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How to Write a Letter With Examples and Tips

Sarah Oakley

Table of Contents

How do you write a letter, how to format a letter in 6 steps, letter format examples, how prowritingaid can help you with writing letters.

Letter writing is still a popular form of communication in a world where we expect instant responses thanks to email and phone calls.

USPS reports they process and deliver an average of 421.4 million mail pieces every day. Millions of those are letters being sent all over the world, not just to the US.

Letter writing is a great way to make your voice heard, make things happen, and show how much you care about something. Writing a letter carries more weight than an email or phone call because it takes more effort, and there are bigger costs involved.

In this article, we’ll talk about how to write a letter to clearly convey your points, and we’ll show you some examples you can use for inspiration.

To write a letter , you need to decide if you’re going to handwrite or type. Handwritten letters show you took the time to express your thoughts on paper. However, typing can save you some time, and you can still hand sign it after it’s printed.

The next part of writing a successful letter is thinking about what you would like your letter to achieve. You could write a love letter, hoping to get a date. It could be a cover letter to accompany your résumé, which needs to secure you an interview. Think about the result you hope to achieve before you plan what you want your letter to say.

You’ll need to decide if your letter will be formal or informal. Depending on the recipient and the reason for the letter, the formality is important, as it can affect how the message is received. If you are writing a personal letter to someone you know, opt for informal. However, if it’s for a job application or for an official, the reader would expect you to use formal letter writing.

Another thing to consider when writing a letter is your tone, which is how your letter sounds to the person reading it. If you’re writing a complaint, you want the reader to know you’re frustrated, but you don’t want to sound rude.

When you’re ready to write your letter, set some time aside for it. Before you write your letter, make a plan for what you’re going to say. Get your writing tools together as well as some envelopes and stamps, then you can start.

A letter is a piece of writing that is easy to identify by the written format. Letters follow a similar format to allow the reader to find and skim the important information.

The formatting details in the next six steps will tell you how to write a letter that gets your point across.

How to Head a Letter

Letterheads start with the sender’s address aligned to the left, right, or in the middle. If you write formal letters, you will need to include this as the receiver may need to respond in writing. For informal letters to those you know, forgo your address if you want to.

If you write lots of letters, consider getting some letterheads printed. Having a stack of paper with your details already printed can save you a lot of time. Alternatively, you can get a custom stamp printed and an ink block.

Which Side Do You Write the Date on a Letter?

Under the sender’s address , you’ll need to add the date you’re writing the letter. Write the date on the same side of the page as your address.

For personal letters where you haven’t included the sender’s address, you still need to add the date. The date gives context to your letter, so you don’t want to leave it out.

If you’re writing a formal letter, write the date out in full with the month first, then the day, then the year. For example, a letter written on 2023-03-15, you would write March 15, 2023. In the US, you need to add a comma between the day and the year.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Where to Include the Recipient’s Address on a Letter

The recipient’s address needs to be aligned to the left-hand side on the line below the date.

When writing a formal letter, start the recipient’s address with their name on one line, followed by their job title on the next line. Then write the company name and address below that.

For personal letters, you don’t need to include your recipient’s address.

How to Write an Introduction in a Letter

The introduction in your letter is the greeting and the first paragraph. Leave a line space under the address and start with the greeting.

There are many possible greetings you could start your introduction with, such as “Dear [recipient’s name].” For a formal letter, write their entire name. Alternatively, you can write “Mr.” or “Ms.” followed by their initials and surname. If it’s an informal letter, just write their first name.

If you don’t know the name of the person you’re writing to, you can use “Dear Sir or Madam.” To get the right address for your letter when writing to a company, you can call and request the name of the person you need to write to.

After the salutation, write your introductory paragraph. Always include the subject in your first sentence, and follow up with your reason for writing. For example, in a complaint letter about a faulty product, you would mention the product and any purchase reference in the first sentence, then explain you would like to complain about the quality of the product.

In a personal or informal letter, still include the subject and reason for writing in your first paragraph. This lets the reader know what to expect in the letter and sets the tone.

What to Write in a Letter

The body of your letter is where you’ll add the main points you want to address. All the points should be in an easy-to-follow order so your reader doesn’t lose the overall message of your letter.

Each paragraph should start with an opening sentence, followed by your evidence or additional information. Then you’ll want to close with a concluding sentence that connects to the next paragraph.

The length of your letter can differ depending on what you are writing about. Don’t write too much to make your letter look longer, as you’ll risk losing the reader’s attention. However, you don’t want to leave anything essential out of your letter, either.

If you’re struggling to order your points or know what to say, try using a template to guide you. Just remember, each letter is unique, so don’t rely on a template to write 100% of your letter. You don’t want your letter to sound generic or copied from the internet.

Ways to Sign a Letter

The last part of letter writing is the signature or sign-off. How you sign your letter will depend on the formality of the letter and if you know the recipient.

For formal letters, use “Yours sincerely” when you know the recipient, and “Yours faithfully” when you don’t. If you are writing to an official, such as a politician you will never meet, you can use “Yours truly.”

Sign-offs are not set in stone, though some people might tell you they are. It’s best to use what feels right for your letter based on the formality and tone you’ve used so far.

In an informal or personal letter, you can sign off with something a lot friendlier. You could use “With all my love” or “Your devoted friend.”

If you are typing your letter, you can handwrite your signature under the sign-off to show you have checked it and are confirming the words above are all your own.

For formal letters, include your full name in capital letters under your signature to be clear about who is signing the letter.

If you’re still not sure about how to write a letter, we have some examples to help you get started.

Here is an example of the indented paragraph format:

123 High Street

London, OH 12345

November 23, 2022

Martin Jones

Marketing Director

Advertising Company

456 West Street

London, OH 23456

Dear Mr. M Jones,

I recently saw your television advertisement for the new beauty salon on 7th Street, and I thought you did a great job. I would like to inquire about your rates for a 30-second advertisement for my beauty salon.

Please send me the costs for filming and producing an advertisement for television. I believe this will benefit my business and bring in new clients.

If there is any further information you require for the quotation, please get in touch with me at the above address.

Yours faithfully,

If you’re using the indented paragraph format, indent the initial line. You should then format subsequent paragraphs with indented first lines. The indented paragraph format is a common format used for both business and personal letters. 

Here is an example of the block letter format:

1 New Street

Manhattan, NY 12345

January 3, 2023

Managing Director

Example Company

123 Old Road

Brooklyn, NY 67891

Dear Mr. J Bloggs,

I’m writing to you today to discuss the price increase in my energy bill dated December 30th, 2022. I don’t recall being notified of this increase.

As you did not notify me of the increase, I did not budget for it. I cannot afford the extra amount and would appreciate it if you revert my charge back to the previous amount.

I look forward to hearing from you.

In this format, align everything to the left, including the addresses and the date. You do not need to indent your first line, but you should leave spaces between paragraphs. You’ll see the block letter format used by businesses as a formal letter format.

Here is an example of a simplified style letter format:

Janet Jones

Retail Company HQ

456 New Acre Drive

Denver, CO 12345

March 30, 2022

Store Manager

Retail Company

Colorado Springs, CO 34567

STOCK LEVELS OF BANANAS AND ORANGES

The stock levels of bananas and oranges in your store are getting low. I would recommend you place an order for these items soon to ensure you continue to provide these to your customers.

Please let me know if you cannot place an order for these products before April 5th, 2022.

I look forward to seeing you again on my next store visit. 

Yours sincerely,

The fundamental difference between this format and the others is that it includes a subject line instead of a greeting.

Once you’ve written your first draft of a letter, you’ll want to edit it to ensure it reads correctly and doesn’t have any grammatical errors. That’s where ProWritingAid can help you.

Start by reading your letter aloud, as this will help you spot any glaring errors. Then you can run it through ProWritingAid to see if there’s anything you’ve missed. The Realtime checker picks up on spelling and grammar errors and passive voice. It also shows places where you can improve readability, which is important for your reader to understand what you’re saying.

You can use the Style and Grammar Reports for a more in-depth analysis of your letter. If you are writing business letters, select the specific document type from the drop-down menu in the Realtime sidebar before you run your reports. This will ensure your results focus on the specific requirements for your letter type.

Even if you’re not typing out your letter, write a first draft and edit it before you write the version you’ll be posting. For tips on editing, you can check out some of the other articles on the ProWritingAid blog.

We hope this article has helped you learn how to write a letter that achieves the results you want.

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How to Write a Letter

Last Updated: March 8, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Tami Claytor . Tami Claytor is an Etiquette Coach, Image Consultant, and the Owner of Always Appropriate Image and Etiquette Consulting in New York, New York. With over 20 years of experience, Tami specializes in teaching etiquette classes to individuals, students, companies, and community organizations. Tami has spent decades studying cultures through her extensive travels across five continents and has created cultural diversity workshops to promote social justice and cross-cultural awareness. She holds a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Clark University. Tami studied at the Ophelia DeVore School of Charm and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned her Image Consultant Certification. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 15,105,503 times.

Knowing how to write a letter is a fundamental skill you'll use in business, school, and personal relationships to communicate information, goodwill, or just affection. Here is a basic guide on how to put your thoughts on paper in the correct format.

Things You Should Know

• Write formal letters for business, semi-formal letters to acquaintances or distant relatives, and casual letters to friends and close family.
• Start informal letters with a friendly greeting. Begin formal letters with your name and address, the date, and the recipient’s name and address.
• Write in clear language so the reader knows what you want to communicate. Sign off with a closing that matches the tone of the letter.

Sample Letters

Writing a Formal Letter

• These letters should be typed, then printed. You can use any text editing software to do this, such as Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, or Text Edit. If the letter is urgent or the recipient prefers email, you can send an email instead.
• When addressing your current boss or coworker, you can be slightly less formal. Email is usually fine, and you don't need an address at the top of the page.

• Write out the full date. 19 September 2014 (British) or September 19, 2014 (American) are both preferable to Sept. 19, 2014 or 19/9/14. [2] X Trustworthy Source Reading Rockets Online resource supported by PBS providing research-based strategies for assisting children to become confident readers Go to source
• Skip the date when writing an email.

• Full title and name
• Company or organization name (if applicable)
• Full address (use two or more lines, as needed)

• If you know the job title but not the person's name, you may write "Dear Health Inspector:" or a similar phrase. It's usually possible to find the name with an online search, so try that first.
• If you don't have a specific contact, write "Dear Sir or Madam:" or "To Whom It May Concern:". These sound a little stiff and old fashioned, so try to avoid it when possible. [5] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source

• If you are writing on official business, keep it short and direct. If you are writing a distant relative or an acquaintance for social reasons, you can be a little more conversational. It's still best to keep it to under a page.

• For typed formal letters, leave about four spaces between the complimentary close and your typed full name. Print the letter, then sign your name in blue or black ink in that blank space.
• In a formal email, type your full name after the complimentary close.
• You may use a courtesy title for yourself when you put your name at the end of a formal letter. For instance, a married woman could sign as "Mrs. Amanda Smith."

• Mr. John Smith
• 123 ABC St.
• New York City, NY 99999

Writing an Informal Letter

• If you're writing to a distant or elderly relative, or a social acquaintance, write a semi-formal letter. If that person has sent you emails before, you may email them as well. If not, a handwritten letter is a safer bet.
• If you're writing a friend or close family member, an email or handwritten letter are both fine.

• If you're writing a semiformal letter, you might use "Dear" or "Hello" as a salutation. Use the first name if that's how you talk to each other, or the courtesy title (Mr or Ms) if not.
• If you're writing an informal letter , you can use "Dear" or "Hello," as well as more informal greetings such as "Hi" or "Hey." Follow it with the first name.

