How to address speakers
When you are addressing unknown audiences, such as when you pose a question to a speaker on Rhea, or when you are writing a cover letter for a job, it's important to create a good impression of yourself. Although Americans tend to be informal with each other and not overly concerned about one's rank, it's always best to be more formal at first. With this in mind, use one of the following courtesy titles before a person's last name, especially in written form. If you are uncertain whether the person has a Ph.D. or is a medical doctor, use Mr. or Ms.
- Mr. or Ms. Boilermaker (or whatever his/her last name is)
- Professor Boilermaker
- Doctor Boilermaker
Finally, be certain to spell the person's name correctly!
Questions
- How about when the person addressing the speaker has a title either equal or superior to the speaker? For example, what if the speaker is a graduate student and the person addressing him/her has a PhD?
- Answer here It depends if they know each other and in what context the communication is occurring. Let's use Prof. Boutin and one of our class speakers as an example. If she introduces a speaker who doesn't hold a Ph.D., then she might refer to him as "Mr. Dave Dayton" on the first reference, especially if she's introducing him to an audience of younger people. However, most Americans (and Canadians, too) are rather informal and might not use a courtesy title at all.
- What is the best way to address a woman? Are both "Madam" or "Ms." appropriate? How about "Ma'am"?
- Answer here. In writing, you should address a woman (on the first reference) as Dr. Mimi Boutin, Professor Mimi Boutin, or Ms. Joanne Lax. In person, drop the first name when speaking directly to her. "Madam" is primarily used in a written salutation in which you are not certain of the gender of the person (see the answer to the following question). "Ma'am" is used in spoken English, probably more so in the southern part of the United States than elsewhere. Of course, you can always ask a woman how she would prefer to be addressed.
- Is there a polite way to address a person when one is unsure what their gender is?
- Answer here.I assume your question refers to the written context. For example, the HR person whom you are contacting is named Pat Smith. In this case, you could simply write, "Dear Pat Smith." If you have no name at all for the HR person, you could write, "Dear Madam or Sir," or "To Whom it May Concern."
