ADDRESS THE ENVELOPE
If you’ve had to ask yourself how to mail a letter, then look no further. Write the address of the recipient in the middle of the front of the envelope. Include the recipient’s name, apartment or house number, street name, city, state or province, and zip or postal code. Use clear, printed letters written in dark ink so that the post office knows just where to send it.
• If you are writing to someone outside your country, make sure you include the country name as well.
• Some people have their mail sent to a post office box, rather than a street address. If this is the case for your recipient, write the correct post office box number followed by the city, state and country if applicable.
• Write each part of the address on a different line to make it more legible. For example:
2004 Rosethorn Court, Apt. 4
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87041
In the age of email and texting, writing a handwritten letter is a thoughtful way to show someone you’re thinking about them. However, it takes a little more effort to mail a letter than it does to press “send.” Knowing how to mail a letter may be confusing if you’re unaccustomed to using snail mail; so you need to make sure your letter gets to the right place. You can ensure this by writing the address correctly, and using appropriate postage.
WRITE YOUR RETURN ADDRESS
In the top left corner of the envelope, write your name and address. You may also choose to write it on the back of the sealed envelope or use a printed return address label. Including your address will ensure that the letter comes back to you if for some reason it doesn’t make it to the recipient.
How to Mail a Letter
1. PLACE THE LETTER IN A MAILBOX. If you live in the United States, you’ll notice blue USPS mailboxes bolted to the sidewalk in cities and suburbs. If you live in the UK or Canada, mailboxes are usually red. Walk to one of the boxes, open it with the handle, place your letter in the slot, and close it. A postal worker will collect your letter and start the delivery process. This is how to mail a letter.
- Every mailbox has a notice detailing when the mail gets picked up. If you place your letter in the box after the scheduled pick up time, your letter will get picked up the next day instead.
- Be careful not to place your letter in a brown mailbox. Brown mailboxes are for residential or commercial use.
2. PLACE THE LETTER IN YOUR OWN MAILBOX. If you have a mailbox on your house, you can place your letter there and alert your mail carrier of its presence by lifting the red metal flag affixed to the side of the box. When the flag is raised, the mail carrier knows that there’s a letter that needs to be mailed.
3. TAKE THE LETTER TO THE POST OFFICE. If you need to buy postage at the post office, you can leave your letter with the post office worker and he or she will mail it for you. Even if you don’t need to buy postage, you can still take your letter to the post office to be mailed.
- The post office is a good place to mail your letter if you want to make sure it gets to its destination as quickly as possible. Taking your letter directly to the post office can cut down on the transit time by a day or so.
- See www.usps.com for information on where to find the closest post office (if you live in America).