# How do you adres someone in a formal-ish e-mail?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-adres-someone-in-a-formal-ish-e-mail/670729>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 8, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-adres-someone-in-a-formal-ish-e-mail/670729 "2013-10-08T23:47:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Premislaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f0a364/32.png) [@Premislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Premislaus)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-adres-someone-in-a-formal-ish-e-mail/670729/1 "2013-10-08T23:47:52Z")

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Not a native English speaker, I need to write an e-mail to my (American) university lecturer? Any specific forms that should be used?

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**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-adres-someone-in-a-formal-ish-e-mail/670729/2 "2013-10-08T23:49:33Z")

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Dear Professor [Name]:

Blah blah blah

Sincerely,  
Premislaus

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**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-adres-someone-in-a-formal-ish-e-mail/670729/3 "2013-10-09T01:29:43Z")

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Academics may carry formal titles for life. These include Doctor, Professor, or Dean. Address them using the more eminent title.

Dr. Ted Kaczynski  
Math Department  
University of California System at Berkeley

Dear Dr. Kaczynski,

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-adres-someone-in-a-formal-ish-e-mail/670729/4 "2013-10-09T17:29:40Z")

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The forms above are appropriate for a formal letter to be mailed. In that case I would use a colon as shown by **Inner Stickler**. The colon is used for formal and business writing. The comma is used for a friendly letter.

Dr. is probably OK but if you’re his student, then Professor is better.

However, you said this is an email. Email tends to be more informal, and college professors tend to interact with students informally. I would opt for beginning an email with:

Professor X,

I am wondering…

Thanks, [or Regards, or whatever you like]

Premislaus