![]() ![]() In that case, arrange the names in alphabetical order by given name:īottom line: If you know the couple, you should know how they prefer to be addressed. Some same-sex couples opt to share a surname. Alice Goodwinįor partners in a same-sex couple, list them in alphabetical order by family name: When each member of a couple uses a different surname, list each name fully, putting them in alphabetical order by family name:ĭr. Robert Hickey, author of Honor & Respect, The Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address, offers a solution that covers every kind of couple: heterosexual, homosexual, married, and unmarried-but-living-together. ![]() Simpson.”Īnother result of changing norms is the necessity to decide how to address a couple that does not share a surname. Simpson.” If both members of the couple are entitled to be addressed as “Dr.,” then they may be addressed as “Dear Drs. Other authorities, like The Gregg Reference Manual, state that the higher-ranking title should go first: “Dear Dr. For example, if the wife has a doctorate and the husband hasn’t, the form would be “Dear Mr. When members of the couple have different titles, some commentators think that the traditional male-female order should be maintained. Charles SimpsonĪn editor at The Chicago Manual of Style considers any of the following as proper forms for a business salutation to a married couple: In modern usage, when a form other than “Mr. Jane Simpson” signifies that the woman so addressed is divorced. Note: In traditional etiquette, the form “Mrs. As a result, recent guides to letter-writing give the following as acceptable options: and Mrs.” form, but others feel marginalized by it. Nowadays, however, when some people question even the conventional use of Dear to begin a business letter, how to address a letter can be a hotly contested topic. A married woman’s given name is not part of the address or salutation.īased on these assumptions, traditional etiquette dictates the following forms: A married woman takes her husband’s surname.Ĥ. The man’s name, with the appropriate honorific, goes first.ģ. A married couple is made up of a man and a woman.Ģ. Traditional letter-writing etiquette is based on traditional professional and marital patterns derived from the following assumptions:ġ. The recent article “Conventional Letter Salutations in English” garnered several questions about how to address a letter to a married couple who have different titles and/or different surnames. ![]()
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