14 Best Alternatives for “I hope this email finds you well”

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On one hand, this post deals with the formulaic email opener: “I hope this email finds you well.”

On the other hand, you will come to know many better alternatives that you can confidently use in your professional emails.

Let’s dive right in and discover how you can enhance your email writing skills and make a lasting impression.

 

What is the meaning of “I hope this email finds you well?”

“I hope this email finds you well” is a polite and formal way to start emails, often seen in professional correspondence. It serves as a well-wish to the recipient, aiming to establish goodwill. Despite its good intentions, the phrase can come across as formulaic or impersonal if overused.
 

 

I hope this email finds you well: Background and Context

The expression “I hope this email finds you well” is a go-to email opener commonly used in formal correspondence.

As it is uniquely utilized in rather formalistic email exchanges, a reader may immediately assume that the message may contain an official transaction.

Before emails, printed letters were mainly used in administrative work, meaning the opening remark used to be “I hope this letter finds you well” instead.

Regarding meaning, the expression discussed is a way to say, “I hope you are not bothered by this email.”

This is equivalent to initiating small talk before discussing the main topic in the spoken context, which is a sign of politeness.

However, since the verbiage has been repeatedly used as the classic opener, a slightly negative connotation may also come with it.

When used excessively, it could be interpreted as a bit pretentious or unnecessary, especially when the content is something containing a product or service pitch.

Simply put, a Business English teacher awaiting the online submission of an assigned reaction paper will be happy to see your proper usage of the greeting.

However, an internal affairs officer who regularly deals with endless complaints may easily skip your classic greeting and immediately proceed to the main content.

I mean ironically enough, any person who is “not doing well” upon reading this email greeting may not really appreciate the small talk attempt.

Or, the reader’s mood may also lighten up, especially if you’re the only one who bothered adding a proper greeting among the other email senders that day.

What I’m saying is that all these arguments point to the default decision, which is always to include an email opener when in doubt.

But, it is highly recommended to vary the expressions rather than using the same phrases over and over again.

So, here is a list of ten alternative email openers to “I hope this email finds you well,” together with some examples.

 

Formal alternative email openers to “I hope this email finds you well”

The use of polite and formal expressions, more technically known as consultative language register, is the default strategy in email correspondence.

We use this register type in settings characterized by relative power imbalances, such as superior-subordinate and professor-student relationships.

Having a consultative tone promotes language politeness and professionalism.

Using this tone means avoiding verb contractions, incomplete sentences, and informal expressions.

Here are five alternative email opening messages that can be used when communicating in a consultative or professional tone.

 

I hope you are doing well

When emailing someone regularly, a quick act of well-wishing through the expression “I hope you are doing well” would suffice.

Especially when we are sincere with the message, we need not worry about how the receiving party perceives the greeting.

If we know that the person’s plate is always full or perhaps the email is to be sent during a bad economic state, we can also make the greeting a little more personal by adding some details.

 

I hope you are having a productive week

Another relatively neutral expression is “I hope you are having a productive week,” which sounds very professional and polite at the same time.

It is best to use this opener when sending an email in the middle of the week and when the email’s content is also related to work productivity.

 

I hope you are having a great day

Although we can’t always assume that the person is having a great day, this greeting may still put a smile on the receiver’s face.

Of course, you can’t use this greeting if you know that the recipient has just been laid off from work or recently filed a bereavement leave.

 

I hope you had a great weekend

If the person you are sending an email to is like most modern professionals, they probably spend a good percentage of their time reading and responding to digital correspondence. 

They’ll know all about the standard phrases and email shorthand, such as saying “well received” in an email or saying, “duly noted” as a formal version of, “got it.”  

That means they’re likely so used to common email openers that these formalities barely register with them anymore. (And keep in mind that they probably use them themselves just as often as they receive them from others.) 

If you want to appear sincere and capture your reader’s attention, stay away from the age-old greeting, “I hope this finds you well.” 

Instead, choose something that demonstrates that you aren’t just flippantly throwing out niceties. Telling someone that you hope they had a good weekend shows them that you’re genuinely thinking about how they’re doing and what might have been going on in their life recently. 

