How to Write an Email to a Friend

Co-authored by Allison Broennimann, PhD

Last Updated: December 6, 2024 Fact Checked

Email is a quick and easy way to communicate with friends. If writing an email to an old or new friend seems overwhelming or makes you nervous, we can help! This wikiHow article will walk you through writing an informal email, starting with the introduction, and provide you with some friendly email samples you can use as inspiration.

Writing an Email to a Friend

Open with a greeting followed by your friend's name. Start by telling them why you're writing. Explain whatever you need to explain, asking questions where necessary. Close with your name.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Starting Your Email

Download Article

1
Find your friend’s email address. Before you start your email, make sure that you have the correct email address for your friend. If you’ve sent an email to them in the past, you can find their email in your email contacts. Otherwise, you can ask another friend.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Type their email address into the box labeled “To.”
2
Choose a subject that summarizes your email. The subject box is located below the “To” box and labeled “Subject.” Summarize your email in a few words here so your friend knows what to expect.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- If you’re just writing to say hello, your subject line could be as simple as “Hi!”
- If you’re writing to invite your friend to your birthday party, you could make the subject, “Invitation to my birthday party.”
Advertisement
3
Open with a greeting. Start your email with a greeting, followed by the person’s name and a comma. Since this is an email to a friend, you can say something casual like “hi,” “hey,” or “hello.”^{[3]
X
Trustworthy Source

University of North Carolina Writing Center
UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process

Go to source}
- ”Hi Kate,” is an example of a basic greeting.
4
Ask them how they’re doing. Skip a line, and ask a question like, “How are you doing?” or make a statement like, “I hope you’re doing well.” This shows your friend you care about them.^{[4]
X
Research source}

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Writing the Email Body

Download Article

1
Tell them why you’re writing. Maybe you’re writing to see how their vacation is going, or to check in after an illness. Either way, start off your email by stating your purpose for writing.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Say something like, “I heard you had the flu, and I wanted to see how you’re doing.”
Now that you’ve finished your introduction, it’s time to get down everything you want to tell your friend. Break up big chunks of text into paragraphs of three or four sentences to make your email easier to read.
You may want to use all caps to show your excitement, but it can seem like you’re yelling. Instead, use asterisks or bold your text to highlight the important parts.^{[6]
X
Research source}
4
Ask questions every so often. Ask questions related to what you’re saying. This shows your friend that you’re interested in their opinion, too.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- If you’re talking about your trip to the beach, you could throw in a question like, “Have you been down to the beach yet this summer? If not, you should totally go.”

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Writing to a Friend You Haven’t Seen in a While

Download Article

1
Apologize for the lack of contact. It’s normal for people to fall out of touch, but you should still offer an apology to start off on the right foot.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- You could say, “I’m sorry it’s been so long since we talked. I’ve been really busy.”
2
Update them on your life and ask about theirs. Since you haven’t talked in a while, you probably have a lot to catch up on. Tell your friend about any exciting developments in your life, and ask what’s new with them.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- You could say, “Since we last talked, I started dating someone. It’s been going great. Have you started dating anyone?”
3
Talk about common interests. Spend a little time talking about the things you both love. If you’re avid soccer fans, use a few lines to recap your favorite team’s most recent game. Don’t forget to ask for their opinion, too.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- Say something like, “That game the other week was insane! What did you think about the final goal?”
4
Add an invite or request near the end of the email, if you want. If you want to invite your friend to hang out soon or attend your party, now’s the time to let them know.^{[11]
X
Trustworthy Source

University of North Carolina Writing Center
UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process

Go to source}
- You might say, “I’m having a baby shower next Tuesday evening. Do you think you can make it?

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Wrapping up Your Email

Download Article

1
Experiment with different fonts and text colors. Explore the formatting bar, which is a row of icons located at the top or bottom of your window, to check out different font and text color options.
- If your email is about a serious subject, it’s best to stick with plain black text in a basic font.^{[12]
  X
  Research source}
- If your friend has a different email server, some fonts may not show up. Arial, Times, Verdana, Trebuchet, and Geneva are usually safe.^{[13]
  X
  Research source}
- Try not to go overboard with different fonts and colors. Your text should still be easy to read.
2
Add emojis if appropriate. If you’re writing a fun email to a good friend, a few cute emojis here and there could make your email extra friendly. However, if you’re writing an email about a more serious topic, you should steer clear of emojis. They’ll make your email seem too lighthearted.
- Be careful not to use too many emojis--it can be distracting.
3
Finish up by wishing them well. Send your friend kind wishes, let them know if you’d like them to write back, and tell them you hope to see them soon.^{[14]
X
Research source}
- You might say, “I hope that you have a great week. I can’t wait to hear from you!”
End your email with a closing, like “best wishes,” “talk to you soon,” or “love.” Then, skip a couple lines and type your name.^{[15]
X
Research source}
5
Attach images if you need to. Click the “insert photo” button, which usually looks like a picture or camera icon. It’ll be next to all the other formatting buttons. Then, you can pick photos from your computer to upload.
- If you’re writing an email telling a friend about your new dog, it might be a good idea to send along a picture of the pup!
- Try to only attach a few photos. If you attach too many, your email may end up in your friend’s spam folder.^{[16]
  X
  Research source}
6
Proofread your email. When you’ve finished your email, read through it once or twice to look for spelling and grammar mistakes. A mistake-free email will be easier for your friend to read. If you’re a kid, get a trusted adult to help you out.^{[17]
X
Research source}
- Double check to make sure you have the right email address for your friend, too.
When your email is ready to go, click the button at the bottom of your email that says “send.” All done!

Sample Emails and List of Do's and Don'ts

Annotated Email to Friend You Haven't Seen in a While

Annotated Email to Friend about Vacation

Do's and Don'ts for Emailing a Friend

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

Can I just write "Hey!" in the subject line?

Community Answer

If it's a casual e-mail, that's perfectly fine. However, if you mean business, stay away from that type of line.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 33 Helpful 126
Question

How can I write an email to my friend about summer vacation?

Avinash kanojiya

Community Answer

Just write something like this: "Hey [friend's name], I hope you are doing well and enjoying your summer. I went to Shimla with my family. We took a train. The weather in Shimla was very nice. We stayed there for about a week. We played a lot of games. I'm having a great summer, but I miss you very much. Give my regards to your parents. Your friend, [your name]."

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 42 Helpful 146
Question

How do I write an e-mail on a phone?

Community Answer

Download the Gmail app or the app you use for sending e-mails. Simply go to the "compose" area of your app and type away.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 33 Helpful 103

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

You can find a variety of sites to sign up for a free email account. Test out some of the popular free email websites such as Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo! Mail. Some require you to add a phone number; with others, it's optional (but can be helpful if you need to recover an account).

Thanks
Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
Match the tone and look of your email to your relationship with your friend.

Thanks
Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
Add a post-script (P.S.) if you forget something. Add the P.S. below your signature.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 2

Show More Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Go easy on the decorations. Adding too many colors, fonts, or emojis can make your email hard to read.

Thanks
Helpful 11 Not Helpful 4
Avoid using texting language if the friend doesn't understand it. If you friend doesn't understand the meanings of acronyms and other shorthand, it might make your email very hard to read.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0