It’s a phrase you’ve probably seen many times—To Whom It May Concern. But why is it so frequently used, and why is it written with all capital letters? To Whom It May Concern is a common salutation used in formal correspondence, and it’s often used when the recipient of the letter isn’t known. This generic greeting is typically used for cover letters, job applications, and other situations where you don’t know the name of the person you’re writing to.
Though there isn’t a set rule for capitalizing To Whom It May Concern, it’s customary to write it with all capital letters as a sign of respect. This phrase has been in use since at least 1533, making it one of the oldest salutations stil in existence today. Writing this phrase out with all caps helps to emphasize the formality and give your message an air of professionalism.
Keep in mind that while To Whom It May Concern may be an appropriate option when you don’t have a contact person’s name, doing research to find out who will be receiving your letter is always preferable. Taking time to track down the name of the recipient will show that you took extra effort and care into crafting your message, which can go a long way towards making a good impression!
So next time you need to start off a formal letter or email but don’t know who’ll be receiving it, feel free to use To Whom It May Concern—just make sure to capitalize it properly!
To Whom It May Concern
It is generally accepted to capitalize each word in the phrase “To Whom It May Concern” in order to give it a more formal and respectful tone. This greeting is commonly used in letters and other formal documents, so it is important to ensure that the phrase looks presentable and professional. Capitalizing each word helps emphasize the importance of the message that is being conveyed and shows a level of respect for the recipient of the letter or document.
Source: moma.org
To Whom It May Concern
The correct punctuation for the salutation “To Whom It May Concern” is a comma, followed by a colon: “To Whom It May Concern,”:.
Capitalizing Words
The general rule for capitalizing words is to capitalize the first word of a sentence, as well as all nouns, verbs (even short ones such as “is”), adjectives, and proper nouns. Articles, conjunctions, and prepositions should usually be kept lowercase; however, some style guides may suggest that conjunctions and prepositions with five or more letters should also be capitalized.
Capitalizing Words in a Salutation
No, you do not capitalize all words in a salutation. In general, you should capitalize the first word of the salutation and all nouns. For example, if the salutation is “Dear Professor Smith,” then “Dear” and “Professor” would be capitalized, but not “Smith.” However, if the receiver of the letter is unknown, then all words in the salutation should be capitalized. For titles and headlines, it is best to capitalize the first and last words, main words, and hyphenated words.
Capitalizing Greetings in Emails
Yes, it is typical to capitalize greetings in an email. This applies to both the greeting at the beginning of the email (e.g. “Dear [Name]”) and the closing at the end of the email (e.g. “Good [Morning/Afternoon/Evening], [Name]”). Capitalizing greetings helps to make them stand out, emphasizing respect and politeness.
Capitalizing After ‘Dear’ in a Letter
Yes, you should capitalize after the word “dear” in a letter. This is bcause when you use the word “dear” as part of a salutation in a letter, it is treated as if it were a proper noun, similar to a name. Therefore, the word following “dear” should be capitalized just as you would when addressing someone by their name. For example, if you are addressing someone named Madam, then your salutation would read: “Dear Madam.” Similarly, if you are writing to several people at once and addressing them collectively with the phrase “Dear Colleagues,” then both words should be capitalized.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the phrase “To Whom It May Concern” is a standard salutation for formal correspondence that does not have a specific recipient. This phrase is often used to start off letters and other documents when the author does not know who will be reading it. While it is not necessary to capitalize each word of this phrase, it is common practice to do so in order to make the greeting look more professional and polished.