• Know what not to write. A letter written in anger or to solicit pity is probably not a letter you should send. If you've already written such a letter and you're unsure about sending it, let it sit for a few days before you pop it into the mailbox — you might change your mind.

• A very old-fashioned close fits into the last sentence. This was originally a formal style, but you can have fun with it when writing a light-hearted letter to a friend. For example, the last paragraph of your letter could read "I remain, as ever, your devoted servant," and then your name.
• If you want to add something after the letter's written, use P.S, which means Postscript ("after the writing").

Expert Q&A

• Try to keep the letter focused on what would interest the recipient. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• "Dear" and other salutations are usually followed by a comma, but a formal letter can use a colon instead. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Be as reasonable and polite as possible when you're writing a complaint letter — if you do, you're a lot more likely to get a favorable response. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• If you want the reader to write back, treat it like a slow conversation and put in some questions for them to answer!

• Drawing or doodling on envelopes might interfere with delivery. If you do want to decorate your envelope or add stickers, do so on the back. Thanks Helpful 12 Not Helpful 1

Quick Letter Slideshow

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You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/business-communication/how-to-write-a-formal-business-letter/1/
• ↑ https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/writing/articles/introduction-letter-writing
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2021/07/the-science-of-strong-business-writing
• ↑ https://site.uit.no/english/writing-style/letters/
• ↑ https://www.apa.org/advocacy/guide/letter-email
• ↑ https://wmich.edu/writing/rules/addresses
• ↑ https://wmich.edu/writing/rules/addresses++
• ↑ https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-messages-letters-lists/
• ↑ https://nmu.edu/writingcenter/parts-business-letter

About This Article

To write a formal letter, start by putting your address and the date at the top left-hand side of the page, followed by the recipient's name and address. Then, open your letter with a formal salutation, like "Dear Dr. Brown" or "To Whom It May Concern." When you write the body of your letter, try to avoid using contractions, like "aren't" or "wasn't," since they can make your letter seem informal. Also, keep the body of your letter short and direct so it isn't longer than a page. When you're finished, end with a complimentary close, like "Sincerely" or "Best wishes." To learn how to write a casual, informal letter, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Our grandparents and great-grandparents wrote letters all the time: to their friends and families, to the bank manager, to express condolences, to complain, to invite someone to visit, to accept an invitation and to thank people for hospitality or gifts.

Nowadays, we don’t need to write letters very often and it’s become a dying art. Emails, Facebook, Twitter and instant messaging mean that we can stay in touch all the time. There are still, however, times when writing a letter is appropriate, and it’s good to know when, and how to write one.

This page explains different types of letters, from informal to formal, and how to write each one. On this page, we are talking about writing letters that will be sent by post - snail mail - not by email. Most of the letters described on this page should never be sent by email. The only exception is for a job application, where you should attach a formal letter to a covering email.

The General Structure of a Letter

A formal letter has a standard structure, which is:

If you are writing an informal letter , you may omit the recipient’s name and address, and you may also sign it off more informally: ‘ With love ’, or ‘ With best wishes ’, rather than ‘Yours sincerely’, and sign with just your first name, omitting your surname and title.

Forms for signing off a letter vary depending on how you addressed it. The rule is that if you addressed it ‘ Dear Sir ’, then you sign off ‘Yours faithfully’, and if you addressed the person by name, then you sign off ‘Yours sincerely’.

What if you don’t know the name of the person to whom you are writing?

This might arise, for example, if you want to send a letter or a complaint to a company, and you have been told to “ just send it to the Customer Service Department ”.

Your options are:

Start the letter with ‘ To Whom it may Concern ’. This does not feel very personal, but it fits with what you’ve been told to do.

Address the letter to ‘Head of Customer Service’ at the company address, then use ‘ Dear Sir ’. ‘ Dear Sir ’ is technically the correct form when you do not know the name of the person, but many people prefer ‘ Dear Sir or Madam ’.

Google the name of the person who heads that department, and use their name. If you are writing to a big company, this information should be publicly available, and there is no excuse for not finding and using it. If the company conceals the name of the person responsible for customer service, then it seems entirely reasonable to send your complaint direct to the CEO.

Why does this matter? Because letters that are personally addressed are likely to get through quicker, and also get more personal attention.

The only exception is if you are writing to the editor of a newspaper , in which case you always write ‘Dear Sir’. The form to use on the envelope is ‘The Editor’, then the name and address of the newspaper.

A word of warning about unusual titles

The titles ‘Sir’ and ‘Dame’ go with the first name. You therefore address letters to knights and dames ‘Dear Sir John/Dame Nellie’ and not ‘Dear Sir Smith/Dame Melba’.

Peers, however, are addressed by title and surname: ‘Dear Lord Jenkins’.

If in doubt, check the website, or phone the office of the person to whom you are writing, and ask how they should be addressed.

As a general rule, you should type and print business letters, and hand-write personal ones. If you hand-write, use blue or black ink.

If you believe you can send an email instead of a letter, then don’t use the full formal structure. Just start your email ‘Dear Mr [Name]’, followed by the text you wish to send, then ‘Yours sincerely, [your full name]’.

Particular Types of Letter: Special Cases

Formal invitations.

Wedding invitations, or invitations to very formal events such as a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace or the White House, are written in the third person:

RSVP stands for ‘Respondez, s’il vous plait’, which is French for ‘Please reply’. It is outrageously rude not to do so, even if you are not able to attend. The correct way to reply is with a handwritten letter, in the same third person form:

Ms Delilah Green thanks Mr and Mrs John Smith for their kind invitation to the wedding of their daughter Maria to Mr George Jones on Saturday 25th July at 12 noon, at Jacoby House, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. She will be delighted to attend. Ms Green will be accompanied by Mr James White.

Copy the form of the invitation, so that your hosts know that you have correctly understood where you are to be and when. If your invitation says ‘+ guest’, it is helpful to your hosts if you end your reply by telling them the name of your guest, so that they can include it on the table plan if they wish.

If you can’t attend, you should say something like:

‘ She regrets that she will be unable to attend as she has a prior engagement ’.

Thanking Someone for their Hospitality or for a Gift

It doesn’t really matter whether you and your friends ‘go in’ for formal thank you's. Nobody has ever been known to be offended by a letter thanking them for hosting you for the weekend, or at a wedding, or for a gift.

Plenty of people are offended by the lack of a formal thank you and it may affect your chances of receiving further invitations. Just send one, even if it’s only a card. And don’t email or text either it’s not the same and your host may be offended.

Never type a personal thank you letter. It has to be hand-written, however appalling your hand-writing. Conventionally, thanks for hospitality were always addressed to the hostess. However, nowadays the host is likely to have taken as great a part in the organisation, so many people prefer to write to both.

The form of the letter is:

If you do not know the people well , and have written to ‘Mr and Mrs [name]’, as may well be the case for a friend’s wedding, you should end ‘Yours sincerely, [your full name]’, or, if you wish be less formal, with something like ‘With renewed thanks and best wishes, [your name]’.

However, if you are writing to a close friend, you can sign off as you wish: ‘With much love’, or ‘Love to all of you’, for example, followed by just your first name.

You do not need to reply to a letter expressing thanks.

Thanking Someone at Work

You may, on occasion, need to thank people for something at work.

For example, if you have organised a conference or seminar, you should always write to thank the speakers for giving up their time. If you have spent some time shadowing someone, it would be a nice gesture to write to thank them for their time rather than just sending an email.

On such occasions, a typed letter is perfectly acceptable, although you should always sign it by hand. If you are fairly junior in the organisation, it is conventional to get the letter signed by the senior person responsible for the conference: the director, or CEO if necessary.

Why do you send a postal letter? It shows that you’re prepared to spend time and money thanking someone, so it’s much more of a gesture than an email.

The way in which you address the person depends on whether you have addressed them formally or informally when you have previously got in touch, and when you met them on the day. If you have addressed them by first name, you should do the same.

The form of such letters is:

A covering letter for a job application is a special case which is covered on our page Writing a Covering Letter .

A Letter Writing Rule of Thumb

If you are in doubt about whether you need to write a letter to thank someone, or to reply for an invitation, then there are two things to ask:

• Do I need to send some kind of message? If the answer is yes, for example, to an invitation, then you need to decide between a letter or email.
• Will the (non-)recipient be offended if I don’t send a letter?

Remember that nobody was ever offended by a polite thank-you letter. Plenty of people have cut off all contact with former friends because of the lack of a thank-you letter following hospitality.

You may think that’s stupid, but so is not taking the time to send a short note!

Continue to: How to Write a Covering Letter Common Mistakes in Writing

See also: The Art of Tact and Diplomacy Formal and Informal Writing Writing Effective Emails

How to Write Letters in English ✉ (formal & informal)

So you want to write letters in English. These simple guide will help you to write a well organized letters in English. Writing letters in English, both formal and informal, is an essential skill. Here’s a guide on how to write them:

How to Write Formal Letters:

1. Address and Date:

• Start with your address at the top right or use letterhead. Skip a line and add the date.

2. Recipient’s Address:

• Skip another line and add the recipient’s name, address, and job title, if applicable.

3. Salutation:

• Begin with a formal salutation, like “Dear Mr. Smith” or “Dear Sir/Madam.”

4. Opening Paragraph:

• State the purpose of your letter in a clear and concise manner. For example, “I am writing to inquire about…”

5. Body of the Letter:

• Explain your reason for writing in detail. Use separate paragraphs for different points.

6. Closing Paragraph:

• Summarize your main points and suggest possible actions. Express gratitude when necessary.

7. Closing Salutation:

• Use a formal closing, such as “Sincerely” or “Yours faithfully.”

8. Signature:

• Sign your name in the space between the closing and your typed name.

9. Enclosures:

• If you’re including any documents, mention them at the end of the letter.

10. Postscript (optional):

• Add any extra information here.

How to Write Informal Letters:

• Begin with your address in the top right, or simply start with the date.

2. Greeting:

• Use a casual greeting like “Hi” or “Hello,” followed by the recipient’s first name.

3. Introduction:

• Begin with a friendly opening, for example, “I hope this letter finds you well.”

4. Body of the Letter:

• Share your news, thoughts, or stories. Be conversational and informal in tone.

5. Closing:

• End the letter with a personal closing, such as “Take care” or “Best wishes.”

6. Signature:

• Sign your name by hand.

7. Postscript (optional):

• Add any additional thoughts or comments here.

Key Tips for Both:

• Be clear and concise.
• Use paragraphs to separate different ideas.
• Be polite and respectful in your tone.
• Adjust your language to the relationship between you and the recipient.
• Proofread your letter for errors before sending it.

Sample – Letter to a Relative

“Dear Aunt Mary,

How are you? I haven’t seen you for a few months, so I thought I should write you a letter and say “Hi!”

I have been pretty good lately. I will finish elementary school soon, and I can’t wait to go to junior high! Last week, I got a perfect score on my biology test, so my parents took my out to eat ice cream and watch a movie!

Summer will be here soon, and I am very excited for summer vacation. I hope to join a baseball team. I want to be a pitcher, but I know that I need to practice because right now I am not good enough. Maybe you can come watch me play sometime! That would be great!

Well, that’s all for now. I hope to see you soon. I will have a birthday party in July. I hope you can come! And I hope you are well. If you have time, please write me back!

Your nephew, Brian”

Sample – Formal Letter

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Home » How to write » 10 Tips for Effective Letter Writing

10 Tips for Effective Letter Writing

Effective letter writing is an important skill that can improve how you communicate personally and professionally. Whether you are writing a formal business letter, a heartfelt message, or any kind of letter, these 10 tips will help you write better letters.

