How to Address an Envelope

If the thought of sending mail to the wrong destination makes you panic, you are not alone. When the holidays are approaching, or you have a deadline to send a confidential document, ensuring that your mail gets into the right hands is critical. This is why it is important to know how to properly address an envelope for accurate and prompt delivery.

Addressing an envelope in 3 simple steps

Considering the decreased popularity of the traditional mailing system, which has been widely replaced by digital mail, it is likely that you may be unfamiliar with how to address envelopes. Here are three steps to simplify the process so you can put the stamp on your mail with confidence.

Step 1: Add the sender’s return address

The first thing you may want to do is add the sender’s address to the top left corner of the envelope. In 2020, the U.S. Postal Service network reported over 73 million misrouted first-class letters. In case of delivery issues such as a wrong address, you want to make sure there is a way that you can retrieve your mail. Here is how to format your return address:

• Sender’s full name
• Street address or P.O box number (include the apartment, condo, or suite number)
• City, state, and ZIP code
• Country

Step 2: Write the recipient's address

One of the most important steps of the mailing process is the recipient’s name and address. If you’ve spent money on expensive wedding invitations or hours preparing your annual family Christmas cards, then getting your mail to the correct recipient matters. Similar to the structure used to write your return address, you will place the recipient’s mailing address in the center of the envelope while utilizing the remaining space available as a placement guide. 

There are two ways to properly format the recipient address:

Informal: This structure is typically used to send mail to people you personally know, such as family and friends.

• Recipient’s full name
• Street address (include the apartment, condo, or suite number)
• City, state, and ZIP code
• Country (optional but mandatory for international mail)

Formal: This option works best for business transactions or recipients you know professionally. This can include businesses, organizations, doctors, teachers, and colleagues. 

• Start with “Attn:” or “c/o:" then add the recipient’s full name (include titles such as Dr., Mrs., Ms. when applicable)
• Business name or organization
• Street address or P.O box number (include the apartment, condo, or suite number)
• City, state, and ZIP code 
• Country (optional but mandatory for international mail)

Step 3: Add postage

Before sending off or receiving packaged mail from some of our beloved online department stores, in most cases, we must pay for shipment. In this instance, your postage stamp will serve as your form of payment. To select the proper postage, there are several factors you must consider, such as the envelope’s weight, size, destination, and your desired date of delivery.

Starting costs for postage stamps will start from $0.73. However, prices may differ if purchased at the post office or printed online. You will then place the stamp on the upper right-hand corner of your envelope, and depending on the weight of the envelope, more than one stamp may be required to cover shipment costs so check in with your local post office for guidance. Ultimately, your stamps are your form of cash in the traditional mailing system. Now you’re ready to mail!

Special address cases and examples

When it comes to the mailing system, “one size does not fit all,” in other words, there are unique circumstances that will require a slightly different approach. For example, you may have family members who live in an apartment building, outside of the country or recently moved to a military base. To maintain communication via snail mail, there are ways to properly address the envelope. 

Apartment addresses

Sending mail to a recipient who lives in an apartment building will require the apartment number. This is extremely important for deliveries, considering the multitude of apartments that can be in a single building. To ensure that your mail gets delivered to the right address, you must add the apartment number next to the street address as follows:

Rachel Scott
333 Green St. Apt. 3A
Winchester, CA 11111
USA

Although typing and printing an address label is possible, written form is the most common way to address an envelope. So make sure your writing is legible to avoid confusion between apartment letters and numbers such as “Apt 1B,” which is often confused with “Apt 18.” 

