Types of Letters with Examples

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Types of Letter

Letters date back to the time when ancient Egyptians wrote to the dead asking for help. People separated by distance had only one way of communication back when paper and pen were the only means. And that gave birth to the graceful art of letter writing. It became commonplace in the 18th century and more contemporaneously faced a cultural shift which created a dent in its importance but the impact remains the same, if not more.

Although it doesn’t make you much of a Shakespeare or a Lincoln, writing letters helps to put your essential self and the chain of your thoughts on a piece of paper whether you mean it or not.

Here, let’s take you through the plethora of different letters and what they mostly include.

What Is a Letter?

A letter is a handwritten or printed message, in the simplest of meanings. It is a written conversation between two parties and is usually sent via post or mail.

Most of our formal communication now, with business entities and the government and related agencies happens through letters. Although it faced a decline in the personal level, it is very important that we know when and how to write each type of letter for business purposes or at least for the sake of formal communication.

Types of Letters

The various types of letters according to the occasion are listed with their subtypes below:

Acceptance Letter

An acceptance letter is the formal, affirmative response in the form of a letter confirming an invitation, job offer, scholarship, contract, gift, etc. It includes:

Job Acceptance Letter
Scholarship Acceptance Letter
Internship Acceptance Letter
College Acceptance Letter
Interview Acceptance Letter

Acknowledgment Letter

Whenever you receive business documents, the letter that you send immediately after the receipt is called an acknowledgement letter. It includes:

Acknowledgement of Payment Letter
Acknowledgement of Sales Letter
Acknowledgement of Documents Letter
Acknowledgement of Order Letter
Acknowledgement of Change in Date Letter

Agreement Letter

A letter that expresses agreement over a particular issue that has been previously discussed and debated upon is called an agreement letter. It includes:

Roommate Agreement Letter
Marital Dissolution Agreement Letter
Partnership Agreement Letter
Operating Agreement Letter
Service Agreement Letter

Announcement Letter

An announcement letter is a letter written to let others know about a certain event or happening beforehand which concerns them. Includes:

Distributor Announcement Letter
Offer Announcement Letter
Tour Announcement Letter
Sales Announcement Letter
Retirement Announcement Letter

Apology Letter

An apology letter is a letter for not being able to do something or for having done something wrong, owning it completely and showing genuineness in the acceptance of fault and suggesting solutions if possible. Includes:

Apology Letter for a Missed Appointment
Missed Interview Apology Letter
Customer Complaint Apology Letter
Business Client Apology Letter
Delay Apology Letter

Appeal Letter

An appeal letter is a letter you write when something unfair, discriminatory or harsh has happened to you, and you want the decision to be reconsidered, and later overturned. Includes:

Health Insurance Appeal Letter
Financial Appeal Letter
Property Tax Appeal Letter
Disciplinary Appeal Letter
Unemployment Appeal Letter

Application Letter

The letter you write when you request for something, ask permission for something, or apply for something, is an application letter. Includes:

Job Application Letters (see Cover Letters)
Application Letter Seeking Permission
Scholarship Application Letter
Application for Leave of Absence/in Advance
Application for a Seat in the Hostel

Appointment Letter

An appointment letter is a document that is written by the employer requesting the selected candidates to join in a specific position in their company. Includes:

Permanent Job Appointment Letter
Temporary Appointment Letter
Part-time Appointment Letter
Contractual Appointment Letter
Sales Appointment Letter

Appreciation Letter

A letter of appreciation is a letter written by one party to another to thank the latter at a personal level. Includes:

Appreciation letter to a Friend
Appreciation letter to a Neighbor
Appreciation letter to a Boss
Appreciation letter to an Employee
Appreciation letter to a Colleague

Authorization Letter

A letter where one party gives another party the temporary authority to act or perform a specific task, is called an authorization letter. Includes:

Travel Authorization Letter
Medical Authorization Letter
Short Sales Authorization Letter
Claim Authorization Letter
Document Collection Authorization Letter

Birthday Letter

The letter written to wish someone on their birthdays is called a birthday letter. Includes:

Birthday Letter to a Family Member
Birthday Letter to Spouse
Birthday Letter to a Friend
Birthday Letter to Boss/Employer
Birthday Letter to Your Teacher

