To Whom It May Concern: Meaning, Use & Alternatives

The short answer

“To whom it may concern” is a formal salutation for a letter or notice when you don’t know who will read it; Cambridge Dictionary defines it as something you write at the start of a formal letter or notice “when you do not know exactly who it should be sent to.” It still fits reference letters, general notices, and letters to an organization where no name can be found, but for cover letters and most business letters a name, job title, or department, such as “Dear Hiring Manager:”, reads better. In a US business letter, capitalize it as To Whom It May Concern and end it with a colon. Once the letter is written, IRIS can print and mail one page to a US address for $3.20, postage included.

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What does “to whom it may concern” mean?

It means “to any person this matter involves.” The writer is saying: I don’t know your name, but if this letter is about something you handle, it’s for you. Cambridge Dictionary’s example sentences show the range: a statement “addressed ‘to whom it may concern’,” an envelope with the phrase written on it, and a job seeker opening a letter with it.

The phrase is a salutation, the greeting line between the inside address and the body of a letter. It replaces “Dear [name]:” and sits in the same spot. It can also head a document that isn’t mailed to anyone in particular, such as a reference you hand to the person it describes, who then shows it to whoever needs it.

You may also see “to whomsoever it may concern.” It means the same thing: Merriam-Webster lists whomsoever as the objective case of whosoever. In American letters the shorter “to whom it may concern” is the form people expect.

Why is it “whom” and not “who”?

Because the word is an object, not a subject. Merriam-Webster’s usage guide puts it simply: who performs the action of a verb, whom receives it, and after a preposition whom is the preferred choice, as in “For whom was the gift intended?” In the salutation, the unknown reader is the one the matter concerns: “it may concern them,” so the formal pronoun is whom.

Merriam-Webster also suggests a test for whoever and whomever that works here: swap in they or them. If them fits, use the m form. “It may concern them” sounds right and “it may concern they” doesn’t, which is why “to who it may concern” is wrong in a letter.

What about “to whomever it may concern”? Merriam-Webster’s guide says whomever belongs in the object position, so the grammar holds, but it isn’t the fixed phrase. Readers expect “to whom it may concern,” and anything else looks like a typo. The same guide notes that whom now has a decidedly formal feel and that ordinary speech prefers who, which is exactly why this salutation sounds stiff to many readers.

Who, whom, whoever, and whomever in letter writing
Word	Role in the sentence	Letter example
who	Subject: does the action	I’m writing to the person who handles billing disputes.
whom	Object: receives the action or follows a preposition	To Whom It May Concern:
whoever	Subject, meaning “any person who”	Whoever reviews this request may call me at (555) 010-0164.
whomever	Object, meaning “any person whom”	Please share this letter with whomever you choose.

Is “to whom it may concern” rude or outdated?

It isn’t rude, but it is impersonal, and many readers see it as dated. The Emily Post Institute calls it “acceptable but rather formal and cliched” for a letter to a company and suggests addressing the company, department, or position instead. The University of Iowa’s business letter template is blunter: do your best to find the name of the person, because “To Whom It May Concern” is outdated.

Career centers disagree on how much it matters. Michigan State University’s Career Services Network argues it makes a cover letter look generic and lists seven alternatives, while noting it can be fine for something like a customer service complaint. UC Davis’s Career Center still lists “To Whom it May Concern:” as an acceptable fallback, after “Dear Search Committee” and “Dear Hiring Manager,” when no name is available.

So the phrase is correct and polite. The risk is that it tells the reader you didn’t know, or didn’t look up, who they are. Use it when that’s genuinely true and expected; replace it when a little research would give you a name or a role.

When is “to whom it may concern” still the right choice?

