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10 Tips to Apply When Writing an Address

Writing an address is one of the simplest writing tasks that can be carried out by an individual; yet, it is quite common to see people make avoidable mistakes when penning addresses for a variety of purposes.




Whether you’re addressing a formal letter for an official assignment or are simply writing to a beloved relative or just putting in your address in the transaction form of an e-commerce website, it is essential that you abide by the laid down principles that are meant to guide you through the process of writing an address.




If you’re still unsure about how to write an address or have difficulties adhering to the set rules, then these 10 tips should help you understand the proper execution of this simple task.

  1. Use All Caps When Writing an Address on an Envelope

If you’re writing an address on an envelope, which is to be mailed to the receiver via the post office, it is important that the address is written in all caps. This instruction is regularly conveyed to customers by post office workers as well as private mail carriers. It is not clear how and why this practice is critical to the mailing process; though, many seem to suggest that the capitalized addresses are easier to process simply because they can be seen better.




Nevertheless, this is an important tip you must incorporate when writing an address for the purpose of paper mail.

Example

ALBERT JAMIESON

4353 LINCOLN DRIVE

SAN FRANCISCO CA 89771

 

  1. Use No Punctuations As Well

As seen in the example given above, punctuations are a taboo when addressing an envelope that is to be mailed by physical methods. This rule is, however, not applicable to all mediums and is solely limited to snail mail since the personnel that manage the process have grown accustomed to the set template that rejects the use of punctuations.

  1. Name of the Contact Must Precede the Address

Even if this wasn’t a rule, it is still logical practice as simply putting an address without an attached contact is just plain wrong. A preceding name, however, tells the receiver who the mailed letter is from. This practice is also very valuable for the mailing company as it tells the personnel in charge who the letter is from and the contact name of the recipient.

  1. Include Your Country of Residence if the Recipient Resides Outside the Country

Many usually make this error when sending letters to recipients outside the shores of their countries simply because they assume that the rules for local mailing apply here. While that is almost the case, there are few practices that are only peculiar to mails sent to recipients based overseas.

One of such rules is the inclusion of your country of residence when addressing a mail that will be sent to someone that doesn’t reside in your country. This logical practice allows the individual to be aware of the sender’s country of residence.

  1. For a Company or an Organization, Address the Mail to a Contact that Works There

When you’re addressing a letter to a company or an organization, it is erroneous to address the letter to the whole establishment, as the company or organization won’t be reading the letter. The best practice when writing an address that belongs to a corporate entity is to include a contact name, who is often a member of the personnel saddled with the responsibility of receiving and responding to letters from the public.

It is also necessary to include the position or the job post of the recipient being contacted in order to make the delivery process less stressful for the mailing company.

  1. Use Clear Fonts for Typed Addresses

If you intend on typing the address on the envelope, then it is advisable to use a font that is clear and easily readable. Popular text editing fonts like Arial, Georgia, and Verdana are acceptable but using any other font that isn’t as popular as these three may be pushing it a bit too far.

Clarity of the address is pertinent to the success of the mail’s delivery; so you must play your part by ensuring that the mailed envelope is well-addressed.

  1. House Number must Precede Street Name

When writing a street address on the envelope, it is important that the number of the building harbouring the sender i.e., you as well as that of the recipient is placed first. This is the appropriate way of penning the address of a location irrespective of the building’s status.

Proper placement of the house number helps the mail carrier aptly locate the address of the recipient during delivery and also lets the recipient know where exactly the sender resides.

  1. Use Punctuations Properly When Entering an Address Digitally

Whether you’re executing a purchase order on an e-commerce website or are just filling a form that requires your home or office address, you must endeavour to fill it perfectly in order to avoid processing bottlenecks that can arise as a result of your errors.

The use of punctuations in this instance is essential as it helps break down the entirety of the address into constituting elements to make it easy for the recipient to understand.

Example

If the address written in the previous example is to be re-formatted for a digital purpose, it will be transformed to this:

4353 Lincoln Drive, San Francisco, California 89771.

Note:

As seen in the example above, it isn’t necessary to use all caps when entering an address digitally.

  1. Remember to Include Your Zip Code

Including your zip code and that of the recipient in both addresses are valuable practices that will help lighten the burden of the mail carrier. Though many often forget to do this, it is important to engage in this practice if you want your mails to be delivered swiftly and without errors.

  1. Leave a Space between the House Number and its Attached Letter

When writing an address, if the house number has a letter attached to it e.g., 21 A Belington Street, you must ensure that you leave a space between the number and the letter. Doing otherwise makes the address less organized and is essentially bad practice.

49's Team

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