• Understand Your Goal: Start by knowing why you are writing the letter and what you want to achieve. Being clear about your goal is important.
• Know Your Reader: Adjust your language, tone, and what you say to match the person you’re writing to. Consider their background and your relationship with them.
• Use a Polite Greeting: Begin with a kind and polite greeting, like saying “Dear” followed by the person’s name.
• Organize Your Ideas: Put your ideas in order, so they make sense. Use paragraphs to separate different parts of your letter.
• Stay on Topic: Stick to the main idea and avoid talking about things that aren’t related to your letter.
• Choose the Right Words: Be careful with the words you use. Use clear and simple language, and don’t use words that might confuse the reader.
• Give Examples: When you are trying to explain something, give examples or stories to help the reader understand better.
• Check for Mistakes: Look for mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A letter with no mistakes shows that you pay attention to detail.
• Maintain a Polished Tone: Make sure your letter has the right tone, whether it’s formal or more casual. Think about how your words might make the reader feel.
• Conclude with Clarity: Summarize the main points, say goodbye politely, and tell the reader what they should do next or how to contact you. A strong ending makes a good impression.

By lettersdadmin

Related post, how to write explanation letter to the principal – sample explanation letter to the principal, how to write informal letters: a step-by-step guide, how to write formal letters: a step-by-step guide, sales letter, business order letter, request email for sick leave – how to write an sick leave email, follow-up email for pending leave approval – how to write an email for leave submitted and pending approval | sample email, privacy overview.

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How to write better: a quick-start guide for anyone and everyone

Anne Ichikawa

Just about everyone knows how to write — but writing well is something different. Great writers are formed through hard work and a passion for learning. But just like you, they all started from the beginning.

Problem is, a lot of “start writing well’ articles focus on the result. But good writing begins before you tippity-tap on that keyboard. Studying everyday practices, learning how to organize your thoughts, and then turning those ideas into effective writing should be your priority.

Whether you’re a blogger , an SEO writer, a marketer, or want to be the next Stephen King, these universal writing tips give you lots of ways to write better.

15 writing tips to help you write better

1. think before you start writing.

One of the best writing tips for beginners is organizing your thoughts in a logical, explainable manner before putting pen on paper. The biggest hurdle is often not knowing how to begin or what to say—everything is a jumble of ideas that probably look like a bunch of paint thrown against a wall (and not in an artistic way). It can be very frustrating.

Note: THIS IS NORMAL. Don’t get discouraged. There’s a reason the phrase “writer’s block” exists. Let yourself think about it for a day or two, especially if you’re doing creative writing. You’ll be surprised at how that paint blob slowly transforms into a recognizable shape.

2. Embrace the writing “brain dump”

In business writing , the “brain dump” signals the beginning of every new project or assignment. It’s the opportunity to get whatever is in your head out on digital paper in a stream of consciousness.

Avoid correcting misspellings, typos, sentence structure, or grammar—just type, type, type until your brain excavates all musings. You can use this creative writing skill for all kinds of work, from personal blogging and copywriting to essays and work emails.

Remember that at this phase of writing: bad ideas don’t exist. Your best creative ideas will come when you’re not held back by perfectionism.

3. Make an outline

Now that you have all your wonderful, messy thoughts on paper, it’s time to get more granular and organized. Some tips on how to edit your brain dump: do a first pass and delete the parts that are definite “nos.” Then go through again and highlight the ideas you like best. Revisit the “maybes” later.

Now, take your favorites and as briefly or as detailed as you like, make an outline that conveys your message. Start top-level with your biggest, overarching ideas, and then get into the details. Fill in missing parts, elaborate on other parts—rinse and repeat until satisfied.

4. Know your audience

This is a straightforward writing tip for beginners, but a lot of people forget it. For example, your voice and elements of style for personal blogging will be much more informal than business writing (i.e writing a proposal for a new client). Being mindful of your audience is key to improving writing skills and creating more impactful work.

5. Keep a journal

Being a better writer means writing more! Keeping a journal should be a very low-pressure thing. It can be as simple as writing a list of things you did that day, playing around with word choice for a LinkedIn headline, or recounting a conversation you had with a friend.

If you don’t want to keep a physical journal, you can start a note on your phone or a document on your computer. The point is—there are no journaling rules. Just start writing whenever you feel like it, because the more you do it, the more naturally it will come to you.

6. Pen a letter instead of texting

Great writers write letters for fun and for practice. Pen a letter (or an email) to a friend who lives in another city. A hundred years ago, people wrote long letters detailing everything from the mundane to faraway travel. Why not now? It’s the perfect way to get your creative writing juices flowing, rather than relying on boring texts.

Remember to check spelling, comma use, sentence structure, typos, etc. Your friends deserve good writing too. Spell-check is a nice starting point, but writing well happens when you use a reputable grammar or punctuation checker tool like  Writer  to support you.

7. Read more to do better writing

One of the best, passive ways of becoming a better writer is to read a book (Stephen King’s work makes for great binge reading). Not into books? Long-form business writing, graphic novels, or short stories do the trick as well.

Reading every day puts you in the fast lane for improving your writing skills. As  Roz Morris , the author of the bestseller book,  Nail Your Novel , puts it: “Reading exposes us to writing that’s better than our own and helps us to improve. Reading—the good and the bad—inspires you.”

By reading more, your brain will naturally pick up on things like good word choice, different writing styles, and good sentence structures. It also improves your reading comprehension and concentration levels (which comes in handy for the procrastinators among us, including me).

8. Keep your writing simple

As the legendary American novelist, Jack Kerouac, once said, “One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”

One big misconception about writing is that it should be full of beautiful prose and impressive words. Wrong! Sure, I can use the word 'floccinaucinihilipilification,' but most people will just think my cat walked across my keyboard. Click To Tweet

No matter who they are, you should empower readers with your words. Complex writing can leave readers feeling insecure, weary, or both. To simplify your writing:

• Replace adverbs with more powerful verbs (e.g. she talked quietly > she whispered)
• Get rid of unnecessary adjectives
• Opt for simple word choice
• Delete fluff (e.g. instead of saying “in order to”, say “to”)

Go ahead and make use of a thesaurus, but don’t try to be a Shakespeare or even an Ernest Hemingway—just keep it simple and true to yourself.

9. Tone up your tone in writing

Getting tone right is key to being a good writer. It’s the personality of your writing, influenced by the type of writing you’re doing and who you’re talking to.

Just like we said in “Know Your Audience,” business writing like an email might sound conservative, while a personal social media post can be friendly and casual. Your tone can and should change depending on your needs. An extreme example: don’t start a cover letter with: “Hey, dude! Wassup?”

10. Prioritize your key points

If you want to learn how to write good, sentence structure and word placement is everything. If you have a question to ask, don’t put it in the middle of a paragraph, because it could get skipped over. Similarly, if you have an important piece of information to share, make it into its own paragraph or strategically place it in the introduction or conclusion—the sections readers tend to pay attention to the most.

11. Break up your writing into bite-size bits

Long sentences that are full of fluff are boring to read! Like staring directly at the sun—you just have to look away. Instead of creating a heavy block of text, break down large sections of information into concise, punchy sentences. Bullet points in particular are an amazing tool. They help you:

• Communicate information effectively and quickly
• Emphasize important points that are more easily remembered
• Provide easily digestible information to the reader

(See? They come in handy) AI writing software  like Writer can help you be a better writer by identifying paragraphs that are hard to read.

12. Use active voice

Once you’re comfortable with sentence structure, punctuation and comma use, and word choice, it’s time to look at elements of style. One core element is passive voice vs. active voice.

An active voice is key for effective writing. It makes for a much more engaging read, conveying a strong and clear tone. Whereas passive voice pulls you away from the action, which can create an apathetic experience.

Here’s an example:

• Active voice: The thief stole one million dollars (subject + verb + object).
• Passive voice: One million dollars was stolen by the thief (object + past participle + subject).

See how in the first sentence, the subject performs the action? This eliminates extra processing time by getting to the point faster, unlike the passive voice example which puts the subject at the end of the sentence.

13. Edit (then edit again)

Now that you’ve overcome writer’s block and have the first draft, it’s time to move on to the editing process. Chances are, you’re not a professional editor, but that doesn’t matter—you can do a great job on your own. First, don’t edit immediately after writing. You want fresh eyes on that baby. Revisit it the next day and it will be easier to look for:

• unnecessary words (like adverbs and adjectives)
• long sentences that can be shortened
• passive voice use

At this phase, don’t worry about grammatical errors. Right now, you’re editing for clarity of your ideas and thoughts.

14. Proof your writing

Proofreading  is where you check spelling, punctuation (i.e. comma use), run-on sentences, typos … you get the picture. Spell-check is a good starting point, a reputable grammar checker tool like Writer gives you advanced support.

Whenever possible, ask a real human to read your writing. They’ll likely be able to point out any writing mistakes  and even offer suggestions. Over time, the lessons you learn from using these tools will help you become a great writer.

15. Reflect on your main point

We’ve made it to the very end. You’ve taken your idea and found many words to make into numerous sentences that communicate your intended message… or did you?

The last step is to always take an objective look at your writing. Pretend you’re a total stranger. Now ask yourself—does the narration make logical sense? Can you read it once and understand its message? Even better, can you sum it up in a few sentences? If so, you’ve written something you can feel good about.

8 exercises to improve writing skills

Here are fun activities you can do every day to become a better writer.

1. Write every day

This is the best writing tip for beginners. Write like it’s your job. Practicing every day is key to learning how to write good. It helps you stretch those writing muscles and learn from doing. Keeping a journal with you at all times also means you can write whenever inspiration strikes, like when you’re walking your fave four-legged friend.

Write every day, and you’ll turn it into a habit. That doesn’t mean you have to write ten thousand words every day, as the author of the children’s novel,  See You in the Cosmos , Jack Cheng says:

“When mastery is the goal, spending an exorbitant number of hours in one sitting will likely lead to burnout. We don’t go to the gym expecting to put on 20 pounds of muscle in a single, day-long workout. Instead, we do several short workouts a week, spread out over months.”

2. Turn long paragraphs into bullet points

Want to learn how to write better sentences? Sentences that are easy to read and get to the point right away? Practice the art of brevity by chopping up hard-to-read paragraphs into succinct bullets.

This is especially useful for business writing because your readers are likely short on time. They want you to get to the point fast! And they want easy to digest information.

There is a place for long sentences in your work though, especially when it comes to creative writing. Writology has a great guide on this full of ace writing tips for beginners.

3. Change passive voice into active voice

A little recap on passive and active voice: Active voice is when the sentence starts with the subject acting on the verb. Passive voice is when the subject is a recipient of the verb’s action. Active voice is more engaging because it takes less processing time from the reader, and also gives the impression that the action is happening now, not in the past.

Use an AI writing platform like Writer  to spot unengaging instances of passive voice and transform them into the active voice. This will help you draw readers in and make your writing easier to read.

4. Use grammar checker tools like Writer

Use a grammar checker like Writer helps you spot mistakes you may have missed. Mistakes such as misused commas, spelling errors, typos, incorrect use of words (we’re looking at you, thesaurus lovers), etc. Writer is also ideal for business writing. You can submit your company style guide and the app will measure your written work against it to ensure consistent and on-brand content.

5. Proof your friend’s or colleague’s writing

One effective way to improve writing skills:  Proofreading  other people’s content. You can pick up on  common grammar mistakes , different sentence structures, new words, word placement – everything that you might not learn from your own writing. It’s about getting a fresh perspective on all the different ways language is used.

Bonus: you get all the good feelings for helping someone out. And they might even return the favor one day!

