Start an email with a greeting that matches how well you know the person, then a first line that says why you are writing. "Hi Elif," works for nearly all work email, "Dear Ms Varga," when it is formal, and "Hi all," for a group. Skip the warm-up and put the point in the first sentence.
Below are greetings and first lines grouped by who you are writing to, with when each one fits.
Greetings
Formal
- Dear Ms Varga, The standard formal greeting. Use it for job applications, complaints, officials, and a first email to someone senior in a traditional field such as law, banking or government.
- Dear Dr Adeyemi, or Dear Professor Adeyemi, Use the title the person has earned. Doctors and academics notice when you do not.
- Dear Elif Varga, Full name, no title. The right choice when you do not know which title she uses.
- Dear Sir or Madam, Only in a formal letter when there is truly no name to find. It reads as dated in an ordinary email.
- To whom it may concern, For a letter that will be passed from hand to hand, such as a reference. For an email to an organisation, name the team.
A colleague or someone you know
- Hi Elif, The default. Friendly, neutral, safe.
- Hello Elif, A touch more reserved than "Hi". Good for a colleague you do not know well yet.
- Elif, The name alone. Brisk. Fine between people who email each other every day, a little cold from a manager to someone junior.
- Morning Elif, Warm and casual. Only if she will read it in the morning.
- Hey Elif, Casual. For peers you are friendly with, not for clients.
- No greeting at all. In a quick back-and-forth, after the first reply, you can drop it.
Someone you do not know
- Hi Elif, Fine for a first email in most fields, including a cold email.
- Hello Elif, The middle ground when "Hi" feels too familiar and "Dear" too stiff.
- Dear Elif, Polite and a little formal. Good when you are asking a stranger for a favour.
- Dear Ms Varga, When the person is senior, the field is formal, or you are applying for something.
- Hello, When you cannot find a name. Better than guessing one.
- Dear hiring manager, or Hello support team, Name the role or the team when there is no person to name.
A group
- Hi all, or Hi everyone, The default for a group of any size.
- Hi team, For your own team. From outside it, this can sound like you are giving orders.
- Hi both, For two people. Hi Elif and Gareth, is warmer and works for up to three names.
- Dear all, or Dear colleagues, For a formal announcement, or a group that includes senior people.
- Good morning everyone, For something sent first thing, such as a daily briefing.
"Hey guys" and "Ladies and gentlemen" both sit badly with a mixed work group.
Small rules that matter
- Spell the name the way they do. Check it against their signature or their address. A misspelt name is the one mistake in a greeting that people remember.
- Use "Ms" unless she has told you she uses "Mrs" or "Miss". If you are unsure of a title, use the full name.
- Follow their lead. If she signs off "Elif", your next email can start "Hi Elif,". If she wrote "Dear Mr Owusu,", stay formal until she does not.
- Comma, then a new line. "Hi Elif," on its own line, then the email.
First lines
The first line after the greeting says why you are writing. Pick by situation.
Asking or applying for something
Could you send me the signed lease by Thursday?
I am writing to apply for the planning officer post advertised on your website.
I'm writing to ask whether the March invoice has been paid.
I have a question about the delivery times shown on your site.
Replying
Thanks for sending this over.
Yes, Tuesday at 2 works for me.
Here is the answer on the refund, and thank you for waiting.
Someone you have never written to
Say who you are in a clause and why you are writing to them in particular.
I'm the events manager at Holt Museum, and Gareth Pryce suggested I write to you.
I read your article on flood insurance last week and have one question about it.
I'm a second-year nursing student, writing about the summer placement.
There is more on this in how to introduce yourself in an email, and for strangers you want something from, how to write a cold email.
Following up
I'm following up on the quote I sent on the 3rd.
Coming back to you about the room booking for the 19th.
Bad news
Say it in the first line. A paragraph of padding before it makes the reader nervous.
I need to let you know that the delivery will be a week late.
I'm sorry to say we can't offer you the room on the 12th.
Thanking someone
Thank you for making time yesterday.
Thanks for turning the contract round so quickly.
After a long gap
It's been a while since the Bristol project. I hope the new job is going well.
To a group
A short note about Friday's office closure.
Two changes to next week's rota.
Do you need "I hope you're well"?
Not usually. With someone you know and have not spoken to for a while, one warm line is natural, and it lands better when it is specific: "I hope the move went smoothly" rather than "I hope you are well". With a stranger it is padding, and "I hope this email finds you well" reads like a template. If in doubt, leave it out and be warm in the sign-off.
What to avoid
- "Hey" or "Hiya" to someone you have not met. Too familiar for a first email.
- "Dear Sir" when you do not know it is a sir. Use the name, the role or "Hello,".
- "Greetings," or "Good day,". Both read as mass mail.
- Opening with an apology. "Sorry to bother you" tells the reader the email is a bother. Ask the question.
- "My name is" as the whole first line. Your name is in the signature. Say what you do and why you are writing.
- An exclamation mark after the name. Friendly between friends, overfamiliar with a client.
Writing the opening with Hemmingway
If the first line is what stops you, the AI email writer writes the whole email from a few notes. Tell it who the person is to you, how formal it should be, and what you want from them. It uses only what you tell it and gives you one version, greeting included. Read it, change any word you would not use, and send it yourself. There is a free trial with no card needed.
Try HemmingwayDownload the app
For the other end of the email, see how to end an email.
Common questions
What is a good opening line for an email?
One that says why you are writing: "Could you send me the signed lease by Thursday?" or "I'm following up on the quote I sent on the 3rd." The reader should know by the end of the first sentence what the email is about.
How do you start a formal email?
With "Dear", the person's title and surname, and a comma: "Dear Ms Varga,". Use "Dear Elif Varga," if you do not know the title, and the role or team, such as "Dear hiring manager,", if you do not know the name. Then state your purpose in the first sentence.
How do you start an email to someone you don't know?
"Hi" or "Hello" with their first name is fine in most fields, and "Dear Ms Varga," is safer when the person is senior or the field is formal. In the first line, say who you are in a few words and why you are writing to them.
Is "Hi" or "Dear" better in an email?
"Hi" is right for nearly all work email, including with clients. "Dear" is right for job applications, complaints, officials and formal first contact. If they wrote to you first, use whichever they used.
How do you start an email to multiple people?
"Hi all," or "Hi everyone," for a group, "Hi both," for two people, and the names themselves for up to three: "Hi Elif and Gareth,". For a formal announcement use "Dear all," or "Dear colleagues,".
What can I say instead of "I hope this email finds you well"?
Usually nothing: start with the reason you are writing. If you know the person, a specific line works better, such as "I hope the move went smoothly" or "Thanks again for your help last month."