This is still a formal opener, but it has a slightly warmer and more personal tone. 

As an aside, if you’re ever looking for a way to request politely in an email, the phrase, “thanks in advance for your input” in the example below is ideal. 

Example: 

 

I hope this finds you well

If you want to maintain a formal tone in an email but still appear laid back, you can use this variation of the classic opener: “I hope this email finds you well.” 

Ultimately, the recipient of your message knows that what you hope is finding them well is the email they’re reading. There’s no need to say the word “email” when telling someone you hope your correspondence finds them in a good place. 

In fact, it is increasingly becoming common practice to opt for this simpler way of opening an email. 

If you’re wondering whether to say, “I hope this email finds you well” or “I hope this finds you well,” you can generally rest assured that both are good options.

However, it might be interesting to note that Gmail’s “Smart Compose” function still recommends saying, “I hope this email finds you well.” 

So, when in doubt, opt for the slightly more formal variation of the phrase.  

Keep in mind that if you are replying to an email, you can always skip wishing someone well altogether and simply use the opener “Thank you for your email,” or an alternative. 

Example: 

 

I hope this message finds you well

Are you searching for an alternative way to say, “I hope this email finds you well” because, quite frankly, you’re bored of opening every message you send with the exact same phrase? 

Saying, “I hope this message finds you well” is a perfectly synonymous phrase that carries most of the same implications of goodwill and formality. 

That said, it is a tad less formal to refer to a “message” rather than an “email” in business correspondence. 

However, that doesn’t mean there is no place for it. After all, what business language is depends on the nature of the business being conducted. 

If you are in the greeting card business or run a sourdough bakery, or sell your homemade knitwear on a craft website, it might be very on-brand to say, “I hope this message finds you well.”  

Plus, what we consider appropriate for the workplace is changing. In an age defined by hoodie-wearing tech moguls, the line between formal and informal is blurring. 

As many marketing executives will be aware, it is sometimes more beneficial to be cool than formal. And being cool means not being stiff or married to tradition. 

So, if you think it would be appropriate, experiment with this slightly softer, more hip email opener. You can always make sure your message retains its formality by ending an email professionally. 

Example: 

 

I hope this letter finds you well

The obvious time to open a piece of correspondence with this line is when you are sending an actual letter in the post. 

The phrase “I hope this letter finds you well” originated back when messages had to be sent back and forth across long distances. Letters were sent across countries and overseas on sailing ships that would frequently take months to arrive. 

As a result, the sender would genuinely not know how the person they were writing to was doing, or how their life might have changed since their last letter. 

Nowadays, we might interpret an email “finding us well” as finding us in a good mood.

However, back when the phrase was first written down using a feather pen and an inkwell, it genuinely meant that the writer hoped the recipient was in good health. 

That said, the phrase is still very useful. A lot of bureaucracy and administration still runs on correspondence by letter.

If you work for a public body and use letters to correspond with members of the public, it is probably standard practice to open these with “I hope this letter finds you well.”

In general, don’t use this line when opening an email.

However, there is an exception to this rule: when there is a letter in PDF form attached to the email, it is acceptable to begin your email with this opener. 

Example:

 

I hope you have enjoyed your recent holidays

If you are aware that the person has just come back from a recent vacation or non-working holidays, you can use “I hope you have enjoyed your recent holiday” instead.

This email intro is applicable, for example, after Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Day.

 

It’s a pleasure having to connect with you again

“It’s a pleasure having to connect with you again” is a great opener when communicating with a business connection from the past.

For example, you have an ideal client who has gone silent for a while, but he or she suddenly inquires about the service you offered before.

 

Is “I hope this email finds you” a good alternative?

In an age where it seems no one ever has quite enough time to finish the things they need to do, it has become common practice to shorten all sorts of phrases and expressions. 

Sometimes, it works a trick to knock a few words or syllables off a common saying. However, sometimes it doesn’t. 

There are two main dangers of abbreviating and shortening sayings: The first is that you might change the meaning unintentionally.