P.O. boxes

A P.O. box is a mailbox that is securely located within the post office for business or personal use. Similar to sending mail to a traditional address, the P.O. box number will serve as the “street address” as follows:

Rachel Scott
P.O. Box 333
Winchester, CA 11111
USA

Military addresses

If you have friends or family members who are currently serving our country, sometimes traditional mail will be your best form of communication with your loved ones in uniform. However, it’s important to note that the military installation where the active duty member is stationed will determine how you will address your envelope. Here are some abbreviations you should know that may be included in the address, such as:

• FPO: Fleet Post Office
• APO: Represents Army Post Office
• DPO: Diplomatic Post Office

If your service member is stationed overseas, you must also include the following:

• AP: Armed Forces Pacific 
• AE: Armed Forces Europe, Middle East, Africa and Canada
• AA: Armed Forces Americas

If your service member is stationed overseas, it is important to verify the exact abbreviations that correlate with their mailing address. You may also have to include their rate, rank, unit, and command, which may look like the following:

BMC John Smith
USS PREBLE DDG-10
Unit 888777 Box 1010
FPO, AP 11111
USA

If you plan on sending mail to a military spouse and members of the active duty family who are stationed overseas, you will send all mail to the postal service center (PSC) located on the military base using this format:

Olivia Smith
PSC 101 Box 10101010
FPO, AP 11111
USA

International addresses

To send international mail, you must include the country name on the last line. Additionally, depending on the country, you may be required to write the ZIP code before the city and will have to include the following:

• Recipient’s full name 
• Street address or P.O. box 
• City or town, province, state, county, and postal code
• Country

Here’s an example:

James William
777 Main Road
11111 St John
France

Business and office addresses

There are formal ways to address an envelope when sending mail to a business or office address. Considering that a business address is typically shared between colleagues, it is important to use acronyms such as, “Attn.,” which stands for attention, or “c/o,” which stands for “care of,” to direct mail to the correct person​. 

Attn: Kenneth Edward
Welcome Home Realty
0812 Palm Way Suite 10
San Diego, CA 11111
USA

Postcards

As you prepare to send off your postcard, it’s important to note that you will not need to add your return address. However, you still need to add the recipient’s address to ensure that your postcard gets to the right place. Postcards have two sides, with one side usually adorned with artwork or a photograph. The other side is typically divided vertically, with space provided on the left for a message to the recipient and on the right for the recipient’s address. 

Just as you would format the recipient’s address on an envelope, you will do the same on your postcard. In some cases, you may add the city, state, country, and date to the upper right-hand side. After completion, you can add your stamp in the space provided on the upper right side to cover the cost of sending your postcard.

Tips for addressing letters

Here are additional tips for sending letters, such as:

• Use all capital letters to make the address more readable
• Avoid punctuation marks 
• Use blue or black ink pen or marker 
• Avoid pencils to prevent erasure
• Leave space at the bottom of the envelope for barcodes and postal markings
• Make sure your font size is large enough to read 
• Leave enough space between the sender and recipient’s address

FAQs

What should I do if I make a mistake on the envelope?

It is highly recommended to replace your envelope if a mistake is made to avoid confusion. However, depending on the extent of your mistake, you can use your judgment to determine if the envelope can be saved. If so, you may be able to correct minor errors using a printed label or a separate piece of paper that is neatly cut to cover the mistake with the rewritten information. 

In some cases, you may be able to use correction products like Wite-Out to cover the mistake as long as the information is legible. 

How do I address an envelope to a couple?

Before sending mail to a couple, you should confirm their relationship status and if they share the last name, which will determine how to address the envelope. If the last name is shared, there are a few ways that you can address the couple on your envelope, such as:

• “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” 
• “Michael & Kimberly Smith”
• “Mr. Michael Smith& Mrs. Kimberly Smith”

If the couple does not share a last name, you can address them by their individual names, such as “Mr. Michael Smith & Mrs. Kimberly Jackson.”

How do I address an envelope to a family?

There are multiple ways you can address a family on an envelope; however, family size may determine how you choose to format the family name. For instance, when sending mail to a family, you may want to write the full name of each family member. Although this may add a personalized touch, larger families may need more space on the envelope. Here are a couple of options you can consider:

• “The Smith Family”
• “Mr. and Mrs. Smith Family”
• “The Smith children”

How can I mail my envelope?

There are three ways to mail your envelope. Depending on your mailbox, you can place your envelope directly into your assigned mailbox, which may be in front of your home, or you may share a mailbox and use the “outgoing” mailbox slot. If you do not have access to a mailbox, you can use the United States Postal Service (USPS) blue drop box or drop off your mail at your local post office.