Correspondence Vocabulary

Here are twenty words and terms often used in business correspondence.

1 address n. the place to which a letter is to be sent
2 Best regards friendly close to a letter - Kind regards, Best wishes
3 Dear first word of most SALUTATIONS, formal or not [eg: Dear Sir, Dear Mr Won, Dear Jo]
4 Dear Madam formal SALUTATION to an unnamed woman
5 Dear Sir formal SALUTATION to an unnamed man
6 Dear SirsUK SALUTATION when writing to a firm and not to any particular individual in the firm
7 dictate v. to say or read aloud words to be written down - dictation n.
8 enc. abbr. enclosure; enclosed [indicating something that is included with a letter]
9 GentlemenUS SALUTATION when writing to a firm and not to any particular individual in the firm
10 letterhead n. a sheet of letter paper printed with a person or firm's (name and) address
11 Mr Ms Mrs Miss abbr. of title for man, woman (married or not), married woman, unmarried woman
12 p.s. abbr. postscript [used to indicate a note added at the very end of a letter]
13 per pro abbr. through the agency of; p.p. [eg: A per pro B (where B is signing for A)]
14 registered mail n. a secure postal service for important or valuable letters or packages
15 salutation n. opening or first line of a letter, usually commencing with 'Dear...'
16 shorthand n. a system of speed writing, esp. when taking dictation
17 sign v. to write one's name at the end of a document - signature n.
18 Yours faithfullyUK polite close to a letter not naming the recipient as in Dear Sir; Yours trulyUS
19 Yours sincerelyUK polite close to a letter naming the recipient as in Dear Mr Smith; Yours trulyUS
20 Yours trulyUS polite close to a letter; Sincerely yoursUS