The Difference Between Mixed & Open Punctuation

Business letter writers may use standard or open punctuation.

Mixed (also called standard) and open punctuation refer to the use of punctuation marks in the salutation (greeting) and closing of business letters.

Standard Punctuation

Using standard punctuation in business letters, the writer places a colon after the greeting and places a comma after the complimentary closing. For example:

Dear Dr. Ingram:

Sincerely yours,

Open Punctuation

In open punctuation, the writer omits the colon after the salutation and the comma after the closing. For example:

Dear Dr. Ingram

Sincerely yours

This format has come into use in the electronic age with the advent of email, and writers use it because it is faster than the standard format.

When to Use Which

Standard punctuation is the most common and recommended format for punctuating business letters, according to the PunctuationTips website. It is best to use the open punctuation format only in more informal letters, however, as the recipient may think that the writer does not know how to properly place punctuation.

References

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Writing the Basic Business Letter
• PunctuationTips: What is Open Punctuation and When is it Acceptable?

Resources

• North Crawford School District: Business Letter-Modified Block Style/Mixed Punctuation
• North Crawford School District: Business Letter-Block Style/Open Punctuation