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Addressing a letter is one of the first and most important steps in letter writing. A clearly written address means your letter is more likely to arrive with the correct recipient.
If you don’t know how to address a letter, you’re in luck because it’s a straightforward process once you know what to include and how to format it.
In this article, we’ll cover how to address a letter in four simple steps, and we’ll share some examples of letter formats so you can see how it’s done.
Letters are still a popular form of communication today, especially for important information and requests, so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with how to address a letter. We’ve condensed it down to four easy steps.
The first thing you should write in a formal or professional letter is your address at the top of the page. You can write it on the left or the right side of the page, depending on which format you intend to use in your letter.
When using a block format letter, you will need to align everything to the left. Write your address, then the date you’re writing the letter, and then add your recipient’s address all on the left. You’ll find a lot of businesses use this format in their formal letters.
If you are using an indented paragraph format in your letter, align your address and the date to the right. Start your recipient’s address on the line below the date, and align it to the left.
You should always align the receiver’s address on the left because it helps if you want to use a windowed envelope to send your business letter. The window should line up perfectly with where the receiver’s address is so you won’t need to type or write out their address on the envelope.
For personal and informal letter writing, both addresses are optional. If you want to include them, it is common to use the formatting style from the indented paragraph format when writing a personal letter. You’ll still need to include the address on the envelope so it reaches the right destination, though.
When you address a letter to someone, you need to include the correct information on both the letterhead and the envelope to ensure it reaches the right person.
Your address should include the following information:
You should include the following information in your recipient’s address:
You’ll need to include the recipient’s job title and company name if you are writing a formal or business letter where it is being sent to the company they work for. If you’re not sure of their job title, you can call the company and ask for that information. Your letter will look more professional if you have done research to ensure the details are correct.
If you’re writing your recipient’s address on the envelope rather than using a windowed envelope, the job title isn’t necessary because that address is for the postal service to use. The individual who processes mail for the business you're writing to should be able to identify the right person to give the letter to.
You don’t always need to write street addresses out in full when you are addressing a letter. USPS has a list of abbreviations you can use when writing an address. Postal services are familiar with abbreviations, so you don’t need to worry about them preventing your letter from being delivered to the correct address.
Here are some of the most common suffix abbreviations you should familiarize yourself with:
You can find more abbreviations for other address suffixes on the USPS website if you don’t see the one you need on our list.
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