6. Write fanfiction

Improve your creative writing skills by writing about stories and characters you love. Why? The more passionate you are about what you’re writing, the more fun and engaging it will be to read. Because you’ll naturally inject your love of the subject into your work. Plus, you can ensure your favorite novels or short stories live on through that amazing imagination of yours! It’s also a great place to start if your idea bank is running on empty, giving you the inspiration and direction needed to write freely.

7. Read out loud

Sometimes you can’t tell if a word or phrase doesn’t work until you read it out loud. Same with spotting mistakes. This is especially true if you’ve read your work over a hundred times (hello fellow perfectionists). Your brain will find it more and more difficult to spot mistakes – reading out loud can fix this!

When you read out loud, it requires you to slow down and focus on every single word that you’re saying, so that it can make its way from your brain to your mouth. When we proofread inwardly, we tend to rush through things and don’t actually read the text properly.

That’s because our brain already has a version of the content embedded and it wants to concentrate on the meaning rather than the words. As psychologist Tom Stafford, who studies typos at the University of Sheffield in the UK, says : “We don’t catch every detail, we’re not like computers or NSA databases Rather, we take in sensory information and combine it with what we expect, and we extract meaning.”

8. Read books on how to write better

These books on how to write better are simple, easy to read, and full of valuable info.

• Everybody Writes by Ann Handley – for business writing, marketing, and blogging
• On Writing  by Stephen King – for writing novels and improving your creative writing skills
• Write Tight  by William Brohaugh – for business and creative writing, with lots of writing tips for beginners
• The Sense of Style  by Steven Pinker – for writing novels, letters and understanding the sciences of mind when it comes to language
• You Are a Writer  by Jeff Goins – for business writers with great writing tips for beginners
• Nail Your Novel  by Roz Morris – for budding novelists who want to polish their first draft or write a book

That’s your next vacation reading list sorted!

Now you can write better

It’s time to unleash your amazing writing skills and creativity! Got a friend who also wants to learn how to write well? Share the tips you’ve learned today. By teaching them, you’ll embed them further into your wonderful brain.

Write with clarity and confidence when using Writer.  Sign up for your free trial .

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Writing Letters in English: Useful Phrases and Tips

Dear readers,

We’re writing this letter to inform you that writing letters is an important life skill .

Do you know how to write a letter in English?

Even today, in the age of online communication , letter writing is an important skill to learn. Knowing how to write a letter in English can help you get a job , form stronger relationships and much more.

So let’s learn how to write letters in English!

Sincerely yours, FluentU

Most Letters Follow the Same Structure

Letter headings: what to include, writing letters in english: 5 essential letters you need to know, 1. cover letter, cover letter outline, commonly-used phrases, sample cover letters, 2. letter of resignation, resignation letter outline, sample letters, 3. follow-up letter, follow-up letter outline, 4. thank you letter, thank you letter outline, 5. letter of complaint, letter of complaint outline, how to address an envelope in the united states, how to address an envelope in the united kingdom, and one more thing....

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At the most basic level, all letters are the same. Here are some parts you’ll find in nearly all letters:

• The date.   Emails take care of this for you , so you don’t need to worry about it online. But if you’re writing a letter by hand or typing a letter to print, make sure to include the date near the top of the page.
• A greeting.  Whether it’s “Hello” or “Dear,” this is where you state who you’re writing to.
• Your purpose for writing.  This is a concise (short and clear) explanation of why you’re writing.
• All the facts.  Then, you include everything the recipient needs to know about why you’re writing.
• Your signature.  This is where you “sign off” with “Sincerely” or “Yours truly,” and then sign your name.

The points above are all you need to write a good professional letter about almost any topic. Say hello, state why you’re writing, then sign your name . Simple, right?

This is just the basic foundation (building blocks) of a letter, though. So we will help you with the details below.

But before you learn what to put in the letter, you should learn what to include in a letter heading.

Many letters have a heading—a part that comes before the actual letter. The heading is a way to include all the relevant information about the sender (that’s you) and the recipient (the person getting the letter).

For professional letters like cover letters, letters of complaint and follow-up letters, use the following heading:

Your Name Street Address City, State Zip Code Phone Number Date

Recipient’s Name Recipient’s Job Title Name of Organization Street Address City, State Zip Code

For more casual and informal letters like thank you notes, it’s enough to include the date and your name, or often just the date.

You’ve filled out an appropriate heading. Now it’s time to write the actual letters.

Ready, set, write!

A cover letter is written when you apply for a job. You usually send a cover letter with your resume when applying for a position.

A cover letter is a chance to tell your potential employer why you’re the best person for the job. Many job listings have a list of desired qualifications and experience. Use these as a guide for what you should talk about in the letter.

Cover letters should be positive and personalized, which means they should be different for each place you apply to.

[Professional heading]

– If you know your recipient’s name, use “Dear Mr./Mrs. [Recipient’s name].”

– If you don’t, you can use “To Whom It May Concern.”

First Paragraph

– State your name and the position you are applying for.

– If relevant, you can mention how you learned about the job opening.

Second paragraph

– Explain how your experience, skills and personality traits are a good fit for the job.

– Name specifics, but don’t repeat your resume.

Third paragraph

– Thank the reader for their time.

– State a phone number or email where you can be reached .

[Your signature] — “Signature” means you should sign your name in pen after you print the letter.

[Your first and last name] — This is typed.

• I learned about this opportunity from…
• As you can see from my resume…
• My [specific skill] makes me an excellent candidate for this position.
• It would be my pleasure to arrange a meeting with you at your earliest convenience.
• Thank you for your consideration.

Monster, a career and resume website, has a few sample cover letters for different careers here . Live Career lets you customize your own cover letter from a template , though we recommend you just use these as starting points for writing your own!

A letter of resignation is a letter that officially announces the end of your employment at a job. Many jobs require that employees submit a letter of resignation at least two weeks before the date they plan to leave the job.

Letters of resignation are very short. How much information you include depends on you and your company’s policy. The only bit of information you absolutely have to include is the date you plan to end your job.

Remember to be positive! Don’t include any complaints, especially personal ones, no matter the reason for your departure. As we say in English, you don’t want to “burn bridges.” That is, you want to keep a positive relationship with your company in case you ever need to collaborate in the future.

Dear Mr. / Mrs. [Recipient’s name]

First paragraph

– State the position you are resigning from, including the department (if it’s relevant).

– State the date you will end your job.

Second paragraph (optional)

– State your reason for leaving.

– Include a positive statement about working at the company.

– Offer to help prepare or train a replacement to make the change easier.

– Thank the company for the experience.

Sincerely/Respectfully yours,

[Your signature]

[Your first and last name]

• I am writing to inform you of my resignation from [job title], effective [date of termination].
• My experience with [company name] has been valuable.
• I will be happy to assist in training my replacement in my remaining time with the company.
• Thank you for the opportunities and experiences you’ve offered me.

The Muse has a good template to use. Most letters of resignation look similar, so this is one case where it’s okay to follow the template exactly.

A follow-up letter is a letter you send after you’ve already made contact with someone. Follow-up letters are usually sent for one of two reasons:

• To check in on someone. This letter is sent about a week after your last contact, if you are expecting something (like information, or whether you got a job).
• To thank someone following a meeting. After you meet someone for business or an interview, it’s polite to send an email thanking them for their time and reminding them of anything you agreed on during the meeting.

Follow-up letters are polite and to the point. They are usually short—no more than a paragraph.

Dear Mr. / Mrs. [Recipient’s full/last name],

First paragraph, when thanking someone after a meeting

– Remind the person when you last met or spoke.

– Thank the person for meeting with you.

– Mention any important points you discussed or agreements you reached.

– Wish the person a good week, or express a desire to meet again.

First paragraph, when checking in on someone

– State what information you are waiting for.

– Thank the person for their time.

Sincerely, / Yours truly, / Awaiting your reply,

[Your full name]

• Thank you for taking the time to meet with me on [date].
• It was a pleasure speaking with you about…
• I’m writing to confirm…
• I’d appreciate a response regarding…
• I look forward to hearing from you / meeting with you again.

The Muse has a great sample letter template you can use to follow up on a job application. The website About has a number of follow-up samples for different occasions (including how to follow up after a rejection!) on the bottom of this page .

Thank you letters are sent to people as a formal way of thanking them for something. You can use a letter to thank someone for…

• Sending you a gift
• Attending an event you hosted
• Letting you attend an event
• Helping you with something

A thank you note is a more meaningful way to say thank you to someone, especially if it’s handwritten. It means you took the time to write it, and shows your appreciation.

Dear [Recipient’s first name],

– Mention your reason for sending a thank you note.

– Thank the person!

– Include a personal remark or a specific comment about the reason for the thank you.

Yours truly, / Sincerely,

• Thank you so much for…
• I was thrilled to receive your gift!
• I am touched by your generous gift.
• I really appreciate your [gift / assistance].
• You have my heartfelt thanks.
• It was very kind of you to…

Write Express has a number of examples of informal thank you notes . You could also look at Thank You Note Samples , a website that has a huge collection of thank you letters for every occasion.

A letter of complaint is exactly what it sounds like: It’s a letter to bring something negative to the attention of the recipient. This letter can be difficult to write because it’s not always easy to say something negative without being offensive or rude.

Remember: Just because it’s a letter of complaint, doesn’t mean it’s an attack! A good way to avoid being unnecessarily rude is to state the facts without adding personal statements.

If you have any documents related to the issue (like receipts or transcripts), make sure to include a copy with your letter.

– If you know your recipient’s name, use “Dear Mr./Mrs. [Recipient’s full/last name].”

– State the product or service you have an issue with.

– Describe the problem you had, including dates, names, product numbers and other specifics.

– If you’ve taken any steps towards resolving the issue already, mention them here.

– Explain how you would like the problem to be resolved.

– If you paid money for something that didn’t work, request to be reimbursed (paid back).

– Include a phone number or email address where you can be reached.

– Thank the recipient for taking the time to read and respond.

Sincerely / Respectfully yours,

[Your name]

[Account number or reference number, if applicable]

• I am writing to report an issue I experienced with…
• I’d like to bring an error to your attention.
• I am dissatisfied with…
• I would like to be compensated for my troubles in the form of [reasonable compensation request].
• I look forward to resolving this issue together.
• I can be reached at [your phone number] to discuss the matter further.

You can find an excellent complaint letter template at the Georgia Department of Law website . The Federal Trade Commission website has their own template as well .

Now that your letter is ready, it’s time to send it.

How do you make sure your letters don’t get lost on the way? By writing the address correctly on the envelope! Different countries have their own ways of doing this.

The address on an envelope being sent in the  United States looks like this:

Jane Smith 1234 Washington St. Apt. 14A Chicago, IL 60290

Some things you need to know about envelopes mailed in the United States:

• The top line has the first and last name of the recipient (in that order).
• On the second line, the house or building number goes first, followed by the street name.
• Apartment numbers or PO boxes are listed last. You can put them on their own line beneath the address, or abbreviate “Apartment” as “Apt.”
• The third line is the city followed by a comma, then the abbreviation of the state, then the zip code (no comma).
• The zip code is a five-digit number, sometimes followed by a dash and four more numbers.

When you’re in the United States, the return address (that’s your address, where the letter is coming from) goes on the top left corner of the front of the envelope, and the recipient’s address is right in the middle of the envelope.

