How to Address a Letter to Several People
In a letter, the appropriate greeting can put the reader in a good mood. Sometimes, it can even be the difference between continuing onto the body, or dismissing the letter entirely. Yet sometimes salutations can be confusing, especially when you're addressing a letter to more than one person. This is especially relevant in a professional setting, where you may be addressing more than one important or noteworthy person at once. Therefore it is also best to use the proper address format and salutation when beginning a letter.
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Instructions
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The appropriate greeting
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Figure out who to whom you're writing. If you're addressing a letter to a group, you can write your initial greeting to address it as a whole. For example, if you're writing to a school board, you can write, "To the Members of the School Board." Feel free to make it gender-specific if you are writing to a gender specific group. "To the Women of Alpha Alpha Alpha Sorority," would be an acceptable way of addressing a group that you know to consist entirely of women.
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If you're writing to two men, the first step is choosing which gender specific greeting you want to use. You can write the greeting, "Dear Mr. James and Mr. Smith," or you can use the term "Messrs," the plural of "Mr." In use, the greeting would read, "Dear Messrs James and Smith."
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The first step is the same when addressing multiple women. However, the initial salutation changes depending on whether the woman is married or not. Married women are "Mrs." while unmarried women are "Miss." If you are unsure, or uncomfortable with using this married specified greeting, you "Ms." is an option, a marriage neutral greeting. When addressing more than one woman, you can use a combination of these greeting depending on the person's marital status. For example, "Dear Miss. Green and Mrs. Wilson." You may also opt to use "Mesdames," "Mmes," or "Mses," which are all plural forms of "Ms." To use, simply write, "Dear Mmes Jones, Brown and Smith."
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Write both gender-specific titles in the greeting if you're addressing a man and a woman. For example, If you're writing a letter to Mr. Green and Miss Smith, simply write, "Dear Mr. Green and Miss Smith." The same goes for a group of three, like two men and a woman. "Dear Mr. Green, Mr. Black and Mrs. Jones."
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When you've completed the initial greeting, body of the letter and valediction, you'll need to fold the letter and put it in an envelope; that is, if you're not using electronic mail. To properly address the envelope, simply use the same greeting you've used in the salutation of the letter. If you've written "Dear Mr. Green and Miss. Smith," write, "Mr. Green and Miss. Smith," on the envelope, followed by the rest of their address.
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Tips & Warnings
Always write out "and" rather than use the symbol
Be sure to check your spelling and punctuation in the greeting
Always remember that the greeting sets the tone for the rest of the letter, make sure you sound professional and accurate
Always remember that the greeting sets the tone for the rest of the letter, make sure you sound professional and accurate
References
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