Dear Letter Format: 8 Salutation Examples (Colon or Comma)

The dear letter format is “Dear” + personal title + last name + punctuation: a colon in American business letters (“Dear Ms. Lopez:”) and a comma in British and personal letters (“Dear Ms Lopez,”). Below are 8 salutation examples that cover almost every formal letter you will write, plus the rule for when you don’t know the reader’s name.

TL;DR: Use “Dear [Title] [Last Name]:” in a US business letter, “Dear [Title] [Last Name],” in a UK letter or an email, and “Dear [Job Title]:” when you have no name. Put the salutation on its own line, then leave one blank line before the body.

What you’ll take away:

• The 8 salutation examples for formal letters, with the situation each one fits
• The colon vs comma rule, with US and UK examples side by side
• How to handle titles like Dr. and Professor, and letters to two people
• What to write when you have no name, and when “Dear Sir or Madam” still works
• The salutation mistakes readers notice first

What is the correct dear letter format?

A salutation has four parts, always on one line at the left margin:

1. Dear, capitalized
2. The personal title: Mr., Ms., Mrs., Mx., Dr., or Professor
3. The last name, spelled exactly as the recipient writes it
4. The punctuation mark: a colon or a comma

Purdue OWL’s guide to the basic business letter gives the American rule: use the same name as in the inside address, including the personal title, follow it with a colon, and leave one blank line after the salutation. The salutation sits between the inside address and the first paragraph, as shown in our formal letter format guide.

8 dear letter examples for formal letters

#	Situation	Salutation (US business letter)
1	You know the name and the title	Dear Ms. Lopez:
2	The recipient holds a doctorate or is a physician	Dear Dr. Patel:
3	You write to a university professor	Dear Professor Nakamura:
4	You can’t tell which personal title the person uses	Dear Sam Rivera:
5	You write to two named people	Dear Ms. Ortiz and Mr. Kim:
6	You know the role but not the name	Dear Hiring Manager:
7	You write to a committee or team	Dear Selection Committee:
8	You already use first names with the recipient	Dear Priya,

Examples 1 to 7 cover formal and first-contact letters. Example 8 uses a comma because a first-name salutation marks a personal register, even in the US. In British English, all 8 take a comma, and titles usually drop the full stop: “Dear Ms Lopez,”, “Dear Dr Patel,”.

Colon or comma after Dear?

Both are correct. The convention decides, not the writer’s taste.

Convention	Salutation	Typical closing
US business letter	Dear Mr. Chen:	Sincerely,
UK letter, named recipient	Dear Mr Chen,	Yours sincerely,
UK letter, unnamed recipient	Dear Sir or Madam,	Yours faithfully,
Personal letter or email (US and UK)	Dear Mr. Chen,	Best regards,

The UK pairing of “Dear Sir or Madam” with “Yours faithfully”, and of a named salutation with “Yours sincerely”, is the convention the Cambridge Dictionary records. Mixing them (“Dear Mr Chen … Yours faithfully”) reads as a slip to a British reader.

How to write Dear with titles and names

Dr. and Professor. Use “Dr.” for a physician or anyone with a doctorate who uses the title professionally. Use “Professor” for university faculty who hold that rank. Pick one title, never both: “Dear Professor Nakamura:”, not “Dear Prof. Dr. Nakamura:”.

Unknown personal title. When a first name doesn’t tell you how someone is addressed, Purdue OWL suggests the full name without a title: “Dear Sam Rivera:”. Check the person’s email signature or LinkedIn profile first. Many people state their preferred title there.

Ms. vs Mrs. Default to Ms. unless the recipient signs as Mrs. or Miss. Purdue OWL gives the same advice.

Two people. Name both in one line and keep the order of the inside address: “Dear Ms. Ortiz and Mr. Kim:”. For four or more people, address the group: “Dear Selection Committee:”.

What to write when you don’t know the name

Look for the name first: the job posting, the company’s team page, or a quick call to the front desk. A named salutation shows you did that work. If the search comes up empty, address the role or the team:

• Dear Hiring Manager: for a job application
• Dear Admissions Committee: for a university application
• Dear Customer Service Team: for a complaint or inquiry
• Dear Sir or Madam, for a formal British letter to an organization

“To Whom It May Concern” is not wrong, but it is the most distant option. It fits documents without a specific reader, such as a reference letter that will go to several employers. Our guide to To Whom It May Concern and better alternatives covers where it still works and what to use instead.

Dear letter format in emails

The format carries over to email with two changes:

• A comma is the usual choice (“Dear Ms. Lopez,”). In a formal US business email to someone you don’t know, the letter colon (“Dear Ms. Lopez:”) is also correct.
• Leave one blank line after the salutation, as in a letter.

“Dear [Name],” is the standard opener for a first email to someone you don’t know. “Hello [Name],” works in less formal industries. After the recipient replies with a first name, you can match their register. Avoid “Good morning” in international email, because the reader may open it at a different time of day.

Common salutation mistakes to avoid

• Misspelling the name. Copy it from the recipient’s own signature or profile. This is the mistake readers notice first.
• Guessing the gender. Use the full name or the role when the title isn’t clear.
• Mismatched punctuation. A colon after “Dear Ms. Lopez” and then a chatty first line clashes. Keep the register consistent.
• Double titles. “Dear Dr. Jane Smith, PhD:” repeats itself. Write “Dear Dr. Smith:”.
• Wrong closing pair in British letters. “Dear Sir or Madam” takes “Yours faithfully”, a named salutation takes “Yours sincerely”.
• “Hey” in a first contact. Keep it for colleagues who already write to you that way.

How ResuFit handles the salutation in cover letters

When the letter is a job application, the salutation is only the first line of a document that has to match the posting. ResuFit’s AI cover letter generator drafts the full letter from your resume and the job ad. It opens with a greeting that fits the target market and addresses a named person when a name is available. You can generate and preview it for free; the full PDF download comes with Pro. For the envelope and the inside address, see our guide on how to address a cover letter. If you need a letter that isn’t a job application, our comparison of AI letter writers lists general-purpose tools.

Final checklist

Before you send, confirm the 8-point basics:

1. “Dear” is capitalized and on its own line
2. The title matches how the recipient signs
3. The name is spelled exactly right
4. The punctuation fits the convention: colon (US letter) or comma (UK, email)
5. One blank line follows the salutation
6. The closing matches the salutation
7. No “Hey” or emoji in a first contact
8. If there’s no name, the salutation names a role, not “To Whom It May Concern”

Start your next application with the right greeting and a letter written for the job: try ResuFit’s cover letter generator.