Image source: https://ideas.hallmark.com/articles/card-ideas/how-to-address-an-envelope/

In the United Kingdom , addressed envelopes look a bit different. Here’s an example of a UK-addressed letter, taken from the British Royal Mail website :

Miss S Pollard 1 Chapel Hill Heswall BOURNEMOUTH BH1 1AA

UK envelopes use these rules:

• The top line lists the first and last name of the recipient, or the last name and first initial.
• The second line has the house or building number followed by the name of the street.
• The third line lists the local area or village name—that is, the part of the town or city where the recipient is located.  
• The fourth line names the town in all capital letters. Note that on this line you may see the county named (e.g., Hertfordshire) in capital letters, although this is optional and not a requirement. 
• Finally, the fifth line has the UK postal code (postcode), in all capital letters as well.

If you don’t know the full UK address, for example you may know the house number, street name and town but not the postcode, then you can use the Royal Mail Postcode Finder to search for the full address.

In the UK, the recipient’s address is written on the bottom left corner of the envelope, and the return address is written on the back, under the words “Return address.”

Image Source: https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/81/~/clear-addressing—how-to-address-your-mail

These rules are important to know if you’re mailing letters in the US or the UK!

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Well, dear readers, you’re now ready to apply to jobs, resign from jobs and even complain without offending anyone. Writing letters in English (and writing in English in general!) is a very useful skill to have in your toolbox!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Write a letter in Word for the web

Writing a letter like this while you're online is quick and easy.

Choose one of our letter templates , and open it in Word for the web to make it yours.

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Send your letter

When you're finished, print it or send it out electronically. You can do this with the letter still open in Word for the web. No need to save it first (that's already done for you).

To print it, press Ctrl+P, and wait for the Print dialog.

Note:  If you don't see a Print dialog box, click the link for opening a PDF version of your letter. From there, use the PDF program's Print command.

Send a link to your letter

For an electronic version of your letter, send out a link:

Near the top of the screen, click Share .

Under Share , click Get a Link .

Under Choose an option , click View only .

Click Create Link .

Click on the web address to select it, and then copy and paste it into an email, message, or post.

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19 Best Letter Writing Apps (2024)

Discover our guide with the best letter writing apps that will help you write flawless letters for personal and business purposes. Get started penning a creative letter today!

Imagine being able to craft elegant letters with the simple click of a few buttons — that’s exactly what you experience when using some of the best letter writing apps available in the wonderful world of writing. These intuitive apps offer sleek templates, writing assistance and customization options that you can tweak for any and every occasion where you might need to write a letter.

Whether you’ll use letter writing apps to improve your English readability, sound like a pro when sealing a business deal or practice some sales copywriting, plenty of IOS and Android apps are available for you to try out. 

Below, we’ll review the 24 best letter writing apps for 2023. Alternatively, if you’re writing a business letter and you want to wow your prospect, you’ll love our comprehensive guide on how to write a business letter .

ProWritingAid is a powerful, accurate grammar checker and style editor. It's suitable for non-fiction and fiction writers and doesn't require a monthly subscription. Save 20% per month or year.

Scrivener is our go-to app for long-form writing projects. It's popular with best-selling novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators and more. 

1. Best Writing Assistant: Grammarly

3. best for adding pictures to your letters: canva, 4. best for apple devices: apple notes, 5. best for businesses: zoho writer, 6. best markdown editor: ia writer, 7. best barebones writing app: calmly writer, 8. best for developers: draft, 9. best for large documents: writeroom, 10. best wysiwyg editor: jotterpad, 11. best integrations with messaging apps: byword, 12. best for on-the-go writing: simplenote, 13. best free trial: ulysses, 14. best for longer letters: scrivener, 15. best compatibility: focus writer, 16. best free plan: prowritingaid, 17. most reliable word processor: microsoft word, 18. best for real-time collaboration: google docs, 19. best readability checker: hemingway app, selection criteria, why you can trust me, best letter writing apps 2023: the bottom line.

Price: The premium plan costs $29.95 per month or $139 per year

Grammarly offers a simple interface from which you can open a document and type your letter. On the right, Grammarly will present you with potential writing errors like typos, overused words, and passive voice.

But what sets Grammarly apart from the other writing apps on this list is its new generative AI feature called GrammarlyGO. GrammarlyGO can generate letters personalized around who you’re writing to and what the occasion is.

With generative AI inside your letter writing app, you no longer have to struggle with writer’s block. You can have GrammarlyGO generate a letter for you. So if you’re interested in learning more about this AI, read our in-depth GrammarlyGO review .

• According to my tests, Grammarly is the most accurate writing assistant
• You can scan your work for plagiarism 
• GrammarlyGO gives you the power of generative AI
• The free plan is quite limited
• You can’t edit letters offline

Price: ChatGPT has a free version and a paid version which costs $20 per month

If you’re looking for a free generative AI application and don’t care about grammar-checking features, then ChatGPT is an excellent option. You can sign up with your email address or Google account and start using the app immediately. There’s no need to enter your credit card information.

Once logged in, you’ll find a chatbox where you can either write your letter from scratch or ask the AI to write one for you. Simply tell the AI why you’re writing a letter, who you’re writing to, and what writing voice you’d like it to use, and after a few seconds, the AI will generate an output.

You can also follow up with more prompts if you want the AI to improve the letter based on your feedback. This removes the need to sit down and come up with creative ideas. You can just ask ChatGPT.

• ChatGPT 4 is currently the most accurate generative AI
• All ChatGPT’s outputs are plagiarism-free
• ChatGPT is available on mobile, so you can generate letters when you’re out of the office
• Although rare, ChatGPT can hallucinate, meaning it’ll generate nonsensical outputs
• The AI sometimes goes offline during peak hours 

Price: Canva Pro is $6.49 paid monthly or $54.99 paid annually

If you’re adding infographics, pictures, and other forms of multimedia presentations to your letter, then I’d suggest writing directly inside Canva . With the easy drag-and-drop interface, you can customize your letter by moving the pictures and text around.

The only con is that Canva doesn’t offer a writing assistant like Grammarly or ProWritingAid. This makes proofreading your work even more important because if you make a mistake, Canva won’t spot it.

• Canva’s drag-and-drop interface allows you to add multimedia to your letter
• You access endless free stock images and videos
• Canva has templates for resumes, ads, letters, emails, landing pages, etc.
• Canva doesn’t scan for writing errors or plagiarism
• The free version is limited

P rice: Free

If you have an iPhone, Macbook, or iMac and are looking for an easy way to write letters or jot down notes without paying for another app, then Apple Notes is perfect.

When you open your Apple Notes, you’ll find a clean dashboard with all your old documents on the left-hand side. Apple Notes doesn’t have anything fancy, and that’s the point. The app’s power lies in its simplistic nature and convenient note-taking.

In the toolbar on top, you’ll find basic icons like bullet points, numbered lists, tables, and hyperlinks. If you’re storing sensitive information inside your Apple Notes, you also have the option to add a password.

• It comes with all Apple devices so you don’t have to pay a monthly fee
• You can search for notes using the search function in the top-right hand corner
• Your notes are synced across devices
• There’s no way to collaborate with team members inside the app
• Apple Notes doesn’t have version history

Price: The standard plan costs $20 per month

If you’re already signed up to Zoho ’s CRM, why not use the word processor inside your CRM dashboard? You can write letters in here and share them with your team. In addition to the basic word processor, Zoho has another two online editors; Zoho Sheet and Zoho Show:

1. Zoho Sheet: This is the spreadsheet version of Zoho Writer. You can create spreadsheets, send them to your team, and use the AI-powered data analyst to analyze and organize your company data.

2. Zoho Show: This editor is perfect for designing slides inside your CRM. It also comes with a bunch of templates that you can use to start building a presentation.

• You can write letters and documents inside your CRM
• The Zoho editor comes with your subscription, so you don’t have to buy another app
• You can share documents, edit them, and track their version history
• Zoho won’t check your work for writing errors
• The app isn’t available offline

Price: IA Writer costs $49 for Mac and $29 for Windows

IA Writer is my favorite Markdown editor because it gives you that pure writing feeling. Instead of something like Google Docs, which has countless buttons on its dashboard, IA Writer puts you alone with your words in a distraction-free environment.

But even with this minimalistic approach, IA Writer still has a variety of features like focus mode, writing goals, and dark mode, so it’s possible to customize the app around your preferences.

However, if you’re completing a heavyweight project like a research paper or 300-page novel, then IA Writer might not be a good choice; it’s not as powerful as traditional word processors when it comes to editing and syncing.

• Focus mode makes it easy to get into flow state
• You can integrate your documents with Dropbox
• Dark mode reduces eye strain at night
• IA Writer isn’t the best at handling large documents
• There aren’t any writing templates

Price: Free

A free alternative to the distraction-free interface of IA Writer is Calmly Writer . It’s a more barebones version of IA Writer because it has a blank screen and nothing else. This makes it super easy to get your ideas flowing because there’s nothing to distract you.

• It’s barebones compared to even the most simplistic writing apps
• It gets you into flow state quickly
• It might be a bit too barebones for some people
• There’s no paid plan

Draft is one of the first Markdown editors I’ve ever used, so it’ll always have a special place in my heart. What stood out to me about Draft is that it’s targeted around developers since it integrates with React applications, but you can also use it to write a quick letter. 

On your dashboard, you’ll find a simple toolbar with options to make your writing bold, italic, or format H1s, H2s, etc. From here, you can use the plugin to add images, stickers, and emojis to your letter.

• Draft integrates with React applications
• The app is 100 percent free
• It has all the basic features you’ll find in Microsoft Word 
• It isn’t much use if you’re not a developer
• Draft doesn’t have a mobile app so you can’t write while you’re on-the-go

Price: WriteRoom costs $4.99 for a lifetime plan.

WriteRoom is an affordable, distraction-free writing app for Mac users. It only costs $4.99 for lifetime access, and like most Markdown editors, it focuses on allowing you to write without distractions. You won’t find the cluttered dashboards like you would with Google Docs or Microsoft Word.

When testing WriteRoom, I was most impressed by how easily it handled large documents. For example, I pasted a 300-page novel into WriteRoom for testing purposes, and the app never glitched or lagged when I made edits. For only $4.99, WriteRoom is one of the most powerful yet affordable Markdown editors.

• WriteRoom is lightweight, so it doesn’t affect your computer’s speed
• It’s affordable yet powerful
• The fonts are some of the most beautiful you’ll ever find
• It doesn’t support Markdown editing
• WriteRoom doesn’t have a mobile app

Price: The monthly plan costs $6.99 per month

JotterPad is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor that has all the features you’ll expect like a simplistic dashboard, font options, and cloud syncing.

JotterPad recently introduced Wizard AI powered by ChatGPT 3 into the app, and it answers all your questions and helps come up with writing ideas.

But like all WYSIWYG editors, JotterPad has a few major flaws. When you copy and paste your work from another app into JotterPad, it can mess up the formatting. It might turn everything into a heading, and you’ll have to reformat your entire letter.

If you’re interested in learning more about this WYSIWYG editor, feel free to read our detailed JotterPad review .

• It integrates with OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive
• JotterPad syncs across all your devices
• You can format your writing in different writing styles
• Markdown editing isn’t available
• The free plan contains ads

Price: $10.99 once-off

Byword is a Markdown editor available for Apple devices. You can write a story inside the app and format your text using keyboard shortcuts and syntax highlighting. Byword will sync your letter across all your Apple devices and export it directly into the messenger you’re using to message your recipient.

• Byword is built around the writing needs of Apple users
• It integrates with most messaging apps
• The keyboard shortcuts speed up the time needed to write a letter
• It’s not powerful enough to reliably handle large documents
• Byword doesn’t have pre-built templates

Price: It’s free but you can choose to donate $19.99 per month

Simplenote is a lightweight note-taking app for Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux, so you can use it to write letters regardless of what device you’re using. Personally, I like using Simplenote when I’m on-the-go and thinking of ideas for articles. I can just open the app, jot down any ideas that I don’t want to forget and carry on with my day. When I return to the office, these notes will be synced to my computer.

