How to Properly Write a Formal Email That Gets Results (+ Video)

In this article, learn how a formal email differs from an informal email. We’ll provide examples of the various parts of an email so you can see the difference between informal and formal email messages.

We’ll also show you how to properly write a formal email, format a formal email, and send a formal email. Plus, you’ll learn how email signature templates can give your formal email more impact.

Get more helpful email tips and professional strategies in our free eBook, The Ultimate Guide to Inbox Zero Mastery.

How Write Formal Emails (Quickstart Video)

Prefer to watch how to write a formal email? Maybe you’re trying to learn the format of a formal email. Learn more about formal email writing in this quick start video:

What Is a Formal Email?

A formal email is typically sent to someone you don’t know well or to someone who’s in authority.

Formal emails are often called for when you’re sending an email to someone you don’t know well. A formal email is also the right choice for some business situations. If you’re not sure whether to send a formal or informal email, it’s usually better to send a formal message. This is a little more than knowing how to write email letter. You should know how to write a formal email too.

Examples of someone who you might send a formal email to include your professor, a public official, or even a company you’re doing business with. In these cases, you should know how to send a formal email.

If your workplace has a formal environment, use formal emails with your boss and colleagues unless you’re told to do otherwise. Many workplaces are moving towards a more casual environment. This often carries over to email communications. If you’re not sure what’s right for your workplace, ask.

Casual Versus Formal Email: What’s the Difference?

A formal email differs from a casual email. A casual email usually goes to a person you know well—often it’s someone you’re on good terms with such as a friend or family member. When sending a casual email, you don’t need to worry as much about structure and tone. You won’t really need to know how to write a formal email letter in these cases. It’s a friendly, casual conversation.

In fact, part of what makes a formal email different from a casual email is the structure. A formal email has a very defined structure. It has a with a definite salutation (the opening part of the email). It also has a signature section, opening sentence, and body. It’s important to know how to structure an email.

You also use language differently in a formal email than in a casual email. Avoid using abbreviations, contractions, slang, emoticons, and other informal terminology. The tone of a formal email is different as well. An informal email may not even use complete sentences or proper grammar, but a formal email always does. 

Here’s an example of formal email language:

The meeting is scheduled for December 5th at 9:30 a.m. All students must attend. Your project updates are needed.

Compare the formal language with the informal email language in this email:

Required meeting—Dec 5, 9:30 a.m. Updates needed. See ya there.  🙂

Both statements share the same information. But the tone of the first is much more formal. Notice the incomplete sentence, slang, and emoticon in the informal example. They are both very different ways how to write email letter.

Writing a Formal Email

While an informal email can often be sent quickly, writing a formal email typically takes a bit more thought and a bit more time. Careful consideration needs to be given to each email element. You’ll want to consider things like how to format an email. 

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some common elements of a formal email:

Subject Line

The subject line is what the reader sees in their inbox. It’s one of the most important parts of an email. If the subject line is misleading or missing information, your email may not get read. The message may even be sent to spam. The more formal your email is, the more detailed your subject line should be. But beware of making your subject line too long.

Here’s an example of a formal email subject line:

Required Student Meeting: December 5th, 9:30 a.m.

Compare that subject line with this informal email subject line:

Upcoming Meeting

Notice that the first subject line is more informative and complete. The informal subject line, sent to someone you know well, just barely touches on the topic.

Salutation

The salutation directly addresses the person you’re sending the email to. This is another essential part of formal email writing. It’s always used in formal email messages, but sometimes skipped in informal messages. Here are some examples of formal and informal salutations:

If you’re sending the email to a group, address the entire group. Here’s an example:

Dear Students,

If you’ve got the person’s name you want to send the email too, it’s proper to use their name along with any title the person has. Here’s a sample formal salutation for an individual:

Dear Professor Smith,

If you don’t know the name of the person you’re trying to reach, you should make every effort to discover that information. As a last resort, it’s okay (but less effective) to address the email to the title of the person you hope to reach. Here’s an example of a formal salutation without a name:

Dear Human Resources Director,

In rare instances where you don’t know a person’s name or title, it’s okay to use this salutation:

To whom it may concern,

Contrast the formal salutation examples with the following informal salutations:

Informal Salutation for a Group

Hey Class!

Informal Salutation for an Individual

Hello Taylor,

As you can see, the formal and informal salutations are very different. 

Introduction

The opening of a formal email often requires the sender to introduce themselves. In contrast, informal emails are sent to someone you know, and the introduction isn’t needed.

