10 Tips for Non-Native English Speakers for Writing Professional Emails

By Ela Britchkow, Speech Therapist, American Accent Specialist

Writing Emails can be challenging for Non-Native speakers due to English grammar, American colloquial and idiomatic expressions.

​My American accent clients often tell me that they have a hard time with writing emails or that people complain or correct their emails. So here are some general tips to improve your email writing:

1. The subject line should be meaningful and clear to your reader. Instead of “Cancellation” write “The 3:00 meeting is cancelled.
2. The topic of your email should be in the first sentence. People are busy and don’t like to spend a great deal of time reading.
3. Be specific when writing. Instead of using vague pronouns like “she” and “this”, specify exactly who and what or where you’re writing about.
4. Don't use ALL CAPITALS or all lower-case letters. It’s not professional.
5. Avoid using text speak (LOL), abbreviations and acronyms (an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word such as NASA.
6. Be brief and polite. If your message runs longer than two or three short paragraphs, consider (a) reducing the message, or (b) providing an attachment.
7. If you’re not sure about the grammar, ask someone to proofread what you wrote.  
8. Add a signature block with appropriate contact information (in most cases, your name, business address, and phone number, along with a legal disclaimer if required by your company).
9. It is VERY important to edit and proofread before hitting "send." You may think you're too busy to review what you wrote, or that it’s good enough, but unfortunately your reader may think you don’t care enough about them or the content of your email.
10. Finally, reply promptly to serious messages. If you need more than 24 hours to collect information or make a decision, send a brief response explaining the delay.

Other American Accent Posts related to this topic include:
​Can Idiomatic Expressions Be Political?
Idiomatic Expressions in the News
​American Slang Words and Phrases: What Are They Talking About?

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