A professional email has a subject line that says what it is about, a greeting with the person's name, the request or the news in the first two sentences, only the detail they need, and a last line that says what happens next. Keep it short enough to read without scrolling, and write it the way you would say it to the person across a desk: polite, direct, no showing off.
The hard part is rarely the wording. It is deciding what you want before you start. If you can say in one sentence what the reader should do or know, the email is nearly written.
The six parts
- Subject line. Name the topic and, if there is one, the deadline. "Invoice 2217: payment date" tells the reader more than "Quick question". If you are stuck, the subject line generator gives you a few to choose from.
- Greeting. "Hi Marta," suits nearly all work email. "Dear Mr Haddad," is for a formal first contact. There is a full list in how to start an email.
- The point. Your request or your news, in the first two sentences. The reader should not have to reach the third paragraph to find out why you wrote.
- The detail. What they need in order to act, and nothing else. If there are three or more items, dates or questions, use a short list.
- The next step. Who does what, and by when. "Could you confirm by Thursday?" or "I'll send the draft on Monday."
- Sign-off and name. "Kind regards" or "Thanks", then your name. The options are in how to end an email.
How formal to be
Formality depends on how well you know the person and what is at stake. It has nothing to do with long words: a formal email is still short and plain.
| Writing to | Greeting | Style |
|---|---|---|
| A colleague you work with every day | Hi Marta, | Short, first names, contractions are fine |
| A client or someone at another company | Hi Marta, or Hello Marta, | Full sentences, no slang, exact dates |
| Someone senior you have not met | Dear Ms Lindqvist, | One line on who you are, then the point |
| An official, or a formal complaint | Dear Mr Haddad, | No contractions, reference numbers, your full name |
If they wrote to you first, copy their level. Someone who signs off "Cheers, Sam" does not need "Dear Mr Whitlock" in return.
Examples
These are short on purpose. The details are made up.
Asking for something
Subject: Venue contract: signature needed by Friday 14th
Hi Marta,
Could you sign the attached venue contract by Friday 14th? The venue releases our date after that.
It is the version we agreed last week, with the start time changed to 9.30.
Thanks,
Owen
The ask and the deadline come first, the reason second. The last line tells her nothing else has changed, so she does not have to reread the whole contract.
An update nobody has to answer
Subject: Website move: on track for Tuesday 3rd
Hi all,
The move to the new site is on track for Tuesday 3rd. The pages are copied across and testing finishes on Friday.
One thing to know: the contact form will be offline for about an hour on Tuesday morning.
No action needed from anyone. I'll confirm once it is live.
Best,
Farah
"No action needed" saves six people from wondering whether they are meant to reply.
Bad news
Subject: Survey report: now due Wednesday 22nd
Dear Ms Lindqvist,
The survey report will reach you on Wednesday 22nd, not this Friday as I promised. Two of the regional responses arrived late and I would rather send you complete figures.
If you need the headline numbers for your meeting on Monday, tell me and I will send those on Friday.
Kind regards,
Callum Reyes
The new date comes first, then one reason, then an offer that solves the problem the delay is most likely to cause her.
Someone senior you have not met
Subject: Apprenticeship scheme: ten minutes of your time
Dear Mr Haddad,
I manage the workshop team at the Leeds site. Nadia Petrov suggested I write to you about the apprenticeship scheme.
We would like to take on two apprentices next year and I have three questions about how your site set it up. Would you have ten minutes for a call in the next fortnight?
Kind regards,
Joel Amadi
Who he is takes one sentence. The name of the person who sent him does more work than any amount of politeness.
If the email you need to write is a refusal, how to say no politely has examples of that.
What to avoid
- Burying the ask. Background first and request last is how school essays work. Email is the other way round.
- Warm-up lines. "I hope this email finds you well" and "I am writing to inform you that" can almost always go.
- Two subjects in one email. The second one gets lost. Send two emails.
- Words you would never say aloud. "Please be advised", "as per", "kindly revert". Say "please note", "as in", "please reply".
- Dates without days. "Next Friday" means different things to different readers. Write "Friday 14th".
- Writing while angry. Draft it, leave it an hour, then cut it by half. If you are answering someone else's temper, see how to reply to an angry email.
- Reply all. Only when everyone needs your answer.
Before you send
- Is the name spelt the way they spell it?
- Is the attachment attached?
- Would the subject line make sense to someone who sees nothing else?
- Can the first sentence go? Often it can.
- If this were forwarded to their manager, would you be comfortable?
Writing one with Hemmingway
If you know what you want to say but not how to put it, the AI email writer turns a few notes into the email. Tell it who the email is to, what you want, and any dates or facts, in rough words. It uses only what you give it and writes one version. Read it, change anything you would not say, check the names and dates, and send it yourself. Nothing is sent for you.
Hemmingway-1, the model behind it, came first of the models we compared in our own blind test of everyday messages and emails, CommunicationBench. It can still be wrong and sound sure, so do not lean on it for legal or money wording. There is a free trial with no card needed.
Try HemmingwayDownload the app
Common questions
What is the format of a professional email?
A subject line that names the topic, a greeting with the person's name, the request or news in the first two sentences, the detail they need, the next step with a date, and a sign-off with your name. Short paragraphs of one to three sentences are easier to read than one block.
How long should a professional email be?
Short enough to read without scrolling, which for most emails means under about 150 words. If it needs more, put the request at the top and the detail below it, or attach a document and use the email to say what you want done with it.
How do you start a professional email?
With a greeting and the person's name, then the reason you are writing. "Hi Marta," fits nearly all work email, and "Dear Ms Lindqvist," fits a formal first contact. Skip lines like "I hope this email finds you well" and open with the point.
How do you end a professional email?
With one line that says what happens next, then a sign-off and your name. "Kind regards" is safe for anyone, and "Thanks" or "Best" is fine for people you know. Use your full name the first time you write to someone.
Is it OK to say "Hi" in a professional email?
Yes. "Hi" followed by the person's first name is normal in nearly all workplaces, including with clients. Use "Dear" and a title for job applications, complaints, officials, and senior people in formal fields such as law.