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Ellu777
Member
Estonian
- Feb 16, 2021
- #1
I am a little confused about the capitalisation of the word "all" in the phrase Dear All at the beginning of e-mails. I've seen it in e-mails from highly educated native speakers. Does it show respect for the recipients? And would the same logic apply to Dear Colleagues (as opposed to Dear colleagues)? Thank you.
The Newt
Senior Member
New England
English - US
- Feb 16, 2021
- #2
I would capitalize any word in a salutation except articles and prepositions (which wouldn't be likely in a salutation anyway).
EDIT E.g. Dear Members of the Board,
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Egmont
Senior Member
Massachusetts, U.S.
English - U.S.
- Feb 16, 2021
- #3
It follows the capitalization pattern of Dear Susan, Dear Henry, Dear Mr. and Mrs. Tamm, and so on, so it looks normal to people who are familiar with that pattern.
L
Le Gallois bilingue
Senior Member
English (U.K.)
- Feb 16, 2021
- #4
“Dear All” seems impersonal in a way “Dear Colleagues” does not. And it is a phrase I find disrespectful and do not use at work.
DonnyB
Moderator Emeritus
Coventry, UK
English UK Southern Standard English
- Feb 16, 2021
- #5
I don't see anything wrong with it.
When I was still at work, we used to get e-mails all the time addressed to multiple recipients which started "Dear All". 
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Ellu777
Member
Estonian
- Feb 16, 2021
- #6
The Newt said:
I would capitalize any word in a salutation except articles and prepositions (which wouldn't be likely in a salutation anyway).
EDIT E.g. Dear Members of the Board,
Thank you very much! So a salutation would follow the same rules as a title.
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Ellu777
Member
Estonian
- Feb 16, 2021
- #7
Thank you very much for your comments!
The Newt
Senior Member
New England
English - US
- Feb 16, 2021
- #8
DonnyB said:
I don't see anything wrong with it.
When I was still at work, we used to get e-mails all the time addressed to multiple recipients which started "Dear All".
I think it's okay. It's a bit informal, but it can be useful way of addressing multiple individuals who don't have a clearly defined relationship with you.
Tegs
Mód ar líne
English (Ireland)
- Feb 16, 2021
- #9
I see it capitalized in some cases and in lower case in others.
Ellu777 said:
Does it show respect for the recipients?
No, it’ just a habit, or a pattern, as Egmont said in #3.
The Newt said:
it can be useful way of addressing multiple individuals who don't have a clearly defined relationship with you
Agreed, there are plenty of people that don’t fit into the tidy category of “colleagues”. “Dear all/All” is usefully vague.
sdgraham
Senior Member
Oregon, USA
USA English
- Feb 16, 2021
- #10
Ellu777 said:
I am a little confused about the capitalisation of the word "all" in the phrase Dear All at the beginning of e-mails. I've seen it in e-mails from highly educated native speakers. Does it show respect for the recipients? And would the same logic apply to Dear Colleagues (as opposed to Dear colleagues)? Thank you.
I would not worry about "respect" in this case. Here in the U.S., we don't worry much about obsequious salutations,
I consider "Dear All" to be quite polite -- unlike the (in my opinion) accursed "Hey" that some learners think makes them seem "native."
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