Use it when the letter really has no single reader, or when you’ve tried and can’t find one. These are the common cases:

Reference and recommendation letters the subject will carry with them. A landlord reference, a general character reference, or a letter confirming someone volunteered with you may be shown to several landlords, employers, or schools you’ll never know about.
Letters that confirm a fact for whoever asks. Proof of employment, proof of residence, or a letter authorizing someone to pick up an item on your behalf is often handed to a clerk or an office you can’t predict.
Notices meant for anyone in a role. A notice posted for building residents, or a letter left with a property for the next service provider, is written for whoever reads it.
Letters to an organization with no published contact. When a company lists only a general mailing address and nobody on the phone can give you a name or a department, the phrase is better than guessing.
Documents several people will review. A letter that goes into a file, through a committee, or to more than one office at once has no single reader to name.

When should you avoid it?

Skip the phrase whenever a reader can be named or described. Purdue OWL says it is always best to write to a specific person, and it suggests calling the company or speaking with employees to get a name.

Cover letters. The job posting, the company’s website, or LinkedIn usually tells you who the hiring manager or recruiter is, and if not, “Dear Hiring Manager:” still shows you know what you’re applying for.
Complaint letters where a name can be found. A letter to a customer relations manager or a store manager by name is harder to pass along without an answer. Our complaint letter guide covers who to write to.
Letters to someone you’ve already dealt with. If you’ve spoken with an agent, an adjuster, or a landlord, use their name.
Letters to judges, lawyers, and officials. They have set forms of address, such as “Dear Judge [last name]:”, covered in our guides to writing to a judge and to addressing an attorney.
Small businesses and local offices. If there are only a few people there, one of them is the owner or manager, and a quick call will tell you who.

How do you find the name to address a letter to?

Spend five minutes on these before you settle for a generic greeting. Work down the list and stop when you have a name, or at least the right title or department.

Read what you already have. Bills, contracts, past letters, and emails often name an account manager, an agent, or a department, along with the mailing address that department uses.
Check the organization’s website. Look for a staff directory, an About or Team page, a press page, or a Contact page that lists departments.
Read the job posting. Many say who the role reports to; MSU’s career network suggests working out who your future boss would be and finding them on the company’s team page.
Search LinkedIn. Search the company plus the job title you need, such as “customer experience manager” or “talent acquisition,” and confirm the person still works there.
Call the front desk or main line. Say what the letter is about and ask who should receive it, how they spell their name, and their title. Purdue OWL recommends calling the company for exactly this reason.
Ask someone you know there. A current employee or a mutual contact can tell you who handles it.
Fall back to a title or department. If none of the above works, use the closest role, such as “Dear Billing Department:”, before you use “To Whom It May Concern:”.

What can you write instead of “to whom it may concern”?

Pick the most specific greeting you can support. MIT’s Mayfield Handbook suggests naming the department when you don’t know the recipient, as in “Dear Technical Support:”, and the Emily Post Institute suggests the company, department, or position. Each option below ends with a colon for a business letter.

Alternatives to “to whom it may concern,” from most to least specific
Greeting	When it fits	Example
Dear [title] [last name]:	You know the person’s name and the title they use	Dear Ms. Okafor:
Dear [first and last name]:	You have a name but don’t know the title the person uses; Purdue OWL and MIT both suggest the full name	Dear Jordan Reyes:
Dear Dr. [last name]:	The reader is a doctor or holds a doctorate	Dear Dr. Lindqvist:
Dear Hiring Manager:	A cover letter with no name in the posting	Dear Hiring Manager:
Dear [job title] Hiring Team:	A cover letter where you know the role but not the manager	Dear Staff Accountant Hiring Team:
Dear Search Committee:	Academic, nonprofit, or board hiring by committee	Dear Library Director Search Committee:
Dear Recruiter: or Dear Recruiting Team:	You’re applying through a recruiting or talent team	Dear Talent Acquisition Team:
Dear [position]:	A role exists but you can’t find who holds it	Dear Property Manager:
Dear [department]:	A letter to a company’s team for a specific issue	Dear Customer Relations Department:
Dear [company name]:	A letter to a whole organization; Emily Post’s suggestion for a company	Dear Brightwater Utilities:
Dear Billing Department:	Disputing a charge or asking about an account	Dear Billing Department:
Dear Claims Department:	An insurance claim or appeal	Dear Claims Department:
Dear Admissions Committee:	A school or program application letter	Dear Admissions Committee:
Dear Records Custodian:	A request for records from an office	Dear Records Custodian:
Dear Members of the [board]:	A public comment or appeal to a board or council	Dear Members of the Planning Commission:
Dear Editor:	A letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine	Dear Editor:
Dear Neighbor: or Dear Residents:	A notice to people at nearby addresses	Dear Neighbors on Cedar Court:
Hello, [team name],	A friendlier note to a team you’ve worked with	Hello, Riverside Clinic Front Desk Team,
Dear Sir or Madam:	Only when a form or an organization requires it; MIT advises avoiding it	Dear Sir or Madam:

