.
What titles do you use to address a lady? ›
Men are always addressed as Mr., but it's a bit more complicated for women. There are three different formal titles a woman can carry: Miss, Ms., and Mrs. Typically, Miss is used for women under the age of 18, while Mrs. is for married women. For all other women, you will likely use Ms.
How do you address a titled lady in a letter? ›
Use the correct honorific: In addition to using the proper title, it is also important to use the correct honorific when addressing someone with a noble title. For example, you would use “Your Grace” when addressing a Duke, “My Lord” when addressing an earl or a baron, and “My Lady” when addressing a female noble.
How do you greet a business woman? ›
Your greeting should not take on a gender spin, ever. If you would shake a man's hand, you should shake a woman's hand. If you want to hug the man, then I suppose you can offer a hug to the woman, too.
How to write a letter to a lady? ›
Tips on How To Write a Love Letter
- Be sincere. ...
- Consider how long you've been together. ...
- Know your audience. ...
- Use a proper tone and style. ...
- Avoid spelling and grammar mistakes. ...
- Reminisce. ...
- Dream of the future. ...
- Admiration and Appreciation.
Mrs + last name (married woman who uses her husband's last name) Ms + last name (married or unmarried woman; common in business) Miss + last name (unmarried woman)
How do you address an envelope to a woman? ›
Traditionally, women carry one of three titles: Ms., Mrs., and Miss. When addressing men, it's always “Mr.”, regardless of age or marital status. This makes adding titles to your save the date envelopes, wedding invitation addresses, and reception escort and place cards nice and easy.
What is the most polite salutation? ›
The most formal salutation is Dear, [title], then the last name. If you're unsure of the person's pronouns, it's a good idea to use Dear [First and last name] or Dear [First name].
Miss: Use “Miss” when addressing young girls and women under 30 that are unmarried. Ms.: Use “Ms.” when you are not sure of a woman's marital status, if the woman is unmarried and over 30 or if she prefers being addressed with a marital-status neutral title. Mrs.: Use “Mrs.” when addressing a married woman.
What is the proper way to call a lady? ›
Synonyms of lady
- woman.
- female.
- madam.
- madame.
- girl.
- gentlewoman.
- dame.
- gal.
(Style: Lordship or My Lord). Lady: for female peers with the rank of baroness, viscountess, countess, and marchioness, or the wives of men who hold the equivalent titles. By courtesy the title is often also used for wives of Knights and Baronets. (Style: Your Ladyship or My Lady).
How do I address a lady in official mail? ›
In general, it's best to stick to “Ms.,” followed by the recipient's last name if you don't know their name or how they'd like to be addressed. “Ms.” is a universal term for women, whether they are single or married. It's also useful if you don't know if your recipient has any professional titles or designations.
Is Lady a formal title? ›
“Lady” is ordinarily used as a less formal alternative to the full title of a countess, viscountess, or baroness; where the name is territorial, the “of ” is dropped—thus the Vicountess of A.
What is the gender neutral salutation for a business letter? ›
As a last resort, you may use anonymous phrases such as 'To Whom It May Concern' or 'Dear Sir/Madam'. Of these two options, we recommend 'To Whom It May Concern,' as best of the bad bunch of anonymous greetings, since it is gender-neutral..
Is MS or Mrs more professional? ›
instead of Mrs., especially if you don't know whether you're talking to a married or unmarried woman. When you're writing in a professional context, such as when you're speaking to a co-worker, contractor, or client, it's often best to use Ms., because a woman's marital status is likely irrelevant to her career.
What to write if you don't know MS or Mrs.? ›
Miss: Use “Miss” when addressing young girls and women under 30 that are unmarried. Ms.: Use “Ms.” when you are not sure of a woman's marital status, if the woman is unmarried and over 30 or if she prefers being addressed with a marital-status neutral title. Mrs.: Use “Mrs.” when addressing a married woman.
