Email Etiquette 101
Email etiquette can be a difficult skill to master. From choosing the right greeting to the best sign-off, you can easily turn a good email into a bad one if you're not careful. If you're looking to improve your professional email game and avoid making amateur mistakes, we've got you. Here are 20 things you should never write in a work email.
1. "Hey"
Starting an email with an overly informal greeting like "Hey" might come off too casual and even rude to the recipient. Even if you don't want to use something too oddly polite (and outdated), like "Dear," you don't want to tip the scale and commit the other extreme.
2. "Yours Sincerely"
Speaking of overly polite, "Yours sincerely," "Yours faithfully," and other similar variations may sound strange for a sign-off. Keep them for physical letters and when you're writing to someone you're familiar with, like a friend or family member, but at work, use something simple, like "Best" or "Warm Regards."
3. All Caps
Unless you're trying to get yourself fired, avoid typing in all caps. Honestly, there should be no occasion that warrants writing this way, and it'll likely strike the recipient as a potential threat, no matter the content of the email. Stick to writing in sentence case.
4. Lapslock
Just as you shouldn't write in all caps, don't write in all lowercase, either. While the former might come off threatening, the latter will come off too casual and informal, like you're texting a friend rather than replying to a colleague or client in a professional setting.
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5. Double Exclamation Marks
Even one too many exclamation marks can be too much in an email, and if you're doubling or tripling them at the end of a sentence, you'll come off unprofessional and immature. No matter how excited you are to express something, if you need to use an exclamation mark, stick to just one.
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6. "Cheers"
This might be a surprising one, but using "Cheers" can also come off too casual and informal—though it might depend on who you're emailing. Don't use this sign-off to someone you're messaging for the first time or to an extremely important client, even if they used it first.
7. Emojis
Emojis can immediately make an email look and seem unprofessional. Avoid using them at all costs, even if you think they add a witty or personal touch. The only exception is if the person you're messaging used them first and you want to reflect that familiarity back—but even then, don't overuse them, and stick with simple smiley faces.
8. Slang or Text Abbreviations
Never, ever use slang or text abbreviations like "LOL" and "TTYL" in a work email, unless you're messaging a close friend. If you're emailing clients and higher-ups, shelve the text-speak or you'll risk sounding wildly unprofessional.
9. Personal or Sensitive Details
From revealing overly personal stories about your day to including sensitive information, like identification numbers, these are absolute no-nos in work emails, especially the latter. Leave the rambling anecdotes for your work BFF through texts, not emails.
10. "Probably"
Avoid saying things like "I'll probably have it done by today," or "I probably have this day free." This kind of uncertainty won't land well with your recipient, and it'll only make them doubt you and your accountability. Be honest and either include a flexible schedule or a specific date or deadline.
11. Leave Errors
Make sure to always read and re-read your emails before you send them. Having typos and grammar mistakes in an email can immediately tarnish your professional tone. And if there's one thing you should ensure you never, ever misspell, it's the recipient's name.
12. Jokes
Unless you're messaging someone you know well or a work BFF, don't send jokes over email. If you want to incorporate humor, do so in a way that's still professional and respectful, and always remember to err on the side of caution.
13. Use Nicknames Unless Given Permission
Even if you think it's safe to shorten someone's name, like "Jessica" to "Jess," the friendly intention you had in mind might not bode well with the recipient. Don't assume familiarity or closeness with someone you've never messaged before. Unless they give you explicit permission to call them by another preferred name, stay professional and stick to the one on their email handle.
14. "Guys"
Don't address your team or group of recipients as "guys." Not only is it a gendered term—which may not sit well with everyone at your organization—it also sounds too casual, like you're sending a text to friends and not emailing professionals. Use "folks," "all," or "team" instead.
15. "Yeah"
This one might seem innocent, but just like using "guys," writing "yeah" in an email can come off too casual and unprofessional, and can even sound dismissive. If you're confirming or affirming something, keep it simple and write "yes." (See: "Yeah, that works," versus "Yes, that works.")
16. "Think"; "Guess"; "Suppose"
Compare these two sentences: "I think I can get it back to you by EOD today," and "I can get it back to you by EOD today or tomorrow morning at the latest." Who would trust more? Probably the person who said the second sentence, right? When emailing clients and others who are depending on you to have your work done by a certain deadline, they don't want to hear you use words like "I think," "I guess," "I'll try," or "I suppose." You want to come off trustworthy and reliable, not wishy-washy.
17. "Stuff"
What "stuff" are you talking about? Is it a project, file, document, conversation, or meeting? When you use vague words like this, not only does it make you appear unprofessional, but you'll also come off immature and like you're not sure what you're doing. Specify what it is that you're referring to.
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18. Sign Off with Unprofessional Signature
Just as you should sign off with something short and professional, like "Best" or "Warm regards," you should also make sure you have an appropriate signature. This could be simple, like "Best, Your Name," or more elaborate, like "Best, Your Name" followed by your company name, position title, and contact information.
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19. "Obviously"
Is it really obvious, or are you just saying it to sound passive-aggressive? After all, if something were truly "obvious," you probably wouldn't be sending an email about it in the first place. Don't adopt this kind of condescending tone in your emails.
20. "Really"
Using the word "really" in emails might seem harmless, but it makes your tone sound more conversational and casual than professional. You could probably retain the meaning of your message without it. Plus, if it's used for emphasis, you're better off consulting the thesaurus for a better term.
