How to start an email: the greeting, the opening line and examples for every situation

The three parts of a good start

Every email begins with the same three parts, in this order.

1. Subject line: a short phrase that says what the email is about.
2. Greeting: a word or two that fits your relationship with the reader.
3. Opening line: one sentence that gives the reason for the email.

Purdue OWL's email guide is direct about the first one: be sure to include a meaningful subject line. It clarifies what your message is about and may help the recipient prioritise reading your email. About the second: for a new contact, open an email like a letter with a greeting such as "Dear Dr. Jones, or Ms. Smith:".

Why the start matters: One email provider notes that the average office worker receives 121 emails daily. Your reader decides quickly whether to open and how closely to read, so a clear subject and first line save everyone's time.

A model start:

Notice that the opening line contains the reason (I am writing to ask about…), not a long introduction.

Choose the greeting: a table by situation

Match the greeting to the person, not to the topic.

Letsignit's formal-email guide advises starting your email by greeting the person with their job title, as in "Dear Ms.," or "Hello Mr.,". Use the surname after the title.

Purdue OWL adds a useful rule for replies: in an ongoing exchange, it is probably acceptable to leave greetings out of your follow-up emails. This is why many fast email threads have no greeting at all.

Two points of punctuation:

• Put a comma after the name in most emails (Dear Ms Smith,). American formal letters sometimes use a colon (Dear Ms. Smith:), which is also acceptable.
• Write the name with a capital letter and spell it exactly as the person writes it. A misspelt name is a bad start.

If you are unsure between Dear and Hello, choose Dear for a first email to someone senior, and Hello when the person has already written to you in a friendly way.

Names and titles: Mr, Ms, Dr and first names

Getting the name wrong is the most common mistake in a first email. A few rules help.

• Use the title and surname if you do not know the person: Dear Dr Patel,, Dear Mr Brown,, Dear Professor Kim,.
• **Use Ms for a woman** when you do not know whether she is Miss or Mrs. Use Mr for a man. Use Mx only if the person uses it.
• Use first names if the person signs with a first name, uses it in the email address or writes Hi Sam to you. Match their style.
• **Use Dr** for a doctor of medicine or a PhD, if the person uses it.
• If you cannot find a name, use a role: Dear Admissions Team,. Avoid guessing a gender from a name.
• Avoid "Sir/Madam" unless you have no other option. It sounds old-fashioned in most workplaces.

British English writes Mr, Ms and Dr without a full stop. American English usually writes Mr., Ms. and Dr. Both are correct in their own style.

What about "To whom it may concern"? It is a fixed formal opening used when you do not know the reader. Because it feels cold, a role such as Dear Hiring Manager, is usually better when you can find one.

Write the opening line: say why you are writing

After the greeting, give the reason in the first sentence. The reader should know what you want within five seconds.

Formula: polite word + reason + what you need.

Useful openings by purpose

• Asking for information: "I am writing to ask about…" / "I'd like to find out whether…"
• Introducing yourself: "My name is Ana Silva, and I am a project manager at Northway."
• Applying for a job: "I am writing to apply for the position of…"
• Replying: "Thank you for your email." / "Thanks for getting back to me."
• Following up: "I'm following up on my email of Monday about…"
• Making a request: "Could you please send me…?" / "I would be grateful if you could…"
• Sending an attachment: "Please find attached the report you asked for."
• After a meeting: "It was good to meet you yesterday."
• Apologising for a late reply: "Apologies for the delay in replying."
• Complaining: "I am writing about a problem with my order, number…"

Polite openers such as I hope you are well are common, but keep them short. If the reader is busy, go straight to the purpose after the greeting.

For one-to-one cold emails to people you do not know, one guide suggests telling them about your business, preferably with measurable achievements that make you stand out. In an English learner's email, the same idea works in a simple form: one clear sentence about who you are, then one about what you need.

Subject lines that get opened

The subject line is part of the start. Make it specific.

