What is the difference between formal and informal letter

Written documents in hard form, including letters, promote trust and integrity within the corresponding parties and also help maintain proper records and trails.

Whenever such form of disseminating information is used in a business entity or a professional environment, the writer should prefer to choose the relevant words, style and correct tone. The writer must be respectful and polite even while writing a complain letter.

Informal letters are more concerned with expressing feelings of closeness and affection with the reader. The words, style and tone of such letters express the internal feelings of sender as well as the nature of his relations with the person addressed in the letter. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Formal vs informal letter Posted by Terms compared staff Jan 12, Management.

Definitions and meanings Formal Letter: A formal letter is a type of letter which is written to communicate complaints, requests, inquiries, proposals, invitations and other official matters in business entities, establishments, and private and government institutions. Related posts: Formal vs informal communication Difference between formal and informal organizations Internal communication vs external communication Policies vs procedures Upward communication vs downward communication Contingency planning vs crisis management Difference between centralization and decentralization.

Previous Interest bearing vs zero interest bearing note. Next Common stock vs treasury stock. About The Author. The language and tone of the letter also depend on the familiarity between the sender and the recipient. That is to say, a letter you write to a distant relative and a letter you write to your best friend will be vastly different. If we look at some components of an informal letter briefly,. Language: Informal language, you can use slang and colloquial terms. Tone: Conversational tone, it is said that an informal letter should sound like a real conversation.

Do not use titles. The major difference between a formal letter and an informal letter is their purpose : a formal letter is written for professional official and business communication while the informal letter is used for personal communication.

An informal letter is written to a close friend or a relative, but a formal letter is generally sent to a person we do not know. Another difference that can be observed is the structure of the letter.

Differences between Formal and Informal Letter. Purpose : As I mentioned earlier, the purposes of these letters are quite different. Formal letter is usually written for official reasons. A formal letter , also known as a business letter , and it is written in a formal language with a specific structure and layout.

An informal letter is a personal letter, you may want to ask for something, or communicate with a friend far away. An informal letter is a letter you would write to a friend, a family member or an acquaintance. Format : When writing a formal letter, you must be conscious of the arrangement from the addresses and dates; to the salutation and heading; down to the introduction; body and conclusion; and then closing and signature. An informal letter is quite different because you can choose to write it the way you want.

If not for exams, an informal letter is just a written form of communication without formalities. Language : In informal letter, you are allowed to use codes, slang, abbreviation if you like. Formal letter is different because you have to mind your language usage.

Manner : You have to go straight to the point when writing a formal letter, keep it simple and short and also avoid all unnecessary friendly chat and casualness. An informal letter allows you to greet and gist a little before going to the issue at hand depending on your relationship with the recipient. Related Article: Summary of the 3 Types of Letters. Formal Letter. Informal Letter Sample. Formal Letter Summary. Features of a Formal Letter. Your Address and date : This should be written at the top right corner.

Recipient Address : This is the address of the receiver of the letter, it should be written at the left hand side after the date. Heading : This carries the reason you are writing the letter in one sentence, it should be in capital letters, if not, it should be underlined. Body : First paragraph should be introductory while the second paragraph should convey whatever it is you want to get across, in details.

The last paragraph should be conclusive. The letter can be used for some reasons like conveying message, news, giving advice, congratulate recipient, request information, asking questions, etc. It is a personal letter, written to whom you are familiar with, like friends, siblings, parents or any other closed one.

There is no specific format prescribed for writing this letter. While writing an informal letter, one can afford to be friendly, and make use personal or emotional tone. Slang or colloquial terms, codes, abbreviations, etc. So, before start writing letter, first of all, you should identify, Who is your recipient? If you are having a professional relationship with the recipient, then you should go for a formal letter, whereas if the recipient is someone very close to you or you know the recipient well, then the informal letter is the right choice for you.

Really ……it is helpful for me!!!! Thank u very much for such a good description.. This is really helpful article written in simple language. Easy to Understand. Love you….. Thanks a lot. It is Good formation for about writing later. You explain very well. It is helpful to all student. It really helped me in understanding formal and informal letters.