Dear Sir or Madam | Alternatives & When to Use

Dear Sir or Madam is a common greeting in emails or letters to people whose names you don’t know. Although this expression is still used, it is preferable to use other greetings as this phrase is rather impersonal and dated.

Ideally, communications should directly address the recipient by name. If you are unable to find this information, you can instead use the name of the group or department or the person’s job title. If you are not writing to one specific individual, you can use “To Whom It May Concern.”

Alternatives to Dear Sir or Madam examples
Dear Ms. Pulan, …

Dear Head of Research, …

Dear Foundation President, …

Alternatives to Dear Sir or Madam

Addressing the specific individual you are writing to is the best way to start an email or letter. To do this, you can use the person’s full name or a title like “Dr.” or “Professor” followed by their last name. If you have a friendly or established relationship, you can just use the person’s first name.

Using the person’s first name examples
Dear Marguerite Tran, …

Dear Professor Singh, …

Hello Reggie, …

If you are not able to find the name of the person you are writing to online or elsewhere, you can still use other information to tailor the greeting. For example, you can use the name of the department or organization you are writing to or the person’s job title. This is particularly relevant for cover letters.

Using a title or organizational name examples
Dear Polo Association, …

Dear Recruiting Department, …

Dear Chief Marketing Advisor, …

Dear Sir or Madam vs To Whom It May Concern

If you have no information to write a more specific salutation, you can fall back on a more generic opening.

  • Dear Sir or Madam is used when you are addressing a specific person but you do not know their name, gender, or title.
  • To Whom It May Concern is used when you are addressing an organization or group more generally and do not know who will manage your request.
To Whom It May Concern example
To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to announce my withdrawal from the Jelly of the Month Club presidential election. Unfortunately, I do not have time for this additional responsibility at the moment.

Regards,

Bob Nedds

Why should you avoid using Dear Sir or Madam?

There are several reasons to avoid using “Dear Sir or Madam” when possible. This greeting:

  • Indicates that you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to and perhaps haven’t taken the time to find out as the information may be available online
  • Suggests that you may be sending a mass email to a number of people
  • Is not gender-inclusive as not everyone identifies as either “Sir” or “Madam

Correct usage of Dear Sir or Madam

If you are unable to use a more specific alternative, be sure to write “Dear Sir or Madam” correctly.

“Sir” and “Madam” should be capitalized as proper nouns, and the expression is followed by a comma or colon, a blank line, and the body of your message. Write out “Sir or Madam” rather than using a slash (“Sir/Madam”).

“Dear Sir or Madam” is usually paired with “Yours faithfully” and your name to close the message.

Dear Sir or Madam email example
Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to request information about …

Yours faithfully,

Viktor Bivtov

Frequently asked questions about Dear Sir or Madam

When should I use Dear Sir or Madam?

It is generally best to adapt your greeting to the person you are addressing by using their name. If this isn’t possible, you can also use organization or department names or the person’s title.

Though it is somewhat impersonal and dated, “Dear Sir or Madam” can be used if you cannot find any information about the person you want to address.

Our sentence rephraser can help you vary your writing and express your intended meaning.

Is Dear Sir or Madam the same as To Whom It May Concern?

Dear Sir or Madam” is similar to “To Whom It May Concern” in that both expressions are impersonal and do not specify the recipient using their name.

“Dear Sir or Madam” is the more appropriate choice when you are addressing a single person, whereas “To Whom It May Concern” is suitable when you are addressing a group or organization.

You can use QuillBot to automatically rephrase your sentences and ensure they express your intended meaning.

What does kind regards mean?

Kind regards (or kindest regards) is used to end an email or other forms of correspondence. It is semiformal and suitable for professional contexts.

Kind regards is slightly less formal than “sincerely yours” and “yours truly,” but it has a slightly more formal tone than “warm regards.”

You can automatically rewrite your sentences to express your intended meaning using QuillBot’s tools.

Is this article helpful?
Alexandra Rongione, MA

Alexandra has a master’s degree in literature and cultural studies. She has taught English as a foreign language for a range of levels and ages and has also worked as a literacy tutor.