Addresses for Letters Tips
Read these 45 Addresses for Letters Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Writing tips and hundreds of other topics.
General Address Formatting
Addresses for officers and enlisted personnel should include title/rank and full name followed by a comma and the initials USA, USN, USAF, USMC, or USCG.
Board of Education Member
... (full name)
Member, ... (name of city) Board of Education
Address
Dear Mr. ...:
Cabinet Member
The Honorable ... (full name)
Secretary of ... (department)
Washington, DC (ZIP code)
Dear Mr. (or Madam) Secretary:
State Senator
The Honorable ... (full name)
The State Senate
State Capital, State ZIP Code
Dear Senator ... :
Proper Address to a Foreign Ambassador
The salutation for a letter to an Ambassador to the U.S (a foreign Ambassador) should read: Excellency or Dear Mr./Madam Ambassador.
The form of address for a foreign Ambassador should be: His/Her Excellency (full name), The Ambassador of (place name).
Also, the salutation for a letter to a U.S. Ambassador should read: Sir/Madam or Dear Mr./Madam Ambassador.
And the form of address for a U.S Ambassador should be: The Honorable (full name), The Ambassador of the United States.
Episcopal Dean
The Very Reverend ... (full name)
Dean of ... (place)
Address
Very Reverend Sir:
OR:
Dear Dean ...:
Navy and Coast Guard Officers
Rear Admiral ... (full name), USN (OR: USCG)
Address
Sir:
Madam:
Dear Admiral ...:
For officers below the rank of commander, use:
Dear Mr. ...:
Minister Without Doctorate
The Reverend ... (full name)
Address
Reverend Sir:
Reverend Madam:
Dear Mr. ...:
Dear Ms. (Mrs., Miss) ...:
Minister With Doctorate
The Reverend Dr. ... (full name)
Address
Or:
The Reverend ... (full name), D.D.
Address
Dear Dr. ...:
U.S. House of Representatives Member
The Honorable ... (full name)
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
OR:
The Honorable ... (full name)
Representative in Congress
(Local Address)
Dear Representative ... (surname):
Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
The Chief Justice of the United States
Washington, DC 20543
OR:
The Chief Justice
The Supreme Court
Washington, DC 20543
Dear Mr. (or Madam) Chief Justice:
Judge of Federal, State, or Local Court
The Honorable ... (full name)
Judge of the ... (name of court)
Address
Dear Judge ... (surname):
President of College or University
(Full name, followed by comma and highest degree)
President, (name of college)
Address
Dear President ...:
Dear Dr. ...:
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
OR:
The Honorable ... (full name)
Vice President of the United States
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Mr. Vice President:
Secretary General of the United Nations
His (or "Her") Excellency ... (Full name)
Secretary General of the United Nations
United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
Excellency:
Dear Mr. Secretary General:
Dear Madam Secretary General:
Compass Points
James Smith
447 Bleeker Street, NW
Harriet Gibson
303 Canal Avenue South
John Kelly
343 SE 12th Street
Dean of College or University
... (Full name, followed by comma and highest degree)
Dean, ... (name of school or division)
... (name of college)
Address
Dear Dr. ...
Dear Dean ...
Writing to an Organization
When writing to an individual at an organization, the individual's name should be listed on the first line.
Kathy Baker
First Union Bank
avoid
First Union Bank
Kathy Baker
United States Senator
The Honorable ... (full name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
OR:
The Honorable ...(full name)
United States Senator
Local Address
Dear Senator ... (surname):
fort, mount, point, port, Saint, Sainte
For addresses, spell out the following:
Fort, Mount, Point, Port.
But abbreviate: St. (Saint) and Ste. (Sainte)
Enlisted Personnel
Sergeant ... (full name), USA
Address
Dear Sergeant ...:
Seaman ... (full name), USN
Address
Dear Seaman ...:
Mother Superior
The Reverend Mother Superior
Address
OR:
Reverend Mother:
Dear Reverend Mother:
Dear Mother ...:
Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Mr. Justice ... (surname) (Or "Madam")
The Supreme Court
Washington, DC 20543
Dear Mr. (or Madam) Justice:
Writing to Doctors
In the address block, use:
John Smith, M.D.
In the salutation, use:
Dear Dr. Smith:
Don't use "Dr." and "M.D." together. Same rules apply for Ph.D.
Methodist Bishop
The Reverend ... (full name)
Bishop of .. (place)
Address
Reverend Sir:
OR:
Dear Bishop ...:
State Representative or Assembly Member
The Honorable ... (full name)
House of Representatives (OR: The State Assembly)
State Capital, State ZIP Code
Dear Mr. ...:
Episcopal Bishop
The Right Reverend ... (full name)
Bishop of ... (place)
Address
Right Reverend Sir:
OR:
Dear Bishop ...:
Superintendent of Schools
... (full name)
Superintendent of ... Schools
Address
Dear Mr. (or Dr.) ...:
Two People
Individuals should be listed separately in the address.
John Smith
Sally Smith
Address
Avoid:
John and Sally Smith
Address
Archbishop and Bishop
The Most Reverend ... (full name)
Archbishop (OR: Bishop) of ... (place)
Address
Your Excellency:
Dear Archbishop (OR: Bishop) ...:
Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps Officers
Lieutenant General ... (full name), USA (OR: USAF) (OR: USMC)
Address
Sir:
Madam:
Dear General ...: (NOT: Dear Lieutenant General ...:)
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