Here’s an example of an opening in a formal email:

My name is Jordan Smith. I am the professor of Statistics for XYZ University. This message is for all current students.

In this article, you’ll find even more examples of email openings:

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  How to Start and End a Professional Business Email

  

  Laura Spencer

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Body

The body of a formal email typically elaborates on the purpose of the email. Elaboration may not be needed in an informal email. Although the body contains detailed information, it’s important to write clearly and concisely in a formal email. Remember your reader isn’t familiar with you and may not be familiar with your topic. You don’t want your email recipient to misunderstand an important point.

Closing

How you end a formal email is equally important. Since the email closing is the last thing your recipient looks at, your email closing can leave a lasting impression.

A good formal email closing also reminds the reader who you are. It should include your full name, contact information, and title (if appropriate). If you can, use a professional signature template for added impact. (Learn more about signature templates in the next section.)

In contrast, an email closing may be extremely casual for an informal email. In some instances where the recipient is well known to you, you may even omit the email closing.

The most common way to start a formal email closing is with the word “Sincerely.” It may be a common closing, but it’s also a safe closing.

Here’s an example of a formal email closing:

Sincerely,

Jordan Smith Professor of Statistics, XYZ College [Email address goes here] [Phone number goes here]

In these articles, we provide even more examples of formal (and informal) email closings:

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  How to End a Business Email With a Professional Closing (+ Expert Tips)

  

  Laura Spencer

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  30+ Best Ways to Sign Off Your Email (To Be More Memorable)

  

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You now have the information you need to write each section of a formal email. Formal emails are very similar to professional emails, since professional emails are often written in a formal style. The principles that apply to professional emails are also useful for formal emails. Learn how to write an effective professional email in this tutorial:

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  How to Write Clear and Professional Emails

  

  David Masters

  22 Oct 2020

Formatting and Structuring a Formal Email

Next, let’s discuss the format of a professional email. While many informal emails are unstructured, how you format and structure your formal email is important. It’s an essential part of how to write formal emails.

 At a minimum, the format of a formal email should contain all the following elements:

• Subject line. Be specific, but concise. Many experts agree that the ideal subject line is six to ten words long.
• Salutation. Address the recipient by name, if possible. Use honorifics, as appropriate. For example, write Dear Professor Smith, not Hey.
• Body text. This section explains the main message of the email. For a formal email, use proper grammar and complete sentences.
• Signature. Your email closing should be formal, not informal. Use your first and last name. If you’re writing on behalf of an organization and you know the title of the person you’re sending the email to, use it.

Use this format email example as a starting point. As we mentioned earlier, there are many similarities between a business email and a professional email. They do share some formal email format similarities too. This tutorial explains the proper way to structure a business email:

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  How to Master Proper Business Email Format – and Avoid Professional Disaster

  

  Laura Spencer

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Your email font choice is also important when you’re formatting a formal email. Many modern email platforms allow you to use many different fonts. It’s best to stick with a common, readable font like Verdana, Calibri, Times New Roman, or Georgia. Helvetica and Arial are common sans-serif fonts you could use as well. 

Avoid novelty fonts like Comic Sans, handwriting fonts like Bradley Hand, and script fonts like Brush Script. Remember that if you choose an unusual font for your formal email, that font may not be supported by some email platforms.

Also, stick to one or two fonts in your formal email. Using too many different fonts can make your email look too casual. Too many fonts may even make your formal email less readable.

Sending a Formal Email

Now, how about how to send a formal email? Once you’ve written and formatted your formal email, you’re almost ready to send your message. But before you press that Send button, review your email carefully. Look for:

• Spelling errors
• Mistakes in a name
• Typos
• Grammatical errors

Remember, a sloppy email full of mistakes makes a bad impression.

Also, pay attention to the email address you’re using to send the email if you want to be taken seriously. Many of us created email addresses when we younger that aren’t appropriate for formal emails. If you can get it, your email address for formal emails should be a variation of your name without any extra characters.

Here are some examples of appropriate and inappropriate email address:

Email Address #1

 KittenL0ver73%@example.com

Save this type of email address for casual emails to your family and friends.

Email Address #2

TaylorJones@example.com

This email address can be used for formal and professional emails.

Note: These email addresses used here and throughout this article are for example purposes only. They aren’t intended to represent real email addresses.

Are you a student or writing on behalf of an organization? Then it’s a good idea to use the email provided by your educational institution or organization. Most colleges, for example, provide their students with email addresses in the format:

firstnamelastname@collegename.edu

Using Templates for a Formal Email

One way to add extra impact to your formal email is to use a professionally designed signature template. A signature template adds graphic interest to your email. A signature template also includes your complete contact information.

