Friendly Letter
* Purpose: To communicate with friends, family, or acquaintances in a personal and informal way.
* Tone: Informal, conversational, and friendly.
* Structure:
* Heading: Your address and the date.
* Salutation: "Dear [Name]," (often followed by a comma)
* Body: Paragraphs that cover topics like personal news, experiences, feelings, or updates.
* Closing: "Sincerely," "Love," "Best," followed by your signature.
* Format: No specific formatting rules, but generally has a more relaxed appearance.
* Language: Casual language, slang, contractions, and personal anecdotes are common.
* Content: Focuses on personal matters, hobbies, interests, and updates on your life.
Business Letter
* Purpose: To communicate with a professional or organization for official business purposes.
* Tone: Formal, professional, and objective.
* Structure:
* Heading: Your name, address, phone number, email address, and the date.
* Inside Address: Recipient's name, title, company name, and address.
* Salutation: "Dear [Name]," (followed by a colon)
* Body: Concise paragraphs that address specific business matters, including requests, inquiries, or information.
* Closing: "Sincerely," "Regards," "Best regards," followed by your typed name and title.
* Format: Strict formatting rules, typically using business letterhead and a standard font like Times New Roman or Arial.
* Language: Formal and professional language. No slang, contractions, or personal anecdotes.
* Content: Focuses on business matters, such as inquiries, orders, complaints, or proposals.
Here's a table summarizing the differences:
| Feature | Friendly Letter | Business Letter |
|----------------|-----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| Purpose | Personal communication | Professional communication |
| Tone | Informal, conversational, friendly | Formal, professional, objective |
| Structure | Relaxed, no specific formatting rules | Strict format, business letterhead, standard font |
| Language | Casual, slang, contractions, personal anecdotes| Formal, professional, no slang or contractions |
| Content | Personal matters, hobbies, interests, updates | Business matters, requests, inquiries, proposals |
In short: Friendly letters are for personal communication, while business letters are for professional communication. The key differences lie in their tone, structure, language, and content.