Home > Blog > How to Correctly Address an Envelope

How to Correctly Address an Envelope

With the holiday season fast approaching, we thought this was the perfect time to share some tips on how to address your holiday cards – to ensure they arrive safe and sound!

Canadian Addresses

When addressing an envelope for a Canadian address, here are some tips from Canada Post:

1. Put information, such as title, floor, etc. above the street address
2. Put a hyphen between unit / suite / apartment number and the street number
3. The city, province and Postal Code go on one line
4. Put two spaces between the Postal Code and the province

MARY SMITH
SALES DEPARTMEN
11-345 FIRST ST NE
VANCOUVER BC  N3Z 2T6

American Addresses

When addressing a card to be sent to an address in the United States, keep these tips in mind:

1. City names must be spelled out in full
2. Put just one space between city and state, but two spaces between the zip code and the state
3. Use the two-character state abbreviation (rather than writing it out in full)
4. ZIP Codes are either five or nine digits. If it’s a nine-digit ZIP Code, put a hyphen between the fifth and sixth numbers.

JANET GREEN
243 HIGHLAND AVE
NEWTOWN GA  12345-6789
USA

International Addressing Tips

The full address, including full country name must be included when sending mail internationally. The country name appears on its own line after ZIP or Postal Code, is written in full and in capital letters.

Example: UNITED KINGDOM, not UK.

Return Addresses

Return addresses are formatted the exact same way as the destination address. Place the return address in the top left corner of the envelope or parcel, or on the back of the item at the very top. 

When addressing your holiday cards, keep this one simple thing in mind: Make sure the destination address is clear. If you’re printing address labels, stay away from fancy fonts. Choose at least a 10-point type, but keep it simple. Use white labels, with black ink.

And as a last reminder: One of the most common mistakes people make when addressing a card to a family is the use of apostrophes. When addressing an envelope, the proper way to write the family name is in plural format.

Example:

The Morrison’s  (incorrect)

The Morrisons (correct

Get ready – the holidays are coming up quick!

Posted by Margaret in Everyday Etiquette.