Here’s an example of an email closing with a professionally designed signature template:

Notice the difference that a quality template makes. For more great examples of email signature templates, review the article:

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  24 Professional (HTML + PSD) Email Signature Templates: 2022 Designs

  

  Sean Hodge

  08 May 2022

Learn More About How to Structure an Email

Knowing how to send a formal email can be simple. If you know how to format an email, it’ll really help the process. You can learn more about how to structure an email here, at Envato Tuts+. Check out these free tutorials. They will help you feel more confident with the format of a professional email.

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  01 Oct 2020

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  How to Write a Friendly Reminder Email (Using Best Practices)

  

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  Why Writing Email Is a Skill—and Why Learning It Matters

  

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  How to Email Important People

  

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Common Email Questions Answered (FAQ)

So, you want to know how to write an email letter. We’ve discussed the parts of an email. We’ve also looked at how to structure an email, and how to format an email too. But what if you still have questions? Check out this formal email writing FAQ.

1. What Is a Good Length for Formal Email Writing?

Try to think about this from your own perspective. Most people would likely prefer the important parts of an email to be concise. Get to important points clearly. Mind good format of a professional email but stay focused. If something feels too verbose, don’t be afraid to cut back. Also, remember, your tone would likely be different in a professional setting versus an informal one. 

You can write a strong email in only 50 to 150 words. More words doesn’t necessarily make a better email. However, sometimes, some emails may warrant more words. Gauge your word count by what you need to communicate. 

Looking for more email writing tips? Check these out for more insight:

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  How to Write Emails That People Read and Take Action On

  

  David Masters

  12 Oct 2020

2. What If Parts of an Email Feel Too Short?

Likewise, you don’t want your email to be too short. Think about the tips we covered as we explored how to write formal emails. You can follow this test formal email format to help guide you. If you hit these points, it’s likely a good start.

Make sure to listen to your own professional voice. If there’s something of importance that deviates from a format email example, don’t rule it out. The format of a formal email is important, but the content is too. Make sure to find a good balance between the two. Tailor your content to suit the objective.

Need some pro writing tips? Check out these free resources:

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  What Is the Difference Between Paraphrasing and Summarizing?

  

  Sarah Joy

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3. Should I Deviate From a Formal Email Format?

If you’re new to a professional situation, stick to a formal email format. It’s better to approach the situation with professionalism than to be too informal.

In some professional situations, however, informal communications may be acceptable. Remember, it’s important to gauge your communications based on the situation. 

Learn more about emailing authority or professional outlets here:

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  How to Email Important People

  

  David Masters

  07 Oct 2020

4. Can I Reuse a Format Email Example? 

It’s not a bad idea to keep a format email example handy, especially if you find you need extra help. If you’re really new to the format of a professional email, consider creating some test ones.

Try sending them out to professional resources that you trust. A good example could be a teacher or friend with professional experience. Then, you can get some valuable practice and feedback. 

5. How Can I Boost My Email Confidence?

Even as you’ve learned how to write formal emails, you might still lack some confidence. That’s okay! Just like any professional work, it’s okay to ask for help. You will grow more confident in how to write a formal email with practice.

Here’s some tips that can help:

• Don’t rush your professional emails. Take time to write them out.
• Review how to structure an email. Compare your structure to a format email example.
• If you get stuck, try an outline. It doesn’t have to be a long outline. This can help you note essentials that you want to include.

Looking for more tips and things to look out for? Check this list of email tips you should know:

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  Are You Making These Email Blunders?

  

  David Masters

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Download Our Email Management eBook (FREE)

Besides writing great emails, it’s also important to keep on top of your email inbox.

Learn all about professional email management strategies in our free eBook, The Ultimate Guide to Inbox Zero Mastery. 

We’ll show you how to get started with Inbox Zero, how to implement it, and how to adopt healthy email habits. Grab it for FREE with your subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter.

Now You Know How to Write Formal Emails

You may not have much experience writing formal emails, but if you need to write one it’s important to do it right. Writing a formal email isn’t difficult when you know what to do. 

A formal email is quite different from an informal one. There’s a proper structure, formatting, and tone that you should use for a formal email.

Now that we’ve explained what you need to know about formal emails, you’re ready to write, format and send your own formal email. Good luck!

Editorial Note: This tutorial was originally published in November of 2017. It’s been comprehensively revised to make sure the information is still relevant—with special help from Daisy Ein. A video was added by Sergio Sala.