Spoken and Written Forms of Address for U.S. Government Officials, Military Personnel, Foreign Officials, Nobility, and Religious Officials

This section provides the correct forms of address for U.S. Public officials, diplomats, religious leaders, royalty, the British peerage, and military personnel. For each personage the chart gives the appropriate form or forms to be used in addressing letters, in letter salutations, in direct conversation, and in more formal introductions.

In diplomatic and other public circles, "Sir" is generally considered an acceptable alternative to the formal address in both written and spoken greetings; this does not apply to religious or titled persons. The use of "Madam" or "Ma'am" for a female addressee is less customary but still acceptable, especially for high officeholders ("Madam Governor"). This rule also holds for high officials of foreign countries.

For greetings in which "Mr." is used, the feminine equivalent may be "Madam" or, less formally, "Mrs.," "Miss," or "Ms." Although there is no formal rule for the use of "Ms.," the preference of the addressee should be respected.

Formal Person Letter Address Letter Greeting Spoken Greeting Introduction The President The President or the President of the The White House Dear Mr. (or Mr. (or Madam) President of the United States Washington, DC Madam) President President 20500 United States

The Honorable Dear Mr. (Mrs., Mr. (or Mrs., The Honorable John Former President John J. Jones Current address Ms.) Jones Ms.) Jones J. Jones

The Vice President The Vice President Dear Mr. (or Executive Office Mr. (or Madam) or the Vice Vice President Madam) Vice Building Vice President President of the President Washington, DC United States 20501

The Honorable John (or Jane) Jones The Secretary of Dear Mr. (or Mr. (or Madam) The Secretary of Cabinet members ______or Madam) Secretary Secretary ______The Attorney General Washington, DC

The Chief Justice Dear Mr. (or The Supreme Madam) Justice or Mr. (or Madam) Chief Justice Court Dear Mr. (or The Chief Justice Chief Justice Washington, DC Madam) Chief 20543 Justice Mr. Justice Jones or Madam Justice Mr. Justice or Jones Mr. Justice Jones; Mr. Justice Jones; The Supreme Dear Mr. (or Associate Justice Madam Justice or Madam Justice Madam) Justice Court Madam Justice Jones Washington, DC Jones 20543

The Honorable John (or Jane) Jones Senator Jones from United States Senator United States Dear Senator Jones Senator Jones Senate Nebraska Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable John (or Jane) Jones Speaker of the House of The Speaker of the Dear Mr. (or Mr. Speaker; Speaker of the House Representatives House of United States Madam) Speaker Madam Speaker Representatives House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable John (or Jane) Jones United States United States Dear Mr. (or Mrs., Mr. (or Mrs., Representative Jones House of Representative Ms.) Jones Ms.) Jones from New Jersey Representatives Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable John (or Jane) Jones U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Dear Mr. (or The United States United Nations United Nations Madam) Ambassador to the Ambassador Plaza Ambassador United Nations New York, NY 10017

The Honorable John (or Jane) The American Jones Ambassador Ambassador of Dear Mr. (or Mr. (or Madam) The Ambassador of Ambassador the United States Madam) Ambassador The United States of American Ambassador America Embassy Address goes here

The Honorable John (or Jane) Jones Dear Mr. (or Mrs., Mr. (or Mrs., Mr. (or Mrs., Ms.) Consul-General American Consul Ms.) Jones Ms.) Jones Jones General Address goes here His (or Her) Excellency John (or Jean) Johnson Excellency or Dear Excellency; or The Ambassador of The Ambassador Foreign Ambassador Mr. (or Madam) Mr. (or Madam) ______of Ambassador Ambassador ______Address goes here

His (or Her) Excellency Milo (or Mara) Jones Secretary-General Dear Mr.(or The Secretary-General of of the United Mr. (or Madam) Madam) Secretary-General of the United Nations Nations Secretary-General United Nations Secretary-General the United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017

The Honorable John (or Jane) Jones The Governor of Dear Governor Governor or Governor Governor of Maine: Governor ______Jones Governor Jones Jones of Maine State Capitol Address goes here

The Honorable John (or Jane) Dear Mr. (Or Mrs. , Mr. (Or Mrs., Mr. (Or Mrs., Ms.) State legislators Jones Ms.) Jones Ms.) Jones Jones Address goes here

The Honorable John J. Jones The Honorable John Justice, Appellate Justice or Judge (or Jane) Jones; Mr. Division Jones; Madam Justice Jones or Judges Supreme Court of Dear Judge Jones Justice or Judge Judge Jones; Madam the State of Jones Justice Jones or ______Judge Jones Address goes here

The Honorable John (or Jane) Jones; His (or Mayor Jones; Mr. Her) Honor the (Or Madam) Mayor Jones; The Mayor Dear Mayor Jones Mayor Mayor; Your Mayor City Hall Honor Address goes here