Is “Dear Sir or Madam” better than “to whom it may concern”?

Usually not. Cambridge Dictionary defines “Dear Sir or Madam” as a way to begin a formal letter “when you do not know if the person you are writing to is a man or a woman,” so it shares the same problem as “to whom it may concern”: it tells the reader you don’t know who they are, and it adds a guess about them. MIT’s Mayfield Handbook says to avoid it, and the Emily Post Institute calls “Sir and Madam” and “Ladies and Gentlemen” stilted.

Between the two, “to whom it may concern” is the more neutral choice for a document anyone might read. Better than either is a job title or department. If you do use “Dear Sir or Madam,” British convention closes it with “Yours faithfully,” which Cambridge marks as mainly UK; in an American letter, “Sincerely,” is the usual close.

How do you capitalize and punctuate “To Whom It May Concern”?

Capitalization varies by source. Title case, To Whom It May Concern, is common in American letters; the University of Iowa and Michigan State both write it that way. Cambridge Dictionary’s example letter capitalizes only the first word, To whom it may concern. Both are accepted; Purdue OWL’s only rule for a salutation is that its first letter is capitalized. Pick one style and don’t mix the two, as in the incorrect To Whom it may Concern.

For punctuation, use a colon in a formal US letter. Purdue OWL says to use a colon after the salutation in a business letter, never a comma, and the University of Iowa template agrees. Purdue’s personal letter examples end the salutation with a comma (Dear Mr. Smith,), and you’ll see a comma after this phrase in emails too. Because the phrase is formal by nature, a colon is the safer choice on paper. With open punctuation, a less common business style Purdue describes, you leave out the mark after the salutation and after the closing.

Put the salutation on its own line at the left margin, with a blank line above it and below it. Start the first paragraph on the next line after that blank line, with a capital letter.

Writing the salutation correctly
Version	Verdict	Why
To Whom It May Concern:	Best for a US business letter	Title case and a colon, the most common formal style
To whom it may concern:	Correct	Sentence case is accepted; Cambridge’s example uses it
To Whom It May Concern,	Acceptable in emails or informal notes	Purdue OWL says a business letter takes a colon, never a comma
To Whom It May Concern	Correct only with open punctuation	Then leave the closing bare too: Sincerely, without a comma
To Who It May Concern:	Wrong	The reader is the object of “concern,” so the pronoun is whom
Dear To Whom It May Concern:	Wrong	The phrase replaces “Dear [name]”; don’t combine them
To Whom it may Concern:	Wrong	Mixed capitalization; use title case or sentence case consistently

How do you end a letter that starts with “to whom it may concern”?

In an American letter, close with “Sincerely,” or “Sincerely yours,” then your signature and your typed name, plus your title if you’re writing for an organization. MIT’s Mayfield Handbook lists “Yours truly,” “Sincerely,” and “Sincerely yours” as the common professional closings, and the University of Iowa adds “Best regards” and “Respectfully.”

