Write a formal English email without starting from a template.
Most of a work email is the same few moves: a greeting, why you are writing, what you need, a polite close. The hard part in a second language is the tone. WriteNative lets you write the email the way you would say it in your own language and puts formal, natural English in Mail, Outlook or Gmail.
The shape of a formal email
Four parts, each one or two lines:
- Greeting: "Dear Ms Chen," when you have not written before or the setting is formal; "Hi Daniel," once you are on first-name terms. "Dear Sir or Madam," only when you have no name at all.
- Why you are writing: "I am writing about the order we placed on 3 October." or, in a reply, "Thank you for your quick reply."
- What you need, as a question: "Could you confirm the delivery date by Friday?" reads politer than "Please confirm" and gets the same answer.
- Closing: "Best regards," or "Kind regards," for most work email; "Sincerely," in very formal letters. "Thanks," alone is fine between colleagues.
The emails that are hardest to word
Saying no, asking again and apologising are where a second language feels blunt. Some phrasings that work:
| You want to | Instead of | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Decline | We can't do that. | Unfortunately, we are not able to offer that at the moment. |
| Follow up | Why haven't you answered? | I wanted to follow up on my email from last week. |
| Apologise | Sorry for the mistake. | I apologise for the error, and we have corrected it. |
| Ask for a date | Tell me when. | Could you let me know when this would suit you? |
Write it in your language, send it in English
With nothing selected in the email, press ⌥ twice and write what you want to say in your own language. The English appears as you write, formal because you are in Mail or Outlook; press Return and it is in your email. Names, product names and numbers stay as you wrote them.
Already wrote it in English? Select a sentence and press ⌥ twice: Formal, Friendly, Shorter, or Polite no and Gentle nudge for the hard ones. Mistakes are underlined as you type, each explained in your language.
Where it works
Apple Mail, Outlook for Mac, Gmail and other webmail in the browser, and most Mac apps. WriteNative is a Mac app: it does not run on Windows or phones, and it does not work inside Google Docs.
Questions
- How do I write a formal business email in English if English is not my first language?
- Keep the four parts short (greeting, why you are writing, the request, a closing such as "Best regards,") and phrase requests as questions. WriteNative, a Mac app, lets you write the email in your own language and puts formal English in Mail, Outlook or Gmail, then explains any remaining mistake in your language.
- Should I write "Dear" or "Hi"?
- "Dear" plus the surname for a first email or a formal setting, "Hi" plus the first name once the other person writes to you that way. Follow how they sign their emails.
- What is the most common closing for a work email?
- "Best regards," or "Kind regards,". "Sincerely," is for formal letters; "Thanks," or "Best," between colleagues who write often.
- Is it free?
- Spelling and typo fixes are free without an account. A free account adds 30 paragraph checks and 5 AI uses a day, such as writing an email from your language. Pro is unlimited, with a 7-day free trial.
Write your next email in your language. Send it in English.
Free to download, for Mac.