• It’s compatible with Markdown and Dropbox
• Simplenote keeps the formatting of your writing
• You can upload your writing directly into WordPress
• Simplenote isn’t as secure as most letter writing apps, so you shouldn’t use it to store sensitive information
• You can’t make audio and video notes

Price: Free trial available but costs $40 per year after that

If you like to write letters on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone, Ulysses could be the best option available. It allows you to sync your files directly to iCloud, giving you a convenient way to back up your work. This is also a fantastic app because it uses a distraction-free, markdown style.

• Distraction-free intuitive interface
• Syncs across devices
• Can be used to organize projects
• Subscription-based after a free trial, which can be expensive
• Designed for Mac and IOS
• Learning curve when beginning to use the app

Price: There is a free trial available. The premium version starts at $49

Scrivener has become a popular program for all writing forms, including letters. For example, if you need to write long letters to someone, you can use this program to break up your letter into convenient spots, making it easier for the person to read. It is available on a wide variety of platforms, and it comes with helpful templates.

• Ideal for organizing lengthy letters
• Can compile and manage research materials and data
• Notes and drafts can be stored together
• The initial learning curve can be challenging
• Interface can be complex for simple letter writing
• No collaboration features for co-authored letter

Price: It’s free but they encourage donations

Focus Writer is the way to go if you want a word processor compatible with almost every writing platform, making it a suitable alternative to Microsoft Word. You can use Focus Writer to quickly type a letter, export it, and send it to your friend.

In addition, some convenient features will help you track your word count and character count. It doesn’t have the same variety of features as some of the other programs, but it will still get the job done.

• Provides a distraction-free environment for focus sessions
• Customizable themes and template styles
• Encourages a solid writing routine for habit-building
• Limited formatting options
• Minimal features for complex letter writing
• No collaboration features

Price: There is a free version available. The premium version is $60 per year

If you need to send a professional letter to someone, you must present a robust and expertly finished product. ProWritingAid is an exceptional program that you can use to check your grammar, correct punctuation errors, and catch typos online. While it is one of the best free writing apps, the premium version provides access to advanced stylistic features that can significantly improve the quality of your work.

• Thorough grammar checker and style detector for letter writing clarity
• Suggestions offered to improve sentence structure and grammar
• Integrates with other platforms
• Applying and sorting through suggestions can be time-consuming
• Some suggestions might not be accurate
• Not specifically designed for letter writing, so some features might not be suitable

Price: Included with many operating systems

If you are looking for an intuitive, basic, and cost-effective word processor to help you write your letters, you should consider using Microsoft Word . There is a good chance you used Microsoft Word growing up, and you probably already have it on your computer.

Unfortunately, if it doesn’t come with your computer, it can be expensive, but it is straightforward to use. It has some basic spell check and proofreading features, and you might even get access to a few templates you can use to structure your letter.

• Industry-standard word processor with great capabilities for letter writing
• Many features and design elements are available
• Collaboration tools available
• Expensive if not included in operating system
• Interface can be overwhelming for a simple letter-writing task
• Compatibility issues can arise when sharing across platforms

If you need a program that allows multiple people to work on a document simultaneously, you must use Google Docs . Google Docs essentially places your letter on a webpage. Anyone with a link to the webpage (to whom you give permission) can access and edit the letter. Google Docs has several features that can help you write a beautiful letter. It’s also an excellent option if you want to add images and videos to your letters.

• Real-time collaboration tool is excellent for teams
• Cloud-based auto saved prevents accidental loss
• Accessible across platforms and devices
• Requires a reliable internet connection to use
• Limited offline access
• Maintaining formatting can be challenging when exporting to different formats

Hemingway App is another good editor to write a letter in because it spots hard-to-read sentences, excessive adverbs, unnecessary long words, and passive voice. On the right-hand side of your dashboard, you can also view your word count as well as a grade score that Hemingway gives you.

This grade score tells you how easy your writing is to read. Personally, I like to target a grade score below nine. Anything higher, and you risk your letter sounding too formal and dull.

• Hemingway makes your writing easy to read
• It helps you avoid excessive adverbs and passive voice
• The app is free to use
• Hemingway’s suggestions are sometimes too rigid and can change your writing voice
• The app doesn’t check for writing errors

When developing this list, there are several testing criteria considered. Some of the most important examples include:

Value for Money: Value for money is an essential factor in picking the right letter writing app. I’ve analyzed the features, compared them to the price tag, and assessed them objectively. Included in the list are free writing apps, premium versions, and premium apps that come with a free version. 

Ease of Use: I’ve considered the learning curve of the app as well. Even though it might be the best option available, it isn’t helpful if it is incredibly challenging. Some apps are easier than others to learn.

Customization : I’ve also considered the customizability of each program. Writers require a high level of customization to tweak and format their letters in a way that makes sense for the recipient so I’ve considered this within each app.

As an experienced writer, editor and copywriter I’ve created many letters for both personal and business use. I’ve landed successful business deals, informed clients of changes in services and reached out to potential clients with cold email letters.

With years of experience, I’ve sourced the most efficient and versatile apps that I use day-to-day for letter writing and building client relationships. You can rely on my experience as a writer and business owner to recommend the best letter writing apps available for writers. If you’re looking for more, check out our round-up of the best citation software!

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use letter writing app that can handle large documents while checking your letter for errors, then Grammarly is your best bet. You can write letters inside the app, and on the right-hand side, Grammarly will list all its writing suggestions.

If you’re stuck and can’t think of what to say, feel free to utilize the GrammarlyGO AI. It comes with Grammarly’s monthly subscription, and generates personalized letters that you can send to friends, family, and colleagues, with minimal edits.

Meet Rachael, the editor at Become a Writer Today. With years of experience in the field, she is passionate about language and dedicated to producing high-quality content that engages and informs readers. When she's not editing or writing, you can find her exploring the great outdoors, finding inspiration for her next project.

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How To Use Your Letter Writing Skills To Help Others

Do you enjoy letter writing, and have a little bit of spare time every week or two? Did you know that putting a pen to paper in that spare half an hour you have could make a huge difference to someone’s life? If not, read on and see how you could help!

Perhaps you already write to several penpals on a regular basis – in which case, could you manage just one more? Or perhaps you don’t currently write to anyone. If you enjoy writing, why not give it a go? There are people out there who really would love to hear from you, and they are just a charity away.

Below are details of just a handful of charities who need letter writers – there are so many worldwide it would be impossible to list them all, so I picked a few examples for you to take a look at. A quick search on Google could, I’m sure, find you other options if these charities aren’t your cup of tea.

Talking of cups of tea, why not grab one now, and take a break whilst you read about how you could help others during your future tea breaks!

Charities Who Require Letter Writers

The silver line.

The Silver Line was primarily set up as a volunteer-run helpline to tackle the issue of loneliness in older people, but it has recently expanded to include Silver Letters for those who may be hard of hearing, or those who simply prefer communicating through written word as opposed to talking on the telephone. By becoming a Silver Letters volunteer you could help an older person feel less lonely, more confident and, hopefully, happier.

Please note: Since writing this article (but not due to this article) the Silver Letters service has been inundated with applicants, and is currently closed to new volunteers. They are still recruiting volunteers for telephone befriending though.

Post Pals would like people to ‘post a smile on a sick child’s face’ by forwarding letters and cards to them, along with emails and gifts if you like. Post pals is very simple to use, in that you can read each child’s story on the website and their postal contact details are available so that you can act straightaway if you wish, and get started in making a child smile.

More Love Letters

This one isn’t technically a charity, but it encourages people to do lovely deeds and so I really wanted to include it in this list. More Love Letters believe in positivity and supporting strangers who may be going through a tough time. To help them achieve this goal you can either write to one of their selected ‘love letter bundle-receivers’ (which change often, and are suggested by friends of those in need of some love) or simply leave a nice, inspiring letter in public for a stranger to find – who wouldn’t love to find one of those? Please note, MLL is based in the USA, however they love worldwide participation.

Lucy is our lead editor and has been passionate about stationery since childhood. She has a particular fondness for rollerball and calligraphy pens and is a keen advocate of snail mail.

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Wonderful article. I never thought of such ways of using your writing skills. Especially the one with “More Love Letters” – Hanna did a great job! I like when people are sharing their love with others no matter who they are.

Glad you enjoyed the article, Anthony. More Love Letters is a lovely idea, isn’t it?

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Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning

Jonathan Lambert

If you're like many digitally savvy Americans, it has likely been a while since you've spent much time writing by hand.

The laborious process of tracing out our thoughts, letter by letter, on the page is becoming a relic of the past in our screen-dominated world, where text messages and thumb-typed grocery lists have replaced handwritten letters and sticky notes. Electronic keyboards offer obvious efficiency benefits that have undoubtedly boosted our productivity — imagine having to write all your emails longhand.

To keep up, many schools are introducing computers as early as preschool, meaning some kids may learn the basics of typing before writing by hand.

But giving up this slower, more tactile way of expressing ourselves may come at a significant cost, according to a growing body of research that's uncovering the surprising cognitive benefits of taking pen to paper, or even stylus to iPad — for both children and adults.

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In kids, studies show that tracing out ABCs, as opposed to typing them, leads to better and longer-lasting recognition and understanding of letters. Writing by hand also improves memory and recall of words, laying down the foundations of literacy and learning. In adults, taking notes by hand during a lecture, instead of typing, can lead to better conceptual understanding of material.

"There's actually some very important things going on during the embodied experience of writing by hand," says Ramesh Balasubramaniam , a neuroscientist at the University of California, Merced. "It has important cognitive benefits."

While those benefits have long been recognized by some (for instance, many authors, including Jennifer Egan and Neil Gaiman , draft their stories by hand to stoke creativity), scientists have only recently started investigating why writing by hand has these effects.

A slew of recent brain imaging research suggests handwriting's power stems from the relative complexity of the process and how it forces different brain systems to work together to reproduce the shapes of letters in our heads onto the page.

Your brain on handwriting

Both handwriting and typing involve moving our hands and fingers to create words on a page. But handwriting, it turns out, requires a lot more fine-tuned coordination between the motor and visual systems. This seems to more deeply engage the brain in ways that support learning.

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"Handwriting is probably among the most complex motor skills that the brain is capable of," says Marieke Longcamp , a cognitive neuroscientist at Aix-Marseille Université.

Gripping a pen nimbly enough to write is a complicated task, as it requires your brain to continuously monitor the pressure that each finger exerts on the pen. Then, your motor system has to delicately modify that pressure to re-create each letter of the words in your head on the page.

"Your fingers have to each do something different to produce a recognizable letter," says Sophia Vinci-Booher , an educational neuroscientist at Vanderbilt University. Adding to the complexity, your visual system must continuously process that letter as it's formed. With each stroke, your brain compares the unfolding script with mental models of the letters and words, making adjustments to fingers in real time to create the letters' shapes, says Vinci-Booher.

That's not true for typing.

To type "tap" your fingers don't have to trace out the form of the letters — they just make three relatively simple and uniform movements. In comparison, it takes a lot more brainpower, as well as cross-talk between brain areas, to write than type.

Recent brain imaging studies bolster this idea. A study published in January found that when students write by hand, brain areas involved in motor and visual information processing " sync up " with areas crucial to memory formation, firing at frequencies associated with learning.

"We don't see that [synchronized activity] in typewriting at all," says Audrey van der Meer , a psychologist and study co-author at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. She suggests that writing by hand is a neurobiologically richer process and that this richness may confer some cognitive benefits.

