How to write an email (a practical guide with examples)
Most advice on how to write an email is about etiquette. The thing that actually decides whether you get a reply is structure: whether the reader can tell, in about three seconds, what this is and what you want. Everything below is in service of that. If you would rather skip the theory, jump to the examples, or let the writer at the end draft it from a single line.
Structure
The five parts of any email
Subject line — the topic, not a greeting
"Q3 deck — feedback by Friday?" tells the reader everything. "Quick question" and "Hello" tell them nothing and get opened last. Aim for under about 50 characters so it survives on a phone.
Opening — one line of context
Who you are, or what this is about. "Following up on Tuesday's call about the migration…" People manage hundreds of threads; a clause of context is a courtesy, not padding.
Body — one idea, front-loaded
Put the point in the first sentence, then the supporting detail. Readers skim; anything below the fold is a bonus. If you have three unrelated things to say, send three emails.
The ask — specific, with a date
"Could you confirm by Thursday?" is answerable in one line. "Let me know your thoughts" is a task, and tasks get postponed. Every email should make it obvious what happens next and who does it.
Sign-off — with your actual name
Match the formality to the relationship: Kind regards for people you do not know, Thanks or Best for people you do. Then your name — an unsigned email reads as unfinished.
Tone
How formal should you be?
Tone is not politeness — it is distance. The further from you the reader sits, the more structure they need.
| Writing to | Open with | Sign off with |
|---|---|---|
| Someone you have never met | Dear [Name], | Kind regards |
| A client or senior colleague | Dear [Name], or Hi [Name], | Best regards / Many thanks |
| A colleague you work with daily | Hi [Name], | Thanks / Best |
| A group or team | Hi all, | Thanks |
| A complaint or dispute | Dear [Name], | Regards |
| A thank-you or a favour granted | Hi [Name], | Thank you again |
Examples
Four emails, written properly
1 — Asking someone for something
Your brief
Ask a colleague to review my slides before Thursday's board meeting
Short · Formal · English (US)
Board Deck — Review by Wednesday?
Hi Sam, I have finished the board deck for Thursday and would value a second pair of eyes before it goes out. It is twelve slides; the sections that would benefit most from your view are the revenue forecast and the hiring plan. Would you be able to send comments by end of Wednesday? That leaves me the morning to make changes. Thanks very much, Alex
2 — Introducing yourself
Your brief
Introduce myself to a new client contact, I am taking over their account
Short · Formal · English (US)
Introduction — Your New Account Contact
Dear Ms Rivera, I am Alex Chen, and I will be taking over as your main contact from Monday, following Priya's move to another team. I have read through the account history and spoken with Priya about your current priorities, so nothing should need repeating on your side. Would a short call next week be useful, so I can hear directly what matters most to you this quarter? Kind regards, Alex Chen
3 — Delivering bad news
Your brief
Tell a client the delivery will slip by two weeks because of a supplier issue
Short · Formal · English (US)
Revised Timeline for the Q3 Deliverable
Dear Priya, I am writing to let you know that the Q3 deliverable will be two weeks later than planned. The delay is on our side — a supplier issue we did not catch early enough. The revised delivery date is 24 September. Everything else in the scope is unchanged, and I will send a short progress note each Friday until we deliver. I am sorry for the disruption to your planning. If it would help to talk it through, I am free most of Thursday. Kind regards, Alex
4 — Saying no
Your brief
Politely decline an invitation to speak at an event, I do not have time
Short · Friendly · English (US)
Thank You — I Will Have to Pass This Time
Hi Marcus, Thank you for thinking of me for the October panel — it looks like a good line-up. I am going to have to pass this time. My commitments through autumn mean I would not be able to prepare properly, and I would rather decline than turn up underprepared. Do keep me in mind for next year, and I am happy to suggest a couple of people who would be excellent on that topic. Best, Alex
Mistakes
Six things that cost you replies
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| A vague subject line | Name the topic and the action: "Invoice 2841 — payment query". |
| Burying the ask at the bottom | Put it in the first or second paragraph. Assume nobody scrolls. |
| Several unrelated requests | One email, one thread, one subject. Split the rest out. |
| No deadline | "By Thursday" gets answered; "when you get a chance" does not. |
| Over-apologising | "Sorry to bother you" invites the reader to feel bothered. Just ask. |
| Writing it while angry | Draft it, then send it the next morning. You will change something. |
Faster
Or describe it in one line
Once you know the structure, writing from scratch every time is unnecessary. Describe the email in a sentence — who it is to and what you want — and get a complete draft with a subject line, then edit it.
AI Email Writer
One line in, a finished email out. 12 tones, 18 languages, free with no signup.
Grammar Check
Paste your draft and see every correction explained before you hit send.
Paraphraser
Too blunt, too long, or too stiff? Rewrite it without losing the meaning.
Common questions
- How do I start an email?
- With a greeting matched to the relationship — Dear [Name] for someone you have not met, Hi [Name] for a colleague — then one line saying what this is about. Skip the throat-clearing and get to the subject.
- How do I write a professional email?
- Use a subject line that names the topic, put your main point in the first sentence, keep it to one idea, make one specific request with a date attached, and sign off with your name.
- How long should an email be?
- As short as it can be while still answerable. Five short paragraphs is a lot. If you have three unrelated things to say, send three emails — each one gets its own thread and its own reply.
- How do I end an email?
- Kind regards for people you do not know, Best regards or Many thanks for clients, Thanks or Best for colleagues. Then your name — an unsigned email reads as unfinished.
- What makes people reply to an email?
- A specific ask with a deadline. “Could you confirm by Thursday?” is answerable in one line; “let me know your thoughts” is a task, and tasks get postponed.