The second is that you can turn a formal saying into an informal one. This can make your correspondence sound overfamiliar and unprofessional.  

What does all this have to do with the phrase, “I hope this finds you”? Well, quite a lot. 

“I hope this email finds you” actually means something very different to “I hope this email finds you well.” 

Instead of meaning that you hope someone is in good health at the time when they read your email, it means you hope that your email has reached them successfully. 

Now, there is a time and a place for this opener. One example is if you aren’t sure that you have someone’s up-to-date email address.

Another is when you are writing to an organization with the subject line “For the attention of ______.” 

In either case, you might want to express that you hope your message arrives at its intended recipient. 

In general, though, the answer to the question “Is ‘I hope this finds you’ a good alternative to ‘I hope this email finds you well’?” is no. 

However, by tweaking this slightly, you can make it a great alternative. By adding on a phrase like, “…healthy and happy,” “…full of holiday cheer,” or “…ready for an eventful week,” you’ve created a personalized email opener. 

Example 1

 

Example 2

 

Casual alternative email openers to “I hope this email finds you well”

When communicating with relatively close people, such as colleagues or associates from other companies, we may use intros containing a lighter tone.

Doing so may diminish the social distance between the writer and the recipient, which could help maintain a friendly atmosphere.

But bear in mind that staying professional at all times is still the default rule, and thus, using polite language is still necessary.

Being professional and friendly in email writing entails the avoidance of gossip, derogatory words, profanities, and ambiguous language.

No matter how close we think we are to the recipient, it is generally improper to take personal topics into work-related conversations.

Here are five casual email intros that we can use.

 

Happy Monday!

When sending an email to a colleague whom we regularly communicate with on the first, or any, day of the week, we can simply say “Happy Monday!” as a greeting.

In the context in which the relationship between the email sender and recipient is quite intimate, using a language that’s too formal may come across as awkward or incongruous.

As emails are expected to be skimmed on, this quick intro can also save your reader time and effort.

 

How are things going?

Another email intro that we can use is the classic “how are things going?” question, which is also common in the spoken context.

To catch up with the other party, a short and simple greeting before going to the main topic is also recommended, especially if you haven’t heard from the person for a while.

 

Hope you’re surviving the day!

This is another line we could use especially when, again, an intimate bond exists between the sender and the receiver.

You may have to avoid this intro in the initial contact with a prospect or when you’re emailing the CEO of your company.

But, this intro’s tone is leaning towards making a humorous attempt, and thus, the reader may find it amusing as long as the relationship with him or her is quite stable.

 

Hope I’m not ruining your week

The meaning of this email opener is similar to the previous intro explained, but it is constructed in a negative sentence structure.

We can use this verbiage, particularly when the content of the email contains a request, favor, or a product pitch.

 

I know you’ve got a bigger fish to fry

This one last casual intro denotes some idiomatic meaning, which means non-native English speakers may have the tendency to misunderstand it.

“Having a bigger fish to fry” means having more important matters to attend to or having more responsibilities.

This could be useful when communicating minor issues or concerns to the receiver, but you still need some assistance from him or her.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions on “I hope this email finds you well”

 

Is it okay to use “I hope this email finds you well” to a professor?

It is possible to use this email opener to a professor because it contains a professional tone. A professional or formal tone is necessary when there is a power imbalance between the sender and the receiver.

 

What is a more formal alternative for “I hope this email finds you well?”

For an email content that is related to work productivity, we could use “I hope you are having a productive week.” We can also keep it simpler by saying “I hope you are doing well.”

 

Is the email intro “I hope this email finds you well” overused?

From the perspective of people who regularly read emails, this opener would likely be interpreted as overused, uncreative, or formulaic. But, a person who doesn’t correspond a lot through email may think otherwise.

 

Conclusion

Having a bunch of alternative expressions in our linguistic repertoire is useful in adjusting the tone of the message.

Email openers are highly recommended in initial interactions with people because they could establish the writer’s identity.

Hence, good writing skills can enrich and maintain professional relationships with people in society.