Other experts agree. "There seems to be something fundamental about engaging your body to produce these shapes," says Robert Wiley , a cognitive psychologist at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. "It lets you make associations between your body and what you're seeing and hearing," he says, which might give the mind more footholds for accessing a given concept or idea.

Those extra footholds are especially important for learning in kids, but they may give adults a leg up too. Wiley and others worry that ditching handwriting for typing could have serious consequences for how we all learn and think.

What might be lost as handwriting wanes

The clearest consequence of screens and keyboards replacing pen and paper might be on kids' ability to learn the building blocks of literacy — letters.

"Letter recognition in early childhood is actually one of the best predictors of later reading and math attainment," says Vinci-Booher. Her work suggests the process of learning to write letters by hand is crucial for learning to read them.

"When kids write letters, they're just messy," she says. As kids practice writing "A," each iteration is different, and that variability helps solidify their conceptual understanding of the letter.

Research suggests kids learn to recognize letters better when seeing variable handwritten examples, compared with uniform typed examples.

This helps develop areas of the brain used during reading in older children and adults, Vinci-Booher found.

"This could be one of the ways that early experiences actually translate to long-term life outcomes," she says. "These visually demanding, fine motor actions bake in neural communication patterns that are really important for learning later on."

Ditching handwriting instruction could mean that those skills don't get developed as well, which could impair kids' ability to learn down the road.

"If young children are not receiving any handwriting training, which is very good brain stimulation, then their brains simply won't reach their full potential," says van der Meer. "It's scary to think of the potential consequences."

Many states are trying to avoid these risks by mandating cursive instruction. This year, California started requiring elementary school students to learn cursive , and similar bills are moving through state legislatures in several states, including Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina and Wisconsin. (So far, evidence suggests that it's the writing by hand that matters, not whether it's print or cursive.)

Slowing down and processing information

For adults, one of the main benefits of writing by hand is that it simply forces us to slow down.

During a meeting or lecture, it's possible to type what you're hearing verbatim. But often, "you're not actually processing that information — you're just typing in the blind," says van der Meer. "If you take notes by hand, you can't write everything down," she says.

The relative slowness of the medium forces you to process the information, writing key words or phrases and using drawing or arrows to work through ideas, she says. "You make the information your own," she says, which helps it stick in the brain.

Such connections and integration are still possible when typing, but they need to be made more intentionally. And sometimes, efficiency wins out. "When you're writing a long essay, it's obviously much more practical to use a keyboard," says van der Meer.

Still, given our long history of using our hands to mark meaning in the world, some scientists worry about the more diffuse consequences of offloading our thinking to computers.

"We're foisting a lot of our knowledge, extending our cognition, to other devices, so it's only natural that we've started using these other agents to do our writing for us," says Balasubramaniam.

It's possible that this might free up our minds to do other kinds of hard thinking, he says. Or we might be sacrificing a fundamental process that's crucial for the kinds of immersive cognitive experiences that enable us to learn and think at our full potential.

Balasubramaniam stresses, however, that we don't have to ditch digital tools to harness the power of handwriting. So far, research suggests that scribbling with a stylus on a screen activates the same brain pathways as etching ink on paper. It's the movement that counts, he says, not its final form.

Jonathan Lambert is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance journalist who covers science, health and policy.

• handwriting

Types of cover letter for job and studying

Self-presentation is important part of lives of modern people. With growing numbers of competition and rivals it's sometimes hard to earn place in good school, university or even company. Since early childhood we are told to be better, to develop our skills and talents, to do plenty of projects, to participate in numerous events, festivals and activities. All these work is not for nothing, as in future it can be represented in cover letter for resume to support your candidacy. And even earlier! Connecting your life with medicine you will need to prove you're worth working with qualified specialists. To get a place in hospital and learn from best doctors a medical student encloses internship cover letter and it should be different than the same paper for manager, for example. Every profession requires unique traits and characteristics, it won't be same for school teacher and head of corporate. That's why it's vital to pay attention to sample cover letter for resume related to desired position in company. Web is full of examples, and after thorough search you can find something to help you to compose job-winning piece of writing.

How to find useful cover letter tips

Getting ready to amaze employee with outstanding cover letter you have to spend several hours while doing research. Analyzing and comparing are two major factors of success. Resume cover letter should persuade employer that you are not a common person who can be hired to perform working duties, but a true gem they were looking for. First, you need to persuade yourself. Sometimes people don't believe in all those high praises they write about themselves. Have your students or pupils achieved success in school competitions? Did you invent a brand-new way of helping them succeed with homework? Include all this information in your teacher cover letter. Every single detail can play an important role. Do plenty of notes. Correct and rewrite. Think of job cover letter as of piece of art. Help employees understand your nature and soul. Imagine various ways you can improve working process in new organization and share your thoughts. In nursing cover letter reflect what influenced desire to become doctor, reveal story that's worth accepting you. To be honest, it's important part of resume but doing it is not that complicated. It should have several logical paragraphs to summarize your personality. Job letter outline can help in making it right.

What to avoid in writing

Your goal is to impress potential employer but there are some frames within which proper cover letter should be written. First of all, personal stuff and sentimental stories won't do any good. Try not to put many information, be brief and precise. Don't include slang or the words you don't know how to use correctly. Be polite and professional. A company is looking for worker, not a friend.

Online resume help for a new career

The first step of getting a new job is to show your interest in it. Before dreaming of a big office and mutual lunches with colleagues, it’s necessary to apply for a position. The competition is quite high in the modern world, so some people might never get that call for a potential boss. Sending CV to different companies is an essential part of the process, but how to make it outstanding? With the help of resume services, of course! They can turn the list of your skills and achievements into an impressive CV. Moreover, you don’t need to worry about anything – the team of experts will find a way to highlight your best traits and qualities. Getting help of professional CV creator is better than scrolling through the Internet in search of suitable templates and examples. First, it saves your time (which you can spend on choosing the better position of company). Second, it’s a chance to get a truly winning resume that emphasize all the essential qualities necessary for the job. Third, it’s an online service that gives you a chance to get resume help from any town or city. And the most important part – you will be able to look at the list of your achievements and increase your self-esteem and confidence. These two qualities can play a crucial role in each interview.

Education. All Rights Reserved.

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30 Measurable Handwriting IEP Goals, including OT, Fine Motor, and Letter Formation

Posted: April 17, 2024 | Last updated: May 1, 2024

Inside: Handwriting IEP goals, including letter formation and other writing skills. Plus some handwriting accommodations and subsets of skills needed for children to develop proficient handwriting.

My grandmother had the most beautiful handwriting. Perfectly formed cursive letters and so consistent! Of course, she went to school in an era when kids were smacked across the hands with wooden rulers if their handwriting wasn’t perfect. So there’s that.

Many IEP students struggle with handwriting skills and need handwriting IEP goals .

When a child lacks a skill, you either teach the skill or make accommodations for the lack of skill. Or, you can do both. Handwriting is a good example, but many schools and parents fail to realize it.

What I mean is, that handwriting does not have to be ‘either, or.’ In that, the child either learns to write or use voice-to-text (or another form of AAC ). You can and should do both.

Common Core Standards only call for teaching handwriting in Kindergarten and First Grade.

Because of this, many schools are leaning away from advanced handwriting skills. But at what cost?

Bias has us thinking that it’s “handwriting,” but so many subsets of specific skills affect reading and writing. This is where we fail students.

Learning to write efficiently and legibly is achievable, but only when adults view the big picture, not just “handwriting.” If a child’s reading skills are deficient, this affects the achievability of handwriting skills.

Handwriting Skills for Students

We are also beginning to understand the connection between letter recognition, letter formation, and reading skills like phonics and phonemic awareness .

Children learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand and remain better able to generate ideas and retain information.

According to the New York Times:

A2012 studyled byKarin James, a psychologist at Indiana University, lent support to that view. Children who had not yet learned to read and write were presented with a letter or a shape on an index card and asked to reproduce it in one of three ways: trace the image on a page with a dotted outline, draw it on a blank white sheet, or type it on a computer. They were then placed in a brain scanner and shown the image again. The researchers found that the initial duplication process mattered a great deal. When children had drawn a letter freehand, they exhibited increased activity in three areas of the brain that are activated in adults when they read and write. By contrast, children who typed or traced the letter or shape showed no such effect. The activation was significantly weaker.

Determining Handwriting Needs

This a reminder that IEPs are needs-based and needs-driven, not diagnosis-driven.

Schools are required to evaluate all areas of suspected disability. Handwriting issues can be much more than fine motor planning issues. It could be dysgraphia , dyslexia , vision issues, or something else entirely.

If your child struggles with handwriting, ask for a comprehensive educational evaluation .

Not just an OT evaluation for handwriting. If a child’s handwriting skills are visibly deficient, they might struggle in other fine motor areas, such as using scissors or buttons.

When a child lacks a skill, you teach the skill and accommodate for their lack of the skill.

IEP and 504 Accommodations for Handwriting

As stated earlier, you can evaluate a child and provide interventions or accommodations.

Here are some possible accommodations to consider:

• Assistive Technology : a. Provide access to a computer or tablet for written assignments. b. Allow the use of voice-to-text software or speech recognition software. c. Allow the use of a keyboard instead of handwriting.
• Note-Taking Support : a. Allow access to typed or printed class notes or PowerPoint presentations. b. Provide a note-taking buddy who can assist with handwritten notes. c. Allow the use of a recording device to capture lectures.
• Extended Time for Assignments and Tests : a. Give additional time for completing written assignments and tests. b. Break assignments into smaller, manageable parts with flexible deadlines.
• Alternative Assessment Methods : a. Allow alternative forms of assessment, such as oral presentations or multimedia projects. b. Modify testing formats, such as providing multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank options instead of written essays.
• Handwriting Assistance : a. Provide access to occupational therapy to improve handwriting skills. b. Allow handwriting aids or adaptations, such as pencil grips or specialized pens.
• Teacher Support and Communication : a. Regularly check in with the student to ensure they receive the necessary support. b. Encourage open communication with teachers to address any specific challenges.
• Seating Arrangement : a. Allow students to sit in a location that minimizes distractions and supports their learning needs.
• Instructional Materials : a. Provide textbooks and instructional materials in digital format when available. b. Offer large print materials if needed.
• Assistance with Organizational Skills : a. Teach or provide resources for organizational skills to help students manage their assignments and materials effectively.

Many Assistive Technology options are available, both low-tech AT and high-tech AT.

Assistive technology can greatly improve a child’s endurance when working on writing skills .

Handwriting without Tears

A popular intervention for handwriting is one called “Handwriting without Tears.”

“Handwriting Without Tears” is designed to teach handwriting skills to young children and students. Occupational therapist Jan Olsen developed it and first introduced it in 1977.

The program focuses on making learning to write more enjoyable and accessible to students by incorporating various strategies and techniques considering the developmental stages of a child’s fine motor skills.

Key features of the Handwriting Without Tears program include:

• Multi-Sensory Approach : The program uses a multi-sensory approach to engage different senses in learning. Children learn through activities that involve touching, seeing, and hearing, making it a more comprehensive and interactive learning experience.
• Developmental Progression : Handwriting Without Tears recognizes children’s developmental stages of fine motor skills and provides age-appropriate activities and techniques to support their handwriting development.
• Simplified Letter Formation : The program introduces simplified methods for forming letters and numbers, making it easier for children to understand and remember how to write them.
• Use of Manipulatives : It incorporates various manipulatives and tools, such as wooden pieces, playdough , and other materials, to teach letter and number formation.
• Engaging Materials : Handwriting Without Tears provides teachers, parents, and students with engaging and colorful materials, workbooks, and resources to make learning to write fun.
• Cursive and Printing : The program covers both cursive and print writing, ensuring that students have a comprehensive understanding of different handwriting styles.
• Adaptability : It can be used with students with different learning needs, including those with fine motor challenges and disabilities.