• Good: Question about the marketing assistant role
• Good: Meeting on Thursday: agenda attached
• Weak: Hello, Question, Urgent (with no reason), Help

A strong subject line:

1. Names the topic in four to eight words.
2. Includes the action, if there is one: Please confirm by Friday.
3. Avoids capital letters for the whole line. Purdue OWL's etiquette page warns that there is nothing worse than an email screaming a message in all caps.
4. Matches the content. If the topic changes, change the subject.

For a reply, keep the Re: line, and change the topic words only if the conversation has moved to something new.

If you are applying for a job, include the position and your name: Application: Marketing Assistant, Ana Silva.

Tone: friendly but not too casual

Email sits between spoken and written English. Purdue OWL suggests treating it as business: professionals and academics alike see their email accounts as business. It also gives clear advice on style: be friendly and cordial, but don't try to joke around, and avoid text abbreviations such as "u" for "you".

Practical rules:

• Write short paragraphs. Purdue's advice: write clear, short paragraphs and be direct and to the point.
• Use standard spelling, punctuation and capital letters, as Purdue recommends.
• Avoid slang and emojis in a first email to someone senior.
• Be polite, not stiff. Could you please…? is better than You must….
• Match the other person. If they write Hi Sam, you can reply with Hi Alex,.

Compare these two openings.

• Too casual: Hey!! Quick q about ur job post lol.
• Right: Hello Ms Smith, I have a quick question about the job post.

Another test: read your first two lines aloud. If you would not say them to the person in a meeting, change them.

Examples to copy for every situation

Formal (first contact)

• Dear Ms Smith, I am writing to apply for the position of Marketing Assistant.
• Dear Dr Patel, I am a student at your university and would like to ask about the course.
• Dear Hiring Manager, Please find attached my CV for the sales role.
• Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to complain about a late delivery.

Professional, friendly

• Hello Sam, Thank you for your quick reply.
• Hello Anna, I hope you had a good weekend. I'm writing about Thursday's meeting.
• Hello team, A quick update on the project timeline.
• Hello Mr Brown, It was a pleasure meeting you at the conference.

Casual (colleagues)

• Hi Tom, Quick question about the report.
• Hi all, Reminder: the deadline is Friday.
• Hi Maria, Thanks for sending this over.

Replying

• Thank you for getting back to me.
• Thanks for your email. I'll look into it today.
• Thank you for your patience while I checked.

Following up

• Hello Sam, I'm following up on my email from Monday.
• Hi Anna, Just checking whether you had a chance to look at my proposal.
• Dear Ms Smith, I wanted to follow up on our conversation yesterday.

Introducing yourself

• Hello, my name is Ana Silva, and I work in the finance team.
• Dear Mr Lee, I was given your contact by Maria Costa.
• Hello Dr Kim, I am a first-year student, and I'm writing about the research project.

Making a request

• Hello Sam, Could you please send me the latest figures?
• Dear Ms Smith, I would be grateful if you could confirm the date.

Choose the one closest to your situation and replace the details with your own.

Mistakes to avoid and a quick checklist

Common mistakes

• No subject line, or a vague one.
• "Hey" or "Yo" in a first email to an employer.
• Wrong name or title. Check spelling before sending.
• A long introduction before the purpose. Say the reason in the first line.
• Writing in all capitals or using several exclamation marks.
• Starting with "Dear Sir/Madam" when you could find a name or a role.
• Replying to the wrong person. Purdue OWL advises that you double-check the To: area of your email when you reply.

Checklist before you send

1. Is the subject line clear?
2. Is the greeting right for this person?
3. Is the reason in the first sentence?
4. Is the name spelt correctly?
5. Is the tone friendly and professional?
6. Did you add a sign-off and your name? Purdue's advice is to include a sign-off and your name, with contact details when they are relevant.

If emails are part of your daily work, speaking practice also helps your writing, because the same polite phrases appear in meetings and calls. Our guide to how to speak English fluently and our list of ways to say thank you give you phrases for both.