To Whom It May Concern vs Dear Sir or Madam: Which to Use, and What to Write Instead

Use "To Whom It May Concern" only when a letter truly has no single reader, such as a reference or a general certificate. For job applications and requests, find a name, or write "Dear Hiring Manager" or a team name. In British English, "Dear Sir or Madam" pairs with "Yours faithfully", while "Dear Mr Patel" pairs with "Yours sincerely".

The short answer

"To Whom It May Concern" is acceptable when you are writing a document that any number of readers may see, such as a reference letter, a proof-of-employment letter or a general notice. It is a poor choice for a job application, a sales email or a request to a named organisation, because it tells the reader you did not look up who they are. In those cases, use a name, a job title or a team name.

"Dear Sir or Madam" is older still. It is traditional in formal British letters, but many readers now find it stiff, and it leaves out anyone who is neither a sir nor a madam. A role-based greeting is usually safer.

When "To Whom It May Concern" still works

The phrase was designed for letters that will be read by someone you cannot name in advance. It still fits when:

• You are writing a letter that the subject will carry around. A landlord's reference, a letter confirming a person's job title and dates of employment, or a letter of introduction can be shown to several organisations.
• You are writing a formal complaint and have no contact name. Even then, a team or department is better than the phrase if you know one.
• You are submitting to a general inbox with no information about who reads it. A "careers@" or "info@" address may fall into this category, although a role-based greeting usually works just as well.

Ask one question before you use it: Is there a person, role or team I could name instead? If the answer is yes, name it.

Capitalisation and punctuation

Capitalise every word: To Whom It May Concern. In American English, put a colon after it in business letters ("To Whom It May Concern:") and a comma in less formal emails. In British English, a comma or no punctuation at all after the salutation is common in modern letters ("Dear Sir or Madam," or "Dear Sir or Madam" with open punctuation). Pick one style and keep it throughout the letter.

Do not write "To whom it may concern" in lower case in a formal letter, and do not write "To Who It May Concern". The correct pronoun is whom because it is the object of "to".

Why it can look dated

In a cover letter, an unnamed greeting says that you sent the same message to many employers. A hiring manager may read many applications, and a message that shows even a small amount of research stands out. "To Whom It May Concern" also sounds like a template, since it is hard to say anything specific after a greeting that is addressed to nobody.

This is a matter of reader expectation, not a grammar error. The phrase is correct English. It is simply a weaker choice when a better one is available.

The UK rule: Dear Sir or Madam goes with Yours faithfully

British, Irish, Australian and many Commonwealth style conventions match the greeting and the closing:

The logic: if you do not know the person's name, use "faithfully"; if you do, use "sincerely". Only the first word of the closing is capitalised ("Yours faithfully"), and it is followed by a comma or, in open punctuation, nothing.

In American English the closing does not depend on the greeting. "Sincerely," or "Best regards," is used with both named and unnamed salutations. The same applies to an unnamed greeting such as "To Whom It May Concern:", which is typically closed with "Sincerely,".

This pairing is also taught for the letter-writing task in English exams such as IELTS General Training, where candidates are commonly advised to match the greeting and the closing. If you are preparing for an exam, check your test provider's current guidance.

Note that modern emails, even in the UK, often skip "faithfully" and "sincerely" and use "Kind regards" or "Best wishes". See how to end an email for options.

How to find a name

A named greeting is the most effective fix. Try these steps, in order:

1. Read the job advert again. Names often appear in "Contact", "Apply to" or "Reporting to" lines, or in the email address you are asked to use.
2. Check the company website. Look at "About us", "Team" and "Careers" pages for the head of the department or recruiter.
3. Search the company's page on LinkedIn. Look for the person who posted the role or leads the team. Use only information that people have made public.
4. Ask. A short call or email to the main office ("Could you tell me who is handling applications for the marketing assistant role?") is normal and usually welcome.
5. Check the spelling and the title. If you cannot tell whether the person prefers Ms, Mr, Mx or Dr, use their full name: "Dear Jordan Lee".

If the search fails after a few minutes, stop and use a role-based greeting. Do not guess a name or a gender.

Modern alternatives, with examples

Role or team greetings

• Dear Hiring Manager,
• Dear Recruitment Team,
• Dear Admissions Committee,
• Dear Scholarship Panel,
• Dear Customer Support Team,
• Dear Accounts Department,
• Dear Members of the Selection Committee,

Capitalise job titles when they work as part of a greeting ("Dear Hiring Manager"), and use a comma (UK, or informal US) or a colon (formal US).

Neutral greetings for less formal emails

• Hello Northgate Library team,
• Hello,
• Good morning,
• Hi everyone,

These suit emails to small organisations, startups and customer service addresses. Avoid "Hey" in a first message to someone senior.

Worked before and after

Before (cover letter):

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to apply for the position advertised on your website.

After:

Dear Ms Okafor, I am applying for the Junior Content Editor role advertised on the Northgate Press careers page.

Before (complaint):

Dear Sir or Madam, I want to complain about my order.

After:

Dear Customer Service Team, I am writing about order 48213, delivered on 12 October 2026 with a cracked screen.

The second version in each pair names a real reader and gets to the point. If your email also needs a good opening line, see how to start an email.

A reference letter: using the phrase correctly

To Whom It May Concern:

I am pleased to confirm that Maya Rahman worked as a sales assistant at Ridgeway Garden Centre from March 2024 to August 2026. During that time she handled customer enquiries, managed the weekend rota and trained two new colleagues.

Please contact me at the number below if you need further information.

Sincerely, Daniel Brooks Store Manager

Here the phrase is appropriate: Maya will give the letter to different people, and Daniel cannot know who they are.

Common mistakes

Checking your greeting with AdeptWrite

Paste the opening of your letter into the Grammar Checker and the Spell Checker before you send it; the spell checker lets you choose American or British English, which matters for words such as organisation and organization. If your draft sounds too stiff or too casual, the Tone Changer can rewrite it in a formal, office or casual tone. The Email & Letter Writer can draft a first version from your notes. Its output is generated text, so add the real name, dates and details yourself and read it carefully before sending. Each run is limited to 6,000 characters.

For a full letter, see how to write a cover letter and how to write a professional email.

A quick checklist

1. Could I name a person? Spend five minutes looking.
2. If not, could I name a role or team?
3. Is this a letter that many readers will see? Only then use "To Whom It May Concern".
4. Does my closing match my greeting (UK: faithfully or sincerely)?
5. Are the capitals and punctuation consistent?
6. Does my first sentence say why I am writing?

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