10 Differences Between Formal and Informal Letter: Formal vs. Informal Letters

Do you know what is the major difference between formal letter and informal letter with examples? Let us first understand what is a formal letter and what does an informal letter mean?

What is Formal Letter?

A formal letter is a letter which is written mainly for official purposes. It is always written in a very formal language. When you write a formal letter, you have to be very careful while writing as these letters are written to colleagues, authorities, seniors, dignitaries, etc. While writing a formal letter, one has to follow a particular format.

What is an Informal Letter?

Informal letter is just opposite from formal letter. Informal letter is written very casually to the friends, family, relatives, cousins, etc. You don’t need to follow a formal language. You can write a formal letter to your formal contacts also but only when you have a friendly bond with them.

Hope the concept of formal and informal letter has been cleared to you now. So its time to see the FORMAL VS INFORMAL LETTERS

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10 Differences Between Formal and Informal Letter in Points

1. We use formal language in formal letter whereas in informal letter, we use casual and friendly language.
2. Another key difference between formal and informal letter is that formal letter has a fix format but informal letter does not have any fix format.
3. Formal letter is always written to business professionals, organizations, employers, etc. but an informal letter is writer to your closed ones.
4. A formal letter is written in passive voice whereas we use active voice while writing informal letter.
5. One of the main differences between formal letter and informal letter is that we use complex and large sentences in formal letter but short and simple in informal letter.
6. The main objective to write formal letter is to have a professional communication but the objective to write an informal letter is to have a personal communication
7. You have to avoid any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes in a formal letter but those mistakes can be done in an informal letter.
8. One of the major differences between formal and informal letter is that you have to be polite in formal letter but when you write an informal letter, there is no need to use any polite words.
9. Formal letter must be straight to the point unlike informal letter.
10. The last but not the least difference between formal and informal letter is that formal letters are mainly written in the 3^rd person while informal letters can be written in 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd person.

Format of Formal Letter

Source: https://7esl.com/formal-letter-format/

Format of Informal Letter

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Informal-letter.gif

Hope you liked reading these top 10 difference between formal and informal letter with examples.