How to Start a Formal Email

In essence, emails are not as formal as handwritten letters. However, there are times when a more formal tone is required in email writing. Consider who the recipient is and select an appropriate greeting for the situation. Once you have this information, you can proceed to format your greeting and compose the opening sentence.

Determine the level of formality needed. Even if you are writing a "formal" email, the level of formality depends on the recipient. For example, you would not use the same formality when writing to a professor as you would when applying for a job.

• When contacting someone for the first time, it is safer to use a more formal tone than usual.

Find the recipient's name. You should do some research to discover the recipient’s name if you don’t already know it. Knowing their name makes the greeting feel more personal, even if you're using professional email writing techniques.

Follow the recipient’s style. If they’ve already emailed you, it’s a good idea to mirror their greeting style. For example, if they wrote "Hello" followed by your name, you can reply in the same way, using "Hello" followed by their name when sending your email.

Use "Dear". "Dear" (followed by the recipient’s name) is a classic and formal greeting. It’s respectful without being overly stiff, and because it’s commonly used, it has become a default choice, which is a good thing. You wouldn’t want your greeting to feel odd or too informal.

Try using "Hello" if you don’t know the recipient’s name. "Hello" is a fairly formal and appropriate greeting in business emails, especially when you don’t know the recipient’s name. However, it's always better to find out the name of the recipient if possible.

• You can also use "To Whom It May Concern" if the email is particularly formal and you don't know the recipient’s name. However, this greeting may not appeal to some people.

Consider using "Hi" or "Hello" for less formal emails. Emails tend to be less formal than traditional letters, so using "Hi" in a less formal email is acceptable. For example, if you’re emailing a professor, especially one you contact frequently, greetings like "Hi" or "Hello" are appropriate.

Avoid using "Hey". While "Hi" is acceptable in moderately formal emails, using "Hey" is not appropriate. It’s too casual, even in spoken language, so you should avoid using it in any formal email. For instance, even if you are close to your boss, it’s best to avoid using "Hey" when emailing them.

Use titles instead of names when necessary. Sometimes you’re writing to someone whose title you know but not their name. In such cases, you can use their title instead of their name, such as "Dear Human Resources Manager", "Dear HR Department", or "Dear Professor".

Include honorifics to make your email more formal. When possible, add titles like "Mr.", "Ms.", "Dr.", or "Professor" before the recipient’s name to add a more formal tone. Additionally, using their last name or full name, instead of just their first name, can make the email sound more professional.

Write the greeting on the first line. Place the greeting you have chosen at the very top of the email, followed by the recipient’s name. If possible, include their title, such as Mr., Ms., or Dr., followed by their full name.

Use a comma. In most cases, you’ll place a comma after the greeting. In formal letters, a colon might be used, but this is often too formal for an email, even a professional one. A comma is appropriate in all situations, although you might use a colon if you’re writing a job application email.

Move to the next line. The greeting should be on the first line, so once you've written it, press the enter key to move to the next line. If you’re using line breaks instead of indenting paragraphs, you’ll need to leave a blank line between the greeting and the first paragraph.

Introduce yourself in the opening sentence if necessary. If you’re writing to someone for the first time, you should introduce yourself, even if you’re already familiar with them. Giving the recipient a hint about who you are will encourage them to continue reading your message.

• For example, you might write "I’m Nguyễn Văn Nam, and I’m the Marketing Director at XYZ company." You should also explain how you know the recipient: "I’m Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, and I’m in the Marketing 101 class (Marketing Department, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons)."
• If you already know the recipient and have communicated with them before, you can start with a greeting. For example, you might say, "Thanks for your quick response" or "I hope you’re doing well."

Get straight to the point. Most formal emails need to get to the point quickly. This means that the first or second sentence should explain the purpose of your email. Remember to be as concise as possible when describing your reason for writing.

• For example, you might write "I’m writing to ask for your help with a marketing issue" or "I’m writing because I’m having difficulty in class and I hope you can recommend some helpful reading materials."