Yes, almost everyone uses email and texts. Most people do, at least. But sending a letter still happens. Maybe you need to mail a check, send a birthday card, or apply for a job. It takes more effort than electronic messages, which is probably why it feels more meaningful when you get one. And, if you are going to send a letter, you want it to arrive.
If you get the address wrong, or leave out a piece, your letter might never make it. Or it could come back with a big sticker slapped on it. Not quite the heartfelt moment you planned. A lot of people pause here. Is the return address supposed to go in the top left?
Do you write attention lines? What about international mail? Most of us are not taught this outright; you learn by copying mail you get, or taking guesses, or maybe you Google it right as you are standing over the envelope, pen in hand. Let’s sort it out.
The Parts of an Envelope
Every standard envelope, the kind most people use for letters or bills, has two main sides. The front (the side with no flap) is where you do your writing. The back has the flap for closing. You can leave the back blank , there’s no reason to write on it in normal situations. Here are the basics for the front:
- Return address: Your address , usually the upper left corner.
- Recipient’s address: The person or company you are mailing to. Goes in the center, a bit lower, not exactly in the middle.
- Postage stamp: Usually the top right corner.
If you have a special envelope, like a larger padded mailer or something decorative, the same rules apply. But the scale might look a little off. I still prefer the upper left for the return address, even if it is more edge-to-edge on a big envelope.
Where to Put Each Part
| Part | Placement | Example (US address) |
|---|---|---|
| Return Address | Upper left corner | Jane Smith 456 Elm St Springfield, IL 62704 |
| Recipient’s Address | Middle, slightly lower than center | John Doe 123 Maple Ave Columbus, OH 43085 |
| Stamp | Upper right corner | (Postage Stamp Image) |
How to Format an Address
The exact format does matter. Mail is sorted by machines and real people too; if it is messy, they might have trouble. Here’s how to handle each part.
The Return Address
This part is not strictly required, but if your letter cannot be delivered, it lets the post office send it back. I have had mail get returned to me for weird reasons: house number not found, recipient moved, or the stamp fell off. Always good to have a return address.
If you skip the return address, there is a real chance your letter just gets lost. Out there in the mail void.
Write it in three lines:
- Your name
- Street address or PO Box
- City, State abbreviation, ZIP Code (five or nine digits for the US)
Like this:
Jane Smith
456 Elm St
Springfield, IL 62704
You can use blue or black ink. Some people use printed return labels , those little stickers. These are fine and look neat. I think handwriting is more personal, but I am not sure it actually makes a difference in delivery.
The Recipient’s Address
This is the main part. Center this on the envelope left-to-right. Start about halfway down from the top, but not so low it is squished at the bottom edge. No need for a ruler , a good guess usually works. But I have had a letter come back marked “illegible” once because my writing was too large and it crowded the stamp. If you are addressing a person at their home, use:
- Full name (no nicknames)
- Street address , include apartment, suite, or unit if needed
- City, State abbreviation, ZIP Code (US)
For example:
John Doe
123 Maple Ave Apt 4C
Columbus, OH 43085
If the recipient is a business, use the business name on the top line. Add “Attn:” or “Attention:” if it’s directed to a specific person or department.
Acme Corporation
Attn: Human Resources
987 Office Park Dr
Boston, MA 02110
State Names and Abbreviations
Use standard two-letter postal abbreviations for US states. No periods, all capital letters. For example: “TX” for Texas, “CA” for California, “NY” for New York. Here is a quick list for a few states:
| Full Name | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| California | CA |
| New York | NY |
| Illinois | IL |
| Texas | TX |
| Florida | FL |
The ZIP code is either 5 or 9 digits; you do not need the extra four unless you know them.
Example of a Finished Envelope
Here is what a typical, domestic envelope might look like:
| Top left: Sarah Jacobs 900 Oak St Indianapolis, IN 46220 |
Top right: (Stamp) |
| Middle, centered: The Green Family 11 Lake Drive Madison, WI 53703 |
|
This format works for most situations , personal cards, bills, business letters.
Special Cases: International Mail
Sending something outside your country is a little different. You need more details, and the envelope needs to be clear for different postal services along the way.
How to Address an International Envelope
- Recipient’s name (always written clearly)
- Street address (sometimes with a building or apartment number)
- City or locality
- Postcode / ZIP code
- Country (write in all capital letters)
Place your return address in the usual spot , upper left corner. For example, mailing from the US to Paris, France:
Marie Duval
10 Rue de Rivoli
75004 Paris
FRANCE
Always use the full country name in English, written in capital letters. The post office needs to recognize it quickly.
Do not try to translate the street names or city into English. Write them as they would appear in the destination country. If you are mailing between other countries (not the US), check local guidelines. The US is pretty flexible, but some countries are more particular.
Non-Latin Alphabets
If your recipient’s address uses characters not in the Latin alphabet (Russian, Chinese, Japanese), include it in the local script. Write the country name in English and capital letters under the address. You can put the local script address below the English version, or vice versa. Sometimes, though, a post office official might re-write the address for you if it is not legible , at least that has happened to me once with an envelope to Bulgaria.
Military and Government Mail
For military addresses, the US has special abbreviations: APO (Army Post Office), FPO (Fleet Post Office), DPO (Diplomatic Post Office). The state is replaced with these:
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| APO | Army Post Office |
| FPO | Fleet Post Office |
| DPO | Diplomatic Post Office |
The ZIP code is still needed. The country should be “UNITED STATES,” even if the destination is abroad.