His Holiness, the Pope or His Holiness, Pope His Holiness, the Your Holiness or Your Holiness or The Pope John XII Holy Father; the Most Holy Father Most Holy Father Vatican City Pope; the Pontiff Rome, Italy

His Eminence, John Cardinal Jones, Archbishop Your Eminence of Your Eminence His Eminence, Cardinals of Dear Cardinal Jones or Cardinal Jones Cardinal Jones ______Address goes here The Most Reverend John Your Excellency Jones, Bishop (or Your Excellency or or Bishop Bishops Archbishop) of Dear Bishop (Archbishop) ______(Archbishop) Jones Jones Address goes here

The Reverend Monsignor James Reverend Monsignor Monsignor Harding Monsignor or Dear Harding or Monsignor Harding Address goes here Monsignor Monsignor

The Reverend Reverend Father or Father or Father Priest John Jones Father Jones Address goes here Dear Father Jones Jones

Brother John or Brother John Dear Brother John Brother John or Brother Brother John Jones or Dear Brother Brother Address goes here

Dear Sister Mary Sister Mary Marshall or Dear Sister Mary Sister Mary Sister Marshall Sister Marshall or Sister Marshall

The Reverend Dear Dr. (or Mr., Dr. (or Mr., Ms.) The Reverend (or Protestant Clergy John (or Jane) Ms.) Jones Jones Dr.) John Jones Jones* The Right Reverend John Jones* The Right Reverend Bishop (Episcopal) Bishop of Dear Bishop Jones Bishop Jones John Jones, Bishop ______of Detroit Address goes here

Rabbi Arthur (or Dear Rabbi Rabbi Schwartz Rabbi Arthur Rabbi Anne) Schwartz Address goes here Schwartz or Rabbi Schwartz

His (Her) Majesty King (Queen) ______Address (letters Varies depending traditionally are Your Majesty; Sir King or Queen on titles, sent to reigning or Madam monarchs not holdings, etc. directly but via the private secretary)

His (Her) Royal Highness, the His (Her) Royal Your Royal Prince (Princess) Your Royal Highness, the Duke Other royalty Highness; Sir or of Highness (Duchess) of Madam ______Gloucester Address goes here

His/Her Grace, My Lord Duke/ Madam or Dear His/Her Grace, the the D Your Grace or Duke/Duchess Duke of Duke/Duchess of ______of Duke/Duchess Duchess The Most My Lord/Madam or Honorable the M Dear Lord/Lady Lord/Lady Lord/Lady Marquess/Marchioness ______Bridgeport Bridgeport Bridgeport of Bridgeport

The Right My Lord or Dear Earl Honorable the Lord Franklin Lord Franklin Lord Franklin Earl of Franklin The Right Countess (wife of an Honorable the Madam or Dear Lady Franklin Lady Franklin earl) Countess of Lady Franklin Franklin

The Right My Lord/Lady or Honorable the V Lord/Lady Viscount/Viscountess Dear Lord/Lady Lord/Lady Tyburn ______Tyburn Tyburn Tyburn

The Right My Lord/Madam or Baron/Baroness Honorable Dear Lord/Lady Lord/Lady Austin Lord/Lady Austin Austin Lord/Lady Austin

Sir John Jones, Dear Sir or Dear Sir Baronet Sir John Sir John Jones Bt. John Dear Madam or Wife of Baronet Lady Jones Dear Lady Jones Lady Jones Lady Jones

Dear Sir or Dear Sir Knight Sir John Jones Sir John Sir John Jones John Dear Madam or Wife of knight Dear Lady Jones Lady Jones Lady Jones

For commissioned officers in the U.S. Armed services, the full rank is used as a title only in addressing letters and in formal introductions: one writes to Major Military Personnel General Sarah Miller, U.S. Army, and introduces her as Major General Miller. In greetings the full rank is shortened to General: "Dear General Miller." Similar acceptable shortened greetings follow categorized by full rank then greetings : General of the Army General Lieutenant General General Brigadier General General Army, Air Force, Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Marines First Lieutenant Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Lieutenant

Fleet Admiral Admiral Vice Admiral Admiral Navy, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Admiral Lieutenant Commander Commander Lieutenant, Junior Grade Lieutenant

For enlisted personnel, a similar principle applies. Sergeants -- whether staff sergeants, gunnery sergeants, or first sergeants -- are greeted simply as "Sergeant"; privates first class are referred to as "Private"; and, in the Navy and Coast Guard, chief petty officers are referred to as "Chief." Other noncommissioned officers are greeted by their ranks, although, informally, lower grades may be referred to generically as "Soldier" or "Sailor."

The universal terms of respect that lower ranks must use when addressing senior officers are "Sir" and "Madam." These terms are not applied to noncommissioned officers, however; the appropriate affirmative response to a sergeant, for example, is "Yes, Sergeant."

*If the cleric holds a doctorate in divinity, it is customary to add the designation D.D. after his or her name in the letter address.

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