Email Greetings: 40 Professional and Friendly Ways to Say Hello
The best email greetings and salutations for formal, professional, group and friendly emails, plus which greetings to avoid and how to punctuate them.
3 min read
Quick answer
For most work emails, “Hi [Name],” is the safest greeting. Use “Dear [Name],” for formal or first-contact emails, “Hello [Name],” when you want something in between, and “Hi everyone,” or “Hi team,” for groups. Put a comma after the greeting and start your first sentence on a new line.
The greeting is the first thing your reader sees. It sets the tone for everything that follows, so it’s worth choosing on purpose rather than out of habit.
How to choose an email greeting
Ask two questions:
- How formal is the situation? A job application needs more formality than a quick question to a teammate.
- Do you know them? First emails should lean polite; later emails can relax to match how they write to you.
Formal email greetings
Use these for job applications, official requests, professors, and anyone senior you haven’t met.
- Dear [First name] [Last name],
- Dear Mr. / Ms. / Dr. [Last name],
- Dear Professor [Last name],
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear [Job title],
- Dear [Team name] team,
- Good morning / Good afternoon [Name],
- Hello [Full name],
Professional (everyday work) greetings
Right for most business email with clients, partners and colleagues.
- Hi [Name],
- Hello [Name],
- Good morning [Name],
- Hi [Name], thanks for getting back to me.
- Hello again, [Name],
- Thanks, [Name],
- Hi [Name], great to hear from you.
Greetings for groups
- Hi everyone,
- Hello all,
- Hi team,
- Good morning, everyone,
- Hi [Team name] team,
- Dear colleagues,
- Hi [Name] and [Name],
- Hello both,
Friendly and casual greetings
Save these for colleagues you know and informal teams.
- Hey [Name],
- Hi there,
- Morning [Name]!
- Happy Monday, [Name]!
- Hope your week’s going well, [Name]!
- Hey team!
- Hi friend,
Greetings for replies and follow-ups
- Thanks for your quick reply, [Name].
- Hi [Name], following up on my last email.
- Hi again, [Name],
- Thanks for the update, [Name].
- Great to hear from you, [Name].
Greetings when you don’t know the name
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear Admissions Team,
- Hello Customer Support,
- Dear [Company] team,
- Hello,
Email greetings to avoid
| Greeting | Why to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Dear Sir or Madam, | Feels outdated; a name or role is better |
| To whom it may concern, | Impersonal; see better alternatives |
| Gentlemen, | Excludes anyone who isn’t a man |
| Hey! (no name) | Too casual for a first email |
| Hi [Misspelled name], | The fastest way to make a bad first impression |
| Greetings, | Can read like spam |
How to punctuate an email greeting
- Put a comma after the name: “Hi Sam,”
- Start your first sentence on a new line with a capital letter.
- Technically “Hi, Sam,” is correct, but almost nobody writes it that way in email, and it’s fine to skip the first comma.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most professional email greeting?
“Dear [Name],” is the most formal. For everyday professional email, “Hello [Name],” or “Hi [Name],” are both widely accepted.
Is “Hey” okay in a work email?
Only with colleagues you know well and who write to you the same way. Avoid it in first emails, with clients, and with anyone senior you don’t know.
Should I use a comma or a colon after an email greeting?
Use a comma (“Hi Sam,”) in nearly all emails. A colon (“Dear Dr. Lee:”) is only used in very formal American business letters.
How do I greet someone when I don’t know their gender?
Use their full name (“Dear Alex Morgan,”) or their role (“Dear Hiring Manager,”) instead of guessing “Mr.” or “Ms.”