The 26 types of letters (classified and explained)

In this summary of the types of letters you will find all the diversity presented by these writings.

Although they are not at their best, the truth is that letters have been the main method of transmitting information at a distance in history. Since the existence of writing and paper, human beings have been in contact with each other by sending missives in which they talked about all the topics that came to their minds.

Nowadays letters have lost popularity because of the existence of much faster means of communication and the ability to transmit image and sound, but they are still used for both formal and informal contexts.

In the following we are going to discover what are the main types of letters that existand some of their most outstanding characteristics.

The 26 main types of letters

There are different types of letters depending on the purpose for which they are written. We cannot use the same type of text for absolutely any field or person with whom we want to communicate.

Each situation requires a different formality, vocabulary, tone and format.. For this reason we find different types of letters, such as business letters, letters of complaint, letters of recommendation, for a friend, for a boss, for a relative...

The brief definition of a letter is that they are written documents that contain information that someone wants to transmit to another person in a brief way. Moreover, in several European languages they are literally called "brief" or use a term derived from this word, as is the case in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish, which is "brev".

But leaving aside the curious fact of its name in foreign languages, what we must understand is that there are several types of letters, each one adapted to the communicative needs of the person who writes them and that they can have very varied extensions.

In a very general way we can classify letters into two main groups according to their degree of formality: formal letters and informal or personal letters..

Formal letters

One of the most defining features of formal letters is that they are issued by a competent body, be it a company, an organization, a labor department or an individual holding an important position within a respectable company or institution.

Formal letters are also considered to be those issued by natural individuals, with the purpose of being read by an organization or company to whom they wish to address. Among these missives we find the following types:

1. Business letters

Business letters are any written document that is used in a professional environment.. These missives are headed by a greeting and end with the signature of the sender, who usually holds a relevant position within an organization.

These letters can also be issued by the organization's departments, such as human resources.

2. Order letters

Order letters are issued by a consumer and received by the supplier. This type of document is sent with the intention of asking the supplier to bring a certain quantity of products..

In order letters we can identify the following aspects:

• Quantity of the product required
• Name of the product required
• Model of the product
• Color, size and any other distinguishing characteristics
• Price expected to be paid for the product
• Form of payment

3. Sales letters

Sales letters are intended to get the person to whom they are addressed to purchase the product advertised in them. Persuasive statements are usually used with the intention of arousing the attention of the potential buyer.. In order to achieve this, the following aspects can be identified in these letters:

3.1. Appeal

A relationship is established between the sender and the reader, making the latter feel identified with the sender.The reader feels identified with the content of the letter even when it has not been written for him personally.

An example of an appeal would be: Are you tired of paying for your car insurance?

3.2. Description of the product or service

This would be any relevant information about the product or service being offered, answering questions such as what it is for, how to use it, how much it costs, how to pay for it, etc.

3.3. Contact information

We can find in the sales letters close with the numbers, emails and other forms of contact with the company or the store. forms of contact with the company or the store. Sometimes it also includes the physical address where the product or service can be purchased, and the organization's website.

4. Complaint letters

Complaint letters are used to, as the name implies, complain about a product purchased or a service received that you were not as satisfied with as you had hoped.. These letters are sent by the users themselves. Although they are complaints, you should try to use a respectful tone and keep your composure.

We should not get carried away by emotions when we write one of these letters, because even if we feel angry or angry because of the bad service or product received, we must maintain good manners so that the complaint is as clear as possible and see how we can get our money back.

This type of letter should include the following aspects:

• General information about the sender: name, age, address...
• Information about the purchase of the product or service: date of purchase, establishment where it was purchased, invoices and purchase receipts...
• Information about the product defect or bad service.
• Possible solution you wish to receive as compensation.

5. Letters of recommendation

Letters of recommendation are documents that serve as proof or attest to the quality of a person's work..

This type of letter is sent when someone wishes to obtain a new job and asks a previous employer to write a recommendation for the new organization they intend to join. These letters may also be issued by former tutors and teachers of the job applicant.

These letters include information about the applicant's attitude and aptitudes, what activities he/she has done during his/her career, the reasons why he/she is considered suitable for the job and many other aspects of his/her personality or training that could be considered positive and suitable for the position he/she aspires to hold.

6. Letters of dismissal

Letters of dismissal are issued when an organization wishes to communicate to one of its employees that his services are no longer required and that it is appropriate for him to leave his job permanently. These letters include the date on which the employee is expected to leave the company and the reason for termination.

7. Resignation letters

Resignation letters are sent when an employee wishes to leave his or her current job. This letter is sent to his or her immediate superior and includes the date on which the employee will leave his or her job permanently..

Generally, the reason for leaving the job is included, which although it is not an indispensable requirement, it is considered a gesture of good manners and cordiality.

