IELTS Writing Task 1 Letter Salutation Checker: Get Your Greeting Right for Band 7

Most test takers focus on the body of their letter and completely overlook the first line. Big mistake. Your salutation sets the tone for everything that follows, and examiners spot a weak greeting instantly. Get it right, and you signal control from line one. Get it wrong, and you're already playing catch-up.

In Task 1, the letter greeting does more than just say hello. It affects your Coherence & Cohesion score because it signals whether you understand your audience. It impacts your Lexical Resource because it shows your command of formal vocabulary. The band descriptors reward clarity and appropriateness of register. A sharp salutation tells examiners you've thought about who you're writing to.

This guide walks you through every salutation scenario you'll actually face, shows you exactly what separates Band 7 from Band 5, and gives you a mental checklist so you never hesitate again. When you're done here, use our free IELTS writing checker to verify your entire letter meets Band 7 standards.

Why Your IELTS Letter Greeting Matters More Than You Think

You've got 20 minutes for Task 1. That's 1200 seconds to plan, draft, and polish a 150-word letter. Spending 10 seconds on a salutation might seem wasteful. It's not.

A salutation does three things at once. First, it proves you can identify your audience and adjust your tone accordingly. Second, it demonstrates you know formal letter conventions—something examiners expect from anyone aiming Band 7 or higher. Third, it sets reader expectations: a formal greeting primes the reader for a formal register throughout.

Band 5 test takers often use generic or inconsistent greetings. They write "Hi there," when they should write "Dear Sir or Madam," or they use "Dear [Name]:" when the convention calls for a comma. Band 7 test takers choose deliberately, based on what the prompt tells them about their relationship to the recipient. It's the difference between guessing and knowing.

The Three Core Rules for IELTS Letter Greetings

Rule 1: Match the greeting to your relationship with the recipient. If you know the person's name, use it. If you don't, the prompt will tell you what to do.

Rule 2: Use a comma after the salutation. This is UK English convention, which IELTS follows. You'll write "Dear Sir or Madam," with a comma, not a colon or period.

Rule 3: Avoid casual language in formal letters. Don't write "Hi" or "Hey" unless the prompt explicitly tells you the recipient is a peer or friend. Task 1 almost always asks for formal or semi-formal tone, and your salutation has to reflect that.

Scenario 1: When You Know the Recipient's Name

This is straightforward. The prompt says something like: "Write a letter to your manager, Mr. Williams, requesting flexible working hours."

Your salutation is simple:

That's it. Never use a first name unless you're told the recipient is a friend or colleague. Always use Mr./Ms./Dr. unless instructed otherwise. The comma is mandatory.

What if the prompt says "Write to your friend James about your summer plans"? Different scenario, different salutation:

The tone shifts with the relationship, but the structure stays the same: "Dear" plus name plus comma.

Each fails for a reason. "Hi" and "Hey" are too casual for formal letters. The colon violates IELTS convention. The period breaks the salutation away from the body. "James," without "Dear" drops the register too far.

Scenario 2: When You Don't Know the Recipient's Name

The prompt says: "Write a letter to the manager of a hotel complaining about your stay." No name given. This is where most students freeze.

You have two correct options. Pick one:

This is the traditional, formal choice. It's safe, it's recognized globally, and it's what most IELTS examiners expect.

This is a modern variant. Both are Band 7 appropriate. Stick with whichever one you pick.

Here's what doesn't work:

"To Whom It May Concern" sounds outdated in modern IELTS. "Dear Madam/Sir" (opposite order) isn't standard in UK English. The casual greetings fail on register. "Dear Hotel Manager" sounds robotic; you're addressing a person, not a title.

Formal vs. Semi-Formal vs. Informal: Which Greeting Do You Need?

Task 1 prompts vary in formality. Your salutation has to match.

Formal letter: Complaint to a company, application to an institution, request to an official body.

Salutation: "Dear Sir or Madam," or "Dear Mr./Ms. [Name],"

Closing: "Yours faithfully," or "Yours sincerely,"

Semi-formal letter: Request to someone you know slightly, letter to a colleague or acquaintance.

Salutation: "Dear [First and Last Name]," or just "Dear [First Name],"

Closing: "Best regards," or "Kind regards,"

Informal letter: Letter to a friend, family member, or close colleague.