British usage pairs an unnamed reader with “Yours faithfully.” Cambridge Dictionary defines it as the close for a formal letter beginning “Dear Sir” or “Dear Madam,” and “Yours sincerely” as the close for a formal letter sent to a particular person. Most American readers won’t notice the distinction, but if you’re writing to a UK organization, “Yours faithfully” matches.

Because a reader of this kind of letter may not know you, put your phone number or email in the last paragraph so they can verify what you wrote. Our guide to ending a letter covers closings, signatures, and enclosure lines in detail.

What is the format of a “to whom it may concern” letter?

It’s a standard business letter with a generic salutation. In full block format, every line starts at the left margin, paragraphs are single-spaced with a blank line between them, and the parts run in this order:

Your address, or letterhead if you have it. Purdue OWL leaves your name out of this block because it appears under the signature.
The date, with the month spelled out: October 30, 2026.
The inside address, if you’re mailing it to an organization: the company, department, street address, city, state, and ZIP Code. Leave it out of a reference letter that the subject will carry with them.
An attention line, if you know the department but not the person: Attention: Customer Relations.
A subject or reference line, if the reader needs an account, claim, or order number: Re: Account 40-2281.
The salutation: To Whom It May Concern:
The body: who you are, why you’re writing, the facts, and what you want to happen. Keep it to one page.
The closing, your signature, your typed name, and your title.
Any enclosure line: Enclosure: Lease agreement, 2 pages.

What does a “to whom it may concern” letter look like?

Here is a complete landlord reference, a good fit for the phrase because the tenant will show it to several landlords the writer will never meet. The names, addresses, and phone number are fictional. In the printed letter, leave a blank line between each block and about four blank lines between “Sincerely,” and the typed name for the signature.

Vega Rentals

1820 Alder Street

Anytown, OR 97000

October 30, 2026

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to confirm the rental history of Daniel Okafor, who rented the two-bedroom apartment at 1822 Alder Street, Unit B, from me from June 1, 2022, through October 31, 2026.

Daniel paid his rent of $1,250 a month on or before the first of each month for the full term, with no late payments and no lease violations. He reported two maintenance problems promptly, a leaking dishwasher and a loose window latch, and gave access for both repairs. He gave 30 days’ written notice before moving out.

I would gladly rent to Daniel again. If you have questions, you can reach me at (555) 010-0178 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

Marisol Vega

Owner, Vega Rentals

If a specific landlord asks for the reference, address that copy to them by name instead, as in “Dear Mr. Patel:”. A named letter reads as a direct answer to their request.

How do you address and mail a “to whom it may concern” letter?

The envelope needs a real recipient line even when the salutation doesn’t name anyone. Use the organization’s name, and if you know the department, add an attention line. USPS Publication 28 places the attention line above the name of the firm, so the envelope reads, top to bottom: ATTN CUSTOMER RELATIONS, BRIGHTWATER UTILITIES, the street address or PO Box, and the city, state, and ZIP Code. Put your return address in the upper-left corner.

A one-sheet letter in a standard envelope needs one $0.82 Forever stamp. If you’d rather not print, fold, and stamp it, IRIS Postal Forms, an independent print-and-mail service, can mail it. Upload the finished letter as a US Letter-size PDF, enter your return address and the recipient’s US address, and review the document, addresses, and total before paying; a one-page black-and-white letter is $3.20 with First-Class postage included, and no account is needed.

IRIS’s address form has a Name or company field of up to 40 characters and no separate attention line. If the company and the attention line fit together, enter them on one line; otherwise enter the company and keep the attention line in the inside address of your PDF. IRIS prints what’s in the PDF, so a typed name or a signature image you add prints as part of the page; it isn’t signed in ink. If the recipient needs proof of delivery, Certified Mail adds $6.95, with tracking on your order page.

Sources & further reading

Product details checked against the IRIS API contract when this article was published. Platform references can change; consult the linked documentation when implementing.

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