Teaching Students and Adult Learners to Write Effective Business Letters

English Language Vocabulary for Business Letters

attachment: extra document or image that is added to an email

block format: most common business letter format, single spaced, all paragraphs begin at the left margin

body: the content of the letter; between the salutation and signature

bullets: dots used to set off items in an unnumbered list

certified mail: sender pays extra postage in order to receive a notice of receipt

coherent: logical and easy to understand

concise: summary illustrates points quickly

confidential: for personal or specific company use only

diplomacy: demonstrating consideration and kindness

double space format: one blank line is left between lines of text

enclosure: extra document, pages or image included with a letter

formal style: set formatting and business language, opposite of casual

format: the organization of the letter

heading: a word or phrase that indicates what the text below will be about

indent: 1 tab or 5 extra spaces at the beginning of a paragraph

informal: casual formatting and business language, opposite of formal

inside address: recipient's mailing information

justified margins: straight and even text, always begins at the same place

letterhead: specialized paper with a company logo, name and address printed at the top

logo: symbol or image that identifies a specific organization

margin: a blank space that borders the edge of the text

memorandum: (memo) internal document sent within a company

modified block format: left justified as block format, but date and closing are centered

on arrival notation: notice to recipient that appears on an envelope (ie. "rush")

postage: the cost of sending a letter through the Post Office

proofread: read through a finished document to check for mistakes

recipient: the person who receives the letter

salutation: the greeting in a business letter (e.g. "Dear Mr Jones")

semi-block format: paragraphs are indented, not left-justified

single spaced format where no blanks lines are left in-between lines of text

spacing blank area between words or lines of text

tone: the feeling created by the language