Sending a letter may seem like an ancient way to contact someone, but it can be a sweet way of reaching out or a great way to send a gift. That said, we understand if you’re a little rusty on the details of how to write addresses on a letter.
The good news is that we’re here to guide you every step of the way. It doesn’t matter if you need to send a letter to Uncle John Doe for his birthday or you want to connect with an old friend with a heartfelt letter, we have your back.
Learn how to write address on letter in this article.
How to Write Address on Letter in 5 Simple Steps
Writing an address on a letter isn’t as simple as writing their name and address and calling it a day. This is because everything has to be in the right spot, and you even need to write your address in case it has to come back.
Here’s what you need to pay attention to when writing address on letter.
1. Confirm the Recipient’s Address
Before you do anything else, you need to confirm the recipient’s address. If you end up with the wrong address, or even a slight error, you can end up with a letter that gets sent back.
For this reason, we recommend running their details through Information.com’s address lookup tool. It will help you confirm their address and prevent mistakes.
2. Write Your Information on the Top Left
First and foremost, you need to include your information in the letter. You’ll want to write your first and last name, address, state abbreviation, and zip code. This ensures that the post office can return the letter if it’s unable to send it.
Instead of just writing it all on one line, there’s a specific way that you should write it for the best results. Start with your name on the first line, all the way in the top left, and then write your street number and street below it. Then, finish with the city, state, and zip code.
3. Write the Name of the Recipient in the Center of the Letter
The next step is a simple one. Simply write the first and last name of the recipient in the center of the letter. Seems simple enough, right? Well, there are a few situations that may complicate things.
The biggest example is sending a formal letter to a family. You may want to include the moniker of the family on the first line, and then the names of the family members below that. Also, you may want to include formal titles if someone has one. For example, if someone is a doctor, you may want to write Doctor John Smith instead of just their name because that can be seen as rude.
That said, if you’re sending the letter to a business, you may want to write the business name under the family names. If you don’t know anyone’s name, you can opt for the business name and leave it at that.
4. Put the Recipient’s Name and Address Below
Once you have the name or business written on the letter, you can move on to the next step, which is writing the recipient’s address below the name. You’ll want to follow the same format that we covered in the first step.
Therefore, it should be the recipient’s name on the first line, the street name, number, and apartment number on the second line, and the city on the last line.
5. Include the Country and Postage Stamp
Last but not least, don’t forget the stamp! The stamp needs to go in the top-right corner of the envelope. If you’re sending the letter to someone in a different country, you may also want to include their country under the last portion of their address.
It’s important to note that any country or country abbreviation needs to be spelled in all capital letters. For international letters, an international stamp is also required.
Understanding How to Write an Address on Letter
It’s important to know how to write an address on letter. Without knowing how to address it properly, there’s a good chance that it will be mailed back to you instead of going where it should.
It’s also important to get the address right as well, because even the slightest mistake can result in the letter being returned. The good news is that tools like Information.com can help you ensure that you’re looking at the right address.