John Smith
PSC 1234 Box 5678
APO AE 09012
UNITED STATES
Handling Special Address Situations
Apartment, Unit, or Suite Numbers
Include an apartment or unit on the line after the street address or right after it, separated by a comma or a hash:
117 Cedar Ln Apt 3B
1010 South Ave, #124
Do not forget the apartment or suite number. Leaving this out is one of the top reasons mail gets lost in bigger buildings.
C/O and Attention Lines
Sometimes you send mail to someone “care of” another person or business. Use “c/o” before the name:
c/o Jane Matthews
Put it right above the recipient’s street address. This is common when you send something to an employee at a company or a guest staying temporarily.
Post Office Boxes (PO Box)
If the recipient uses a PO Box, use that line instead of the street address:
Sean Lee
PO Box 70321
Denver, CO 80210
Letters addressed to both a street and a PO Box will go to the PO Box.
What About Fancy Fonts or Colors?
You might want to make your envelope look nice. Perhaps it is a wedding invitation or holiday card. Some people use bold ink, calligraphy, stickers, or wax seals. This mostly works, but legibility comes first.
Your handwriting or print must be clear. The postal machines read black and blue best, but they still read other colors. Red ink can be a bad choice , it sometimes gets flagged by scanning equipment. Metallic pens are hard to scan.
When in doubt, use plain black or blue ink. Fancy touches are fine on the rest of the envelope, away from the addresses.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
It is easy to slip up when you do not mail envelopes often. A quick look at some things people often get wrong:
- Omitting the ZIP code or getting it wrong. This can send your letter somewhere totally different.
- Writing the city or state incorrectly. Misspellings can confuse the post office.
- Smudged, tiny, or large handwriting that is not readable.
- Forgetting to add postage, or putting not enough postage.
- Writing on the back of the envelope. Just do everything on the front.
- Forgetting the suite or apartment number.
- Overcrowding the stamp area. Do not let your address or stickers touch the corner where the stamp goes.
- Mixing up the recipient and return address locations.
Forgetting the ZIP code is more common than it seems. Sometimes you remember the city and street, but blank out on the number. It has happened to me in a hurry, and the letter took weeks, or never arrived.
Writing Tips for Clear Addresses
A few quick reminders:
- Use all capital letters for the address if you want , this is actually recommended for business mail, not so much for personal, but it helps readability.
- Write neatly, printing each letter. Try not to mix cursive and print or to use unreadable flourishes.
- Leave enough space between lines and words.
- Do not use abbreviations for street names unless they are well known (St, Ave, Rd, Blvd).
- Avoid punctuation marks, except for hyphens in ZIP+4 codes or apartment numbers. The post service ignores most punctuation anyway.
If you are ever unsure about how an address should read, copy it directly from a source , a bill, a business card, or an official website.
Digital Tools: Printing Labels
You do not have to write by hand every time. Sometimes you want to print a label. This is common with packages, but works fine for regular letters too. Word processors like Microsoft Word and Google Docs have envelope templates.
Online stores can generate shipping labels, including barcodes. For personal mail, this might seem like overkill, but offices do it all the time. Printed labels should use a clean, readable typeface. No script fonts or anything too small. If you print a label, leave space for the stamp. Do not let the label crowd the top right corner, or you might not have room for postage.
Using a Return Address: When Is It Necessary?
Technically, you do not need it for regular letters. Some people skip it for privacy , maybe you do not want your home address out there. But if there is a delivery delay, wrong address, or the recipient does not accept delivery, the post office will have nowhere to send it. It could be destroyed.
I always include it. But if you are sending something like a postcard or a greeting where you do not care about getting it back, skipping the return address is an option. The risk is you will never know if your postcard made the trip. For business or government mail, always include it.
Alternate Services and Courier Mail
With private couriers (FedEx, UPS, DHL) the process is similar. The label usually includes a spot for both shipper and recipient. These labels get scanned into computer systems, so handwriting is not used. It is rare to address envelopes by hand for international courier shipments, but I still see it for local deliveries or smaller services.
If you use a drop-off point or postbox, make sure you use an address that matches the service’s expectations. If you put your home’s full address as the recipient on a courier package to a pickup locker, it will not arrive. It has to match their location code or locker PIN.
Do You Need Formats for Other Countries?
Yes, each country has its own postal traditions. For example, in the UK, the postcode goes below the town and is always separate. In Japan, the postal code goes before the address.
If you need to send a letter outside of North America or Europe, search for a sample from the destination’s official postal service. They usually have examples online.
When You Want to Send Something Special
Now and then, a card or letter really matters. If it is a wedding invitation or a very formal mail, some people like special touches:
- Handwritten calligraphy for names
- Wax seals or gold-ink accents
- Decorative envelopes or custom stamps
Still, the core addresses should be clear and match the usual placement. Flair is fine, but delivery depends on clarity. Some traditions say to write out full names and use formal honorifics: “Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jameson” or “The Johnson Family.”
It seems nice, but I think most post offices care most about the street address matching up. Curiously, I have sent out holiday cards with only the recipient’s first name plus street address, and the letters all arrived. But the safer bet is to use first and last name.
When the Details Matter
You might wonder if this much precision is needed. Sometimes, yes, sometimes not. If you are mailing into a small town or rural area, the post office likely knows everyone, and a missing apartment number may not matter. But in bigger cities, or with international mail, even a small slip can cause months-long delays or lost letters.
There is something a little odd about taking so much time to get lines and numbers correct, only to stick on a regular stamp and hope for the best. But, most of the time, it just works, even when the address is not perfect. The real key is to pay a little attention to placement and clarity. It is not as complicated as it seems while staring at a blank envelope. And sometimes, placing that last stamp feels a bit satisfying, even if you are not sure why.