Informal Letter Format: Structure, Rules and 10 Examples

The informal letter format is the layout you use when you write a personal letter to a friend, relative or anyone you know well. It has six parts: your address, the date, a warm greeting, the body, a friendly closing and your first name. Unlike a formal letter, it has no receiver’s address and no subject line.

Below you will find each part explained, 10 complete examples, and a fill-in letter you can print. As a result, you can write a correct informal letter for school or for real life in a few minutes.

Key Takeaways

• An informal letter has six parts: sender’s address, date, salutation, body, complimentary close and first name.
• Leave out the receiver’s address and the subject line; both belong to formal letters.
• Match the greeting to the closing, for example “Dear Rohan” with “Your loving friend”.
• Write three short paragraphs: an opening, the main news, and a warm ending.
• In exams, format marks are easy to win, so learn the layout before you practise topics.

What Is an Informal Letter?

An informal letter is a personal letter written in a friendly, conversational tone. People write it to share news, invite someone, say thank you, give advice or keep in touch. The reader already knows you, so the language can be relaxed. However, it still follows a fixed layout, and schools test that layout in English and Hindi exams.

Informal letters appear in school syllabuses across boards. For instance, ICSE Class 10 English Language includes a letter-writing question worth 10 marks in which informal letters appear, and most state boards test “letter to a friend or relative” from the middle school years onwards.

Informal Letter Format: The Six Parts

Follow this informal letter format in the same order every time. The table shows where each part goes and a short example.

Part	Position	Example
1. Sender’s address	Top left, two or three lines	45, Shanti Nagar Indore
2. Date	Just below the address	15 October 2026
3. Salutation	Left side, after one blank line	Dear Rohan,
4. Body	Three short paragraphs	Opening, main news, closing thoughts
5. Complimentary close	Left side, below the body	Your loving friend,
6. Name	Below the closing	Aditi

1. Sender’s address and date in the informal letter format

Write your house number, locality and city on the left. Some schools also accept only the city. Then write the date directly below. The format “15 October 2026” is safest, because it avoids confusion between day and month.

2. Salutation

Use the name or relationship of the reader: “Dear Rohan”, “Dear Papa”, “My dear Didi” or “Respected Dadaji”. Add a comma after the salutation.

3. Body

Divide the body into three paragraphs. First, open warmly and mention the reason for writing. Next, share the main news or message in detail. Finally, close with wishes, a question or a request to reply.

4. Complimentary close and name

The closing depends on the relationship. Consequently, “Yours lovingly” suits parents, “Your loving friend” suits friends, and “Yours affectionately” suits younger siblings. Sign with your first name only.

Greetings and Closings for Every Relationship

Writing to	Salutation	Complimentary close
Friend	Dear Rohan,	Your loving friend,
Father or mother	Dear Papa, / Dear Mummy,	Your loving son / daughter,
Grandparent	Respected Dadiji,	Your loving grandson / granddaughter,
Elder brother or sister	Dear Bhaiya, / Dear Didi,	Your loving brother / sister,
Younger sibling	Dear Anu,	Your loving sister / Yours affectionately,
Uncle or aunt	Dear Chachaji, / Dear Mausi,	Your loving nephew / niece,
Teacher you know well	Dear Ma’am,	Your student,

Informal Letter vs Formal Letter

Students often mix the informal letter format with the formal one in exams. Therefore, keep this comparison in mind before you start writing.

Feature	Informal letter	Formal letter
Written to	Friends and family	Principal, editor, officials, companies
Receiver’s address	Not included	Included
Subject line	Not included	Included
Tone	Friendly and personal	Polite and to the point
Salutation	Dear Rohan, / Dear Papa,	Sir/Madam, / Respected Sir,
Closing	Your loving friend,	Yours faithfully, / Yours sincerely,
Signature	First name only	Full name, often with designation

If a question asks you to write to an editor, a principal or an office, use the formal layout instead. Our school letters section covers those formats.

Write Your Informal Letter to a Friend

Fill in the details below. The letter updates as you type, and you can copy, print or save it as a PDF.

10 Informal Letter Examples

Each example follows the informal letter format above. Read them as models, then change the details to suit your topic. Notice how every example keeps the same informal letter format even though the topic changes.

Example 1: Letter to a friend inviting him to your birthday

Example 2: Letter to your father asking for money for a school trip

Example 3: Letter to a friend congratulating her on her results

Example 4: Letter to your grandmother about your new school

Example 5: Letter to your younger brother advising him to study regularly

Example 6: Letter to a friend describing your summer vacation

Example 7: Letter thanking your uncle for a birthday gift

Example 8: Letter to a friend who is unwell

Example 9: Letter to your mother from the hostel

Example 10: Letter apologising to a friend for missing her party

Common Mistakes in the Informal Letter Format

• Adding a subject line. The informal letter format never includes one, and examiners deduct format marks for it.
• Writing the receiver’s address. Only formal letters carry it.
• Mismatched closing. Do not end a letter to your mother with “Yours faithfully”.
• One long paragraph. Break the body into three short paragraphs instead.
• Missing the date. Always write it below your address.
• Using SMS language. Words like “u” and “gr8” cost marks even in a friendly letter.

Tips to Score Full Marks

1. Learn the six parts of the informal letter format until you can write them without thinking.
2. Read the question twice and note who you are writing to and why.
3. Plan three points before you write, one for each paragraph.
4. Stay within the word limit your board sets; ICSE, for example, expects about 120 words.
5. Leave two minutes to check spelling, punctuation and the closing.

Need a formal version instead, such as a leave note? See our application for sick leave samples, or use the free Letter Generator to create a ready letter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Putting the Informal Letter Format to Use

The informal letter format stays the same whatever the topic: address, date, greeting, three paragraphs, closing and first name. Practise it with two or three examples above, and you will write any personal letter confidently. For more writing formats, visit the Local Letter homepage.