Salutation: "Dear [First Name]," or "Hi [First Name],"

Closing: "Take care," or "All the best,"

Here's how this plays out with real IELTS prompts:

Prompt A (Formal): "Write a letter to the local council about a problem in your neighborhood. Do not include your postal address."

Prompt B (Semi-formal): "Write a letter to your English teacher requesting a letter of recommendation for a university application."

Prompt C (Informal): "Write a letter to an English friend you met on holiday. Tell them about your life since you returned home."

Notice how the structure stays consistent, but formality shifts with context. Your job is to read that context from the prompt and adjust accordingly.

Common Salutation Mistakes That Cost You Marks

Let me break down what examiners see when they spot these errors, because each one links to specific band descriptor problems.

Mistake 1: Using the wrong punctuation. "Dear Mr. Thompson:" or "Dear Mr. Thompson." Both violate UK convention. The colon is American business style. The period interrupts the flow. A comma is correct. This affects your Coherence & Cohesion score because examiners mark you down for register inconsistency.

Mistake 2: Forgetting the comma entirely. "Dear Sir or Madam" (no punctuation) reads as incomplete. Examiners expect you to signal the end of your salutation with a comma before the body begins.

Mistake 3: Including unnecessary titles or descriptors. Don't write "Dear Hiring Manager," or "Dear Doctor Linda," or "Dear Professional," unless the prompt explicitly tells you the recipient's role is central. Stick to "Dear Mr./Ms." or "Dear Sir/Madam,".

Mistake 4: Mixing formal and informal in the same letter. If you open with "Dear Mr. Hassan," your entire letter must stay formal. Don't slip into "Hey, I hope you're having a good day." Examiners scan for consistency, and a formal salutation followed by casual language signals Band 6 or lower.

Mistake 5: Using a first name when you shouldn't. "Dear Linda," when the prompt says "Write to the director of the company" (without naming her) shows you're guessing. Stick to generic formal language unless the name is given.

How Your IELTS Letter Salutation Affects Your Band Score

You might think: can a greeting really affect my band score that much? Yes, because it's part of the overall assessment rubric.

IELTS Writing Task 1 is marked on four criteria: Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range & Accuracy. Your salutation touches three of these directly.

Task Response: A correct salutation shows you've understood the audience and purpose. If you miss this, examiners assume you haven't grasped the task.

Coherence & Cohesion: The salutation opens your text and signals formality level. It sets expectations for register. A weak salutation creates incoherence immediately.

Lexical Resource: Your word choice in the greeting shows awareness of formal vocabulary. "Dear Sir or Madam," demonstrates control. "Hi there," does not.

A Band 7 test taker gets the salutation right every time, without thinking. It's automatic. A Band 5 test taker second-guesses or makes the mistakes listed above. The difference isn't talent. It's practice and system.

If you're working on Task 1 overall, check out our guide on IELTS Writing Task 1 letter tone. Getting the salutation right is the first step, but tone consistency throughout the letter is what separates Band 6 from Band 7.

Your Pre-Submission Salutation Checklist

Use this before every practice letter. Takes 10 seconds.

• Do I know the recipient's name? If yes, is it in the salutation? If no, did I use "Dear Sir or Madam,"?
• Is there a comma after the salutation?
• Does the salutation match the formality level the prompt requires?
• Have I avoided casual language ("Hi," "Hey," "Hello") unless the prompt explicitly asks for informal tone?
• Is my closing line appropriate for my salutation? (Formal closing for formal salutation, informal for informal.)

All five? You're ready to write the body. Miss one? Fix it now, not after you've written 150 words.

For more on maintaining tone throughout your letter, our tone consistency checker guide shows you how to keep your register steady from opening line to closing signature.

Next Steps: Complete Letter Correction with Our IELTS Writing Checker

Getting your greeting right is the foundation. But a Band 7 letter needs consistency beyond line one. After you nail your salutation, make sure your opening sentence matches that formality level. Our guide on letter opening lines shows you how to transition from salutation into the body without dropping or jumping register.

Similarly, your closing needs to match. If you've opened formally, your sign-off has to stay formal. Check out our resource on closing salutations to ensure your signature line matches your opening.

Once all three are locked in, you're ready for detailed feedback. Our IELTS writing checker analyzes your entire letter in seconds, catching salutation errors, tone shifts, grammatical mistakes, and band score issues. You'll get line-by-line corrections and a predicted band score based on actual IELTS rubrics.