Handwriting Without Tears is widely used in preschools, elementary schools, and by parents who want to help their children develop strong handwriting skills. It has gained popularity for its child-friendly and effective approach to teaching handwriting.

It’s often used as a supplement to classroom instruction, occupational therapy, and at-home practice to support children in developing legible and efficient handwriting skills.

This information is provided for educational purposes only. I am not personally endorsing the program, as all IEP teams have to make that decision for the individual student.

Pencil Grasp

Your starting point is often the pencil grasp. A pencil grasp is a functional grasp.

Proper pencil grasp is important for a child’s fine motor skills and handwriting abilities.

Here are some strategies to help a child develop a functional and efficient pencil grasp:

• Use age-appropriate writing utensils like pencils, crayons, and markers. Thicker or triangular-shaped pencils can be easier to grip for young children.
• Show the child how to hold a writing tool correctly. The preferred grasp for most children is the dynamic tripod grasp, where the pencil is held between the thumb and the first two fingers, with the pinky and ring fingers curled into the palm.
• Engage in activities that promote fine motor skills, such as playing with building blocks, puzzles, or clay. These activities help strengthen the muscles needed for a proper pencil grasp.
• Activities like squeezing playdough , using clothespins, or doing finger exercises can help build hand strength.
• Engage in pre-writing activities like drawing shapes, lines, and patterns, which help children practice hand-eye coordination and pencil control.
• Provide guided tracing worksheets allowing the child to trace over lines and shapes to develop control and precision in hand movements.
• A slant board can help children maintain a more comfortable and functional wrist position while writing or drawing.
• Ensure the child’s grip is not too tight. A relaxed hand and fingers allow for better control and movement.
• Activities involving textures, such as finger painting, can improve sensory perception and strength.
• It’s important to note that while the tripod grasp is typical, some children may develop different but functional grips. The key is to focus on a grip that allows for control and legibility without causing strain or discomfort.
• Encourage and praise the child’s efforts and progress. Positive reinforcement can boost their confidence and motivation.
• Suppose a child consistently struggles with achieving a functional pencil grasp or experiences discomfort or pain while writing. In that case, consulting with an occupational therapist or other professionals who can provide specialized guidance and support may be advisable.

IEP Handwriting Goals

If you are adding Handwriting Goals to your IEP, here are some ideas to get you started.

Remember that before a child can work on handwriting, they must have the pre-skill of letter recognition.

I have a separate list of letter recognition goals .

• Provided with the systemic prompt fading strategy to form lowercase letters properly, the student will track the visual prompts, “starting at the star” and then “tracing to the moon.” Every lowercase letter will be written as the visual prompts are fading. Accuracy is at 80% (4/5 opportunities by month and year.
• During classroom activities and therapy handwriting sessions, the student will have improved writing legibility by forming lowercase letters with distinct height differences between the tall and short letters, putting the letters g, j, q, p, and y under the writing lines, and putting the letters within 1/16” of the baseline, leaving an adequate ½ inch space in between words, and drawing an individual with 10 salient features. Accuracy is at 85% (measured once each month for 3 straight months.)
• In classroom and therapy handwriting assignments, the student is tasked to organize his written paperwork without much deviation from the horizontal and vertical lines (by not more than an inch), observe ½ inch right and left margins, and adjust his handwriting to fit into the designated spaces in the worksheets. Accuracy is at 85% (measured once each month for 3 straight months.)
• In classroom and therapy far and near point copying activities, the student will complete the task within the provided time by the therapist or teacher with 2 or fewer omissions or errors when copying 2 to 3 5-word sentences. Accuracy is at 80% (measured twice a month for 3 straight months.
• When provided with a set of lines for tracing, the student will show control and proper pressure using the writing tool (pencil, crayon, or marker) by finishing a tracing worksheet with visual prompts. Accuracy is at 80% (by month and year.)
• When in the classroom and during therapy sessions, the student will write 3 5 to 7-word sentences, writing inside the designated boundaries (1/16” of the baseline.), giving a distinct height variance in short and tall letter sizes, showing better attention to the right margin, and refraining from writing within ½” of the margin and maintaining horizontal handwriting to half an inch on paper without any lines. Accuracy is 85% (measured twice a month for 3 straight months.
• In the classroom and OT, the student will achieve better visual-motor skills and perception by writing all letters (both upper and lowercases) from memory with the proper form of 90% of the letters within 1/8” of the lines when copying a single six-word sentence on his first trial. Monitoring is done monthly for 3 straight probes. The baseline is the correct formation of letters 80% of the time and 50% of letters within 1/8” of the line in classroom writing samples.
• In the classroom and OT, the student will have better visual motor and visual perceptual skills by writing all letters (both upper and lowercases) from memory with the proper form of 90% of the letters and within 1/8” of the lines when copying a single six-word sentence on his first try. Monitoring is done monthly for 3 straight probes. The baseline is the correct formation of letters 80% of the time and 50% of letters within 1/8” of the line in classroom writing samples.
• The student will improve visual perceptual skills in OT by copying 6 to 10 cube styles from a model. Accuracy must be 100% on the first attempt. Monitoring is done monthly for 3 straight probes. Baseline: failure to copy six-cube pyramids and step designs.
• The student will achieve better visual perceptual and motor skills by writing all letters (both upper and lowercases) from memory with the proper formation on the first trial. Monitoring is done monthly for 3 straight probes. With proper formation, the baseline forms 75% of all letters in upper and lower cases.
• When given a picture and sentence for reading, the student accurately traces the sentence at 80% (by month and year.)
• When provided with a picture and sentence for reading, the student accurately traces and copies the sentence from a sample at 80% (by month and year.)
• When given a picture and sentence for reading, the student accurately completes the set of writing tasks (trace/copy from sample/fill in the blanks) at 80% (by month and year.)
• When provided with Print Path handwriting instructions and an alphabet model, the student will develop 24/26 proper uppercase formations.
• When given a visual, written sentence model, the student will replicate the sentence with proper letter formation, spacing, and punctuation at an accuracy of 80% or 4/5 consecutive tries (by month and year.)
• When given a sentence with sight words and visuals to help in word recognition, the student will accurately read the sentence 80% of the time or 4/5 consecutive tries (by month and year.)
• The student will write legible and correct letters in 4/5 opportunities when provided with handwriting instructions and daily practice.
• When provided with a picture and a long sentence for reading, the student will finish the writing tasks (trace/copy from sample/fill in the blanks) at 80% accuracy (by month and year.)
• When provided with a picture and a long sentence for reading, the student will finish writing tasks (trace/copy from sample/fill in the blanks) with proper letter formation and spacing at 80% accuracy (by month and year.)
• The student will have improved visual motor skills by copying one 4-sentence paragraph at a rate of 42 letters/minute with 4 to 5 letters per visual fixation on the first try. Monitoring is once a month for 3 straight probes. The baseline is 38 letters/minute, with 2 to 3 letters for each visual fixation.
• Students will have better motor skills by writing their full name in cursive w/o a model on the first try. Monitoring is monthly for 3 straight probes. Baseline: model and demonstration required to write the first name in cursive.
• During OT, the student will have better visual and fine motor skills through coloring a 2” round space via finger movements and coloring inside 1/4” of the boundary on the first try. Monitoring is once a month for 3 straight months. Baseline: use of vertical strokes, wrist movements, and colors within ½” of the border.
• In the classroom and OT, the student will achieve better visual-motor skills through writing 2 creative sentences on paper with dotted lines, letters on the line, proper spacing between words, sky letters at the top of the line, and diving letters under the baseline in a single random writing example. Monitoring is monthly for 3 straight months. Baseline: Legibility is inconsistent in the classroom.
• The student will develop visual motor skills through legible writing (letters on the line, space in between words, and fully-formed letters in a single random written work in the classroom. Monitoring is monthly for 3 straight probes. Baseline: Illegible writing at times in the classroom.
• The student will improve visual motor and perceptual skills by writing upper and lowercase letters at 90% accuracy with proper formation without using a model. The letters are on the line on the first try. Monitoring is monthly for 3 straight probes. Baseline: requires a model for forming a letter for 30% of the letters.
• The student will have better bilateral hand skills through tracing grade-appropriate stencils, slipping no more than twice on the first try. Monitoring is monthly for 3 straight probes. Baseline: 2 to 4 slips on basic stencils.
• The student will achieve better visual-motor skills through independent copying of a design with/ diagonal lines or overlapped shapes on dotted grids at an accuracy of 95% on the first attempt. Monitoring is monthly for 3 successive probes. Baseline: moderate assistance.
• The student will improve his ocular motor skills by scanning a letter grid in finding consecutive alphabet letters in 2 minutes at 95% accuracy without help on the first try. Monitoring is monthly for 3 successive probes. The baseline is 165 seconds with help in finding letters.
• The student will develop better visual-motor skills by writing a paragraph with 3 sentences with 90% of the letters on the line, 90% of letter closures, and proper spacing between words after 1 self-edit on the first try. Monitoring is monthly for 3 successive probes. Baseline: 50 to 75% online placement, 75% with space in between words, and 59% of letter closures in random writing samples.
• The student will improve his visual motor skills by drawing a cube design at 100% accuracy without using a model on the first attempt. Monitoring is monthly for 3 successive probes. Baseline: inability to copy the cube.

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Letter: Prioritize health of planet

I am writing in opposition to Initiative 2117, which seeks to roll back crucial environmental protections in our community. As a concerned mum who values the health of our planet and the health of all people, I believe that supporting this initiative would be a step in the wrong direction.

Initiative I-2117 aims to undermine the progress we have made in addressing climate change and protecting our environment. It proposes to weaken regulations that limit greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean energy initiatives. By doing so, it jeopardizes our ability to combat climate change effectively and places our community’s future at risk.

Climate change is a global crisis that requires immediate action at the local level. Initiative I-2117 would hinder our transition to a clean-energy economy.

Instead of supporting Initiative I-2117, let us focus on policies that protect our environment, like re-wilding our Mother Earth, promoting renewable energy sources, and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come. I urge our community to vote “no” on I-2117 and support initiatives that prioritize the health of our planet and the well-being of our residents.

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Letter: Understanding the nuances of methane emissions

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I am writing in response to a dairy farmer’s April 25 submission, “ Renewable natural gas will help Maine reach its climate goals. ” I fully support the anaerobic (without oxygen) digestion of manure; the process can, indeed, allow methane to be captured through a biological process and then utilized as a fuel. That is a winning proposition for the environment. To say, however, that methane created in this fashion is “renewable” is a stretch, as is the notion that a “carbon negative” gas is created in the process.

Carbon dioxide is produced when methane is combusted, and it is a less potent greenhouse gas than methane, but it is hardly “carbon negative.” In fact, carbon dioxide is responsible for about three quarters of the world’s carbon emissions. It is negative only in comparison to methane.

Equally important, focusing on the methane captured from manure ignores the much larger quantity of methane entering the atmosphere from a cow’s digestive system – about a quarter of all methane emissions in this country. Such emissions explain why it is meaningless to isolate the methane extracted from manure and label it “renewable.” Doing so appears to be a disingenuous strategy by the Summit Gas Co. to boost its case for expanded gas infrastructure.

Anaerobic digestion, with the production of methane for fuel, reduces some methane emissions but the overall process of raising cattle is still extremely emissions intensive. Research with new types of feed (including seaweed), however, offer promising reductions in belched methane.

Joe Hardy Wells

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