8. Letters of authorization

Letters of authorization are sent to give another person the authority to act on behalf of the person writing the letter. This type of letter is sent when the when the person writing is unable or unwilling to attend an appointment, a meeting or an important event where his/her presence is required.or a meeting or an important event where his or her presence is required.

9. Letter of Acceptance

Acceptance letters are issued by an organization to communicate to an applicant that he/she has been accepted. an applicant that he/she has been accepted. These documents include the reason why the application has been finally accepted, the date you are expected to become an active member of the organization, the position you will hold, and the length of time you will remain with the organization.

10. Letters of Receipt

Letters of receipt are sent to to let someone, whether an individual or a company, know that the letter they sent has been received.. It is worth mentioning that this type of letter does not guarantee that the information that was sent with the previous letter has been read.

11. Letters of Permission

When we talk about letters of permission we can refer to two types of documents.

One is the one issued by an employee to his or her superior for permission to be absent from work for one or more days.. This type of letter includes the reason for the absence from work and the number of days expected to be absent.

The other is the document that a boss issues to his employee when he has accepted the employee's request.. This type of letter includes the manager's acknowledgment and the employee's date of departure and return.

12. Letters of application

Letters of application are sent when a person wishes to apply for a position within an organization.. This type of documents can be issued in various contexts, such as for a place in a university, a job, a role in an important play...

13. Transfer Letters

Transfer letters are issued by an organization to inform one of its employees that he/she will be transferred to another department or location. will be transferred to another department or headquarters. These letters also include the date on which the change will be effective, to which department or location the employee will be transferred, and the position he/she will hold in the new job.

Informal letters

Informal or personal letters are those in which the sender and the receiver have some kind of minimally intimate relationship, which does not involve the world of business.that does not involve the business world. In this sense, informal letters are usually transmitted between friends, relatives and lovers. Informal letters are a thing of the past as, with the advent of instant messaging services, their popularity has been declining and giving way to social networks and chat rooms.

A feature that makes informal letters very different from formal letters is that they do not have a specific pattern. Their format will depend a lot on what the sender wishes to transmit, the type of relationship he/she has with the receiver and his/her capacity for written expression. Among the informal letters we can find mainly the following types:

14. Birthday letters

Birthday letters are issued to congratulate a friend or relative on his or her birthday, as one would expect. They usually include good wishes for the person being congratulated.

15. Thank You Letters

Thank you letters are issued to show the person to whom the letter is sent how grateful you are for the services of a friend or relative. how grateful you are for favors or actions you have done that have greatly benefited the sender..

16. Letters of congratulations

Letters of congratulations can be written for a variety of reasons. They can be issued to commemorate someone's promotion, an award won, participation in an award at university....

Whatever the milestone being congratulated, the purpose of these letters is to make the recipient feel honored for what he or she has achieved..

17. Welcome Letters

Welcome letters are sent to welcome someone new to the neighborhood or high school. These letters The letter is intended to express the letter writer's good wishes to the newcomer..

18. Farewell letters

Farewell letters are written when one of the two partners leaves for another place, be it a different city, region, state or continent.

19. Bereavement letters

Bereavement letters are issued to express condolences to someone who has just lost an important person in his or her life, such as a spouse or a close personal friend. The sender states that he or she is with the recipient and tries to comfort him or her, offering unconditional support and sympathy..

20. Letters of apology

In letters of apology, the sender tries to communicate his desire to apologize for an action he has to apologize for an action that has harmed another person.. We include it in the informal letters because, although they can acquire a formal tone, the truth is that they can be sent to absolutely anyone, from a relative to a teacher or superior.

21. Friendship letters

Friendship letters are letters that friends exchange with each other in order to keep in touch despite the distance. This is probably the type of letter most affected by the rise of new technologies and instant messaging services.

22. Love letters

Love letters are those sent by lovers to each other, expressing affection and other positive feelings.expressing through them the affection and other positive feelings they have for each other. You can also send one of these letters to a person you are fond of, without necessarily being a partner or someone with whom you have romantic desires.

23. Christmas letters

Christmas letters are sent in the month of December with the intention of wishing a Merry Christmas, or in its more religiously neutral version, happy holidays to other people. These letters are usually accompanied by postcards featuring a family photo with Christmas decorations.

24. Letters to the Three Wise Men

Letters to the Three Wise Men, or Santa Claus, are written by children to ask for gifts to these and other Christmas characters.. They usually include a list of the gifts they wish to receive for the day these characters visit their homes, as well as thanking them for the gifts received the previous year.

25. Invitation letter

Invitation letters are sent to ask the recipients to attend a party or meeting organized by the sender. These letters can be sent for different important events, such as a birthday, a wedding or a Christmas party.

26. Miscellaneous letters

Finally, we include miscellaneous letters, those that cannot be included in the other categories because they are not written for a specific reason, but are simply a casual exchange of correspondence between two or more people.