Cancellation Letter

A cancellation letter is a written document issued by one party in an arrangement to communicate the decision to cancel the entire or part of the arrangement. Includes:

Reservation Cancellation Letter
Order Cancellation Letter
Subscription Cancellation Letter
Event Cancellation Letter
Contract Cancellation Letter

Certification Letter

A letter of certification is written to formally certify the information at hand. Includes:

Salary Certification Letter
Medical Certificate Letter from the Doctor
Internship Certificate Letter
Work Experience Certificate Letter
Training Certificate Letter

Charity Letter

A letter that requests for help by asking money is called a charity letter. Includes:

Charity Letter for Mentally Ill Patients
Charity Letter for the Homeless
Charity Letter for the Victims of a Calamity
Charity Letter for Street Children
Charity Letter for Medical Treatment

Claim Letter

The claim letter is a letter written by a customer to a business identifying a problem or more with their product or service. Includes:

Claim Letter for Damaged Goods
Insurance Claim Letter
Warranty Claim Letter
Claim Probated Letter
Claim Objection Letter

Collection Letter

A letter informing customers of his due payments is called a collection or dunning letter. Includes:

Initial Collection Letter of Overdue Payment
Reminder Collection Letter
Offer Assistance to Customer Having Difficulty in Handling Overdue Bill Collection Letter
Demand Payment Collection Letter
Final and Initiation to Take Legal Action Collection Letter

Complaint Letter

A letter which is written to the authority asking for adjustments is called a complaint letter. Includes:

Late/Mishandled Delivery Complaint Letter
Police Complaint Letter
Item Defect Complaint Letter
Contractor’s Complaint Letter
Pricing Complaint Letter

Condolence Letter

The letter that is written to show sympathy or feel sorry for someone who has suffered a loss is called a condolence letter. Includes:

Funeral Condolence Letter to an Acquaintance
Condolence Letter to a Coworker
Condolence Letter to Professor
Official Condolence Letter

Confirmation Letter

A letter that summarizes the verbal agreement between two parties is called a confirmation letter. Includes:

Employment Confirmation Letter
Oral Agreement Confirmation Letter
Payment Confirmation Letter
Delivery Confirmation Letter
Loan Confirmation Letter

Congratulations Letter

The letter written to congratulate someone for their achievement is called a congratulations letter. It includes:

Congratulations Letter for Completing Graduation
Congratulations Letter for the Birth of a Child
Congratulations Letter for Job Promotion
Congratulations Letter for Getting a New Job
Congratulations Letter for Completing a Training

Cover Letter

A document letter that is sent with a resume that provides additional information about your skills and experience is called a cover letter. It includes:

No Experience Cover Letter
Marketing Manager Cover Letter
Junior Financial Controller Cover Letter
Data Analyst Cover Letter
Software Engineer Cover Letter

Credit Letter

The letter that guarantees that a buyer’s payment to his seller will be received in full and on time is called a credit letter.

Import Letter of Credit
Export Letter of Credit
Credit Card Rejection Letter
Credit Card Approval Letter
Credit Reference Letter

Criticism Letter

The letter that is written by the authority to warn an offensive behavior or an inappropriate action done by a person or an employee is the criticism letter. It includes:

Critical Letter to an Employee
Critical Letter to a Coworker
Critical Letter to a Classmate
Critical Letter to a Neighbor
Critical Letter to the Editor

Dismissal Letter

A dismissal letter is a letter issued for an employee to terminate them from their service. It is of these types:

Dismissal letter for employees without unfair dismissal rights
Dismissal letter for employee’s poor performance
Dismissal for redundancy
Dismissal for reasons beyond the employee’s control
Dismissal for misconduct

Dispute Letter

The letter written to dispute errors in your report is called a dispute letter. It includes:

Dispute Letter to Creditor
Dispute Letter to Credit Bureau
Dispute Letter to Bank
Dispute Letter to Collection Agency
Payment Dispute Letter

Donation Letter

The letters that are meant to inform your donors about your efforts and ultimately encourage donations are called donation letters. Examples include:

Personal Donation Letter
Hospital Donation Letter
Social Cause Voluntary Work Donation Letter
Donation Gratitude Letter
Donation Letter to a Library

Endorsement Letter

This is simply the letter that endorses a person or program. It includes:

Employee Endorsement Letter
Product Endorsement Letter
University Endorsement Letter
Student Endorsement Letter
Internship Endorsement Letter

Farewell Letter

It is the letter which you write when you say goodbyes to your acquaintances. Includes:

Farewell Letter to Boss
Farewell Letter to Colleague
Farewell Letter to a Friend
Farewell Letter to the Teacher
Farewell Letter to Client

Follow Up Letter

This letter is written after you have written the original letter and is a shadow to that. Includes:

Grant Follow-up Letter
Proposal Follow-up Letter
Payment Follow-up Letter
Vendor Follow-up Letter
Sales Follow-up Letter

Friendship Letter

The letter that you write to communicate with your friend or celebrate your friendship with them is called a friendship letter. Includes:

Funny Friendship Letter
Letter to a Best Friend
Casual Friendship Letter
Letter to a Friend on Friendship Day

Fundraising Letter

The letter written to raise money for a charitable cause is called a fundraising letter. Includes:

Celebration Fundraising Letter
Education Fundraising Letter
Fundraising Letter for Someone Sick
Conference Fundraising Letter
Bank Fundraising Letter

Grievance Letter

The formal letter used by employers to make a formal complaint to their employer is called the grievance letter. It includes:

Grievance Letter Notifying Harassment Issues
Grievance Letter for Breach of Contract
Grievance Letter Against Work Ethics of Employees
Legal Grievance Letter
Grievance Response Letter

Inquiry Letter

The letter written requesting for information is called an inquiry letter. Includes:

Scholarship Inquiry Letter
Seminar Inquiry Letter
Conference Inquiry Letter
Association Inquiry Letter
Admission Inquiry Letter

Internship Letter

The first step to initiate the internship application process is the internship letter. It includes:

Internship Acceptance Letter (see Acceptance Letter)
Internship Application Letter (see Application Letter)
Internship Cover Letters (see Cover Letters)

Interview Letter

The letter written to job applicants calling them for the interview is called an interview letter. Includes:

Interview Call Letter
Post-Interview Letter
Interview Response Letter
Interview Follow-up Letter see (Follow-up Letter)
Interview Acceptance Letter (see Acceptance Letter)

Introduction Letter

When the writer wants to introduce someone or something to the recipient, the writes an introduction letter. Includes:

Contractor Letter of Introduction
Teacher Introduction Letter to Parent
Self-Introduction Letter
New Restaurant Introduction Letter
Product/Service Introduction Letter

Invitation Letter

The letters sent to invite the recipient to an event is called an invitation letter. It includes:

Invitation Letter to Attend an Exhibition
Sales Invitation Letter
Invitation Letter to Attend a Fundraising Event
Business Event Invitation Letter
Auction Invitation Letter

Marketing Letter

The letters written to carry out the promotion of new products or services is called a marketing letter. Includes:

Business Marketing Letter
Follow up Marketing Letter
Direct Marketing Letter
Insurance Marketing Letter
Marketing Letter to Friends and Family

Order Letter

A letter that related to placing an order or the order itself is called an order letter. It includes:

Letter Notifying the Inability to Fill Orders
Purchase Order Letter with Terms
Order Granted Directed Verdict
Letter to Change Order
Verbal Order Confirmation Letter

Permission Letter

The formal letters written to seek permission for something are called permission letters. They include:

Permission Letter for Research
Permission Letter for Picnic
Permission to Access Records Letter
Permission Letter for Hosting an Event
Permission Letter to Set up a New Business

Promotion Letter

A promotion letter is an official letter written by an employer in an organization to the employee who has just undergone a promotion. It includes:

Bus Charter Promotional Letter
Sales Promotion Letter
Reply to a Promotion Letter
Promotion Letter to an Employee
Acceptance of Promotion Letter

Proposal Letter

A proposal letter is a professional letter or document that is written to communicate a new idea to a party that can support or finance your idea, or to a prospective client to explain how your idea can solve their problems. It includes:

Partnership Proposal Letter
Sales Proposal Letter
Interior Design Proposal Letter
Investment Proposal Letter
Professional Services Proposal Letter

Recommendation Letter

A recommendation letter is written for the purpose of recommending a person for a new job, university admission and other roles he or she may have applied for. It includes:

Academic Recommendation Letter
Sales Recommendation Letter
Job Recommendation Letter
Landlord Recommendation Letter
Scholarship Recommendation Letter

Reference Letter

A letter referring one person and his skills and abilities to another is called a reference letter. Examples include:

Scholarship Reference Letter
Credit Reference Letter
Volunteer Reference Letter
Court Reference Letter
College Reference Letter

Request Letter

A request letter is written to draw the attention of the reader concerned to some particular demands or claims of the writer. It includes:

Request Letter for Driving Records
Requesting Credit Limit Increase Letter
Request for a Cheque Book Letter
Request for Issue of Voting Card
Request Letter for Changes in Contract

Resignation Letter

A resignation letter is a letter written by an employee to the employer, announcing the decision to resign from his current job or designation. It includes:

Teacher Resignation Letter
Withdrawal of Resignation Letter
Career Change Resignation Letter
Response to a Resignation Letter
Nursing Resignation Letter

Retirement Letter

A retirement letter is written on the event of the retirement of a senior employee. Examples include:

Army Retirement Letter
Employee Retirement Letter
Employer Retirement Letter
Thank-you Retirement Letter
Retirement Letter to a Client

Romantic Letter

A letter written to the close ones expressing love is called a romantic letter. Samples include:

Romantic Letter to Spouse
Romantic Letter to Girlfriend/Boyfriend
Wedding Anniversary Romantic Letter
Long Distance Romantic Letter
Poetic Romantic Letter

Sales Letter

The letter written to increase sales and promote your product/service is called a sales letter. Such a letter includes:

Selling Incentives Sales Letter
Sales Letter to Current Client
Sales Letter to Potential Client
Sales Letter to Past Client
Product Update Sales Letter

Scholarship Letter

The letter written to award or request for a scholarship is called a scholarship letter. Includes:

Scholarship Reference Letter (see Reference Letter)
Scholarship Rejection Letter
Scholarship Application Letter (see Application Letter)
Scholarship Award Letter
Scholarship Acceptance Letter (See Acceptance Letter)

Sorry Letter

The letter written to apologize for a mistake is called a sorry letter. Examples include:

Sorry Letter to a Family
Sorry Letter to Spouse
Sorry Letter to a Friend (see Apology Letter)
Sorry Letter to a Teacher
Sorry Letter to an Acquaintance

Sponsorship Letter

A sponsorship Letter is a letter written to raise money from donors who support an idea, event, etc. Examples Include:

Event Sponsorship Letter (See Fundraising Letter)
Church Sponsorship Letter (see Donation Letter)
Corporate Sponsorship Letter
Sponsorship Letter for Educational Purposes (See Fundraising Letter)
Sponsorship Letter for Sports Club (see Donation Letter)

Termination Letter

The letter written to bring an end to a contract, an employment etc. is called a termination letter. Examples Include:

Insurance Termination Letter
Employment Termination Letter
Lease Termination Letter
Agreement Termination Letter
Tenancy Termination Letter

Thank You Letter

The letter written to express gratitude for something the recipient has done for you is called a Thank-you Letter. Examples Include:

Thank-you Letter for Referral
Volunteer Thank You Letter
Gift Thank You Letter
Employer Thank You Letter
Invitation Thank You Letter

Transfer Letter

The letter written to make the recipient known about a change in current positions is called a transfer letter. Examples include:

Job Transfer Letter
Property Transfer Letter
Appraisal Transfer Letter
School Transfer Letter

Warning Letter

The letter to warn someone about their misconduct or for violation of rules is called a warning letter. Examples include:

Warning Letter to a Customer for Credit Suspension
Warning Letter to Employee
Warning Letter to a Neighbor

Welcome Letter

The letter written to greet someone to a new place is called a welcome letter. Examples include:

Welcome Letter to a New Employee
Welcome Letter to a New Account on Account Activation