Sample Appreciation Letter: How to Write & Template

It’s a real privilege to work with good people, whether supportive superiors, dedicated subordinates, or selfless colleagues. Writing a letter of appreciation is a great way to express your gratitude. Not only will this let them know how you feel, it could also help their career.

In this article, you’ll find an expert appreciation letter sample, and you'll learn how the right appreciation letter format should look like. Plus, you'll get plenty of UK-specific advice and a step-by-step guide to write your gratitude letter with ease.

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Had a different letter in mind? See:

• Acceptance Letter Sample
• Apology Letter Sample
• Appeal Letter Sample
• Appointment Letter Sample
• Leave Letter Sample
• Termination Letter Sample
• Recommendation Letter Sample
• Reference Letter Sample
• Resignation Letter Sample
• Retirement Letter Sample

Appreciation Letter Format (Sample)

This sample appreciation letter gives you an idea of what you’re aiming for. Here’s how to write your own, step by step: 

1. Start your appreciation letter with a professional header and an appropriate greeting

Unless you’re writing your appreciation letter as a casual email, you’ll need a proper document header. Align to the right your name, postal address, email, and phone number. Leave a line and add the date of writing, always in full form—as in ‘11th February 2022’. Leave another line.

Next, address your letter, aligning to the left the recipient’s name, their job title, the company name, and the company’s inside address. It’s important that you set all this out correctly. Your reader might be able to use your appreciation letter as part of a promotion request, pay negotiation, or job application down the line.

Even if you’re just firing off a semi-formal email, it’s a good idea to start with an appropriate salutation. On a first-name basis with your reader? Go with ‘Dear + First Name’. Not on a first-name basis? This is not the time to start—use ‘Dear + Mr/Ms + Surname’. Always use ‘Ms’ for women, rather than Mrs or Miss. 

Appreciation letter format: header and salutation

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2. Let your reader know what you’re grateful for and why in your appreciation letter

Unsurprisingly, your letter should start with an expression of gratitude or appreciation. Cut straight to the chase, say thank you, and make sure it’s clear what it is that you’re thankful for. Expressing gratitude can do a lot of good, for your recipient and you. So don’t bury it in a later paragraph.

Appreciation letter format: opening paragraph

3. Describe the reason behind your appreciation letter in more detail, with examples

Take a paragraph to specify details regarding what it was that your recipient did for you or your company. This will help them really feel noticed and appreciated. Mention their personal and professional qualities. Focus on their strengths if you’re writing a letter of appreciation for good work.

If you are writing a letter of appreciation to an employee or subordinate, then add a compliment that’s focused on their future. Meanwhile, if you’re writing an appreciation letter to your boss, you can add something focused on the wider impact their help and support has had. Think at the company level.

Appreciation letter format: main body paragraphs

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4. Express your gratitude and end your appreciation letter with an appropriate sign-off

Reiterate your expression of thanks. This is a great way to bring your appreciation letter full circle. A big part of writing a good letter of appreciation is knowing how to end it. Look positively to the future. If writing to an employee, comment on your subordinate’s promising future, but only if this is realistic.

Your second ‘thank you’ could also serve as your sign-off. This isn’t an option if you’re writing a formal appreciation letter, though. In such cases, use ‘Yours Sincerely’ if you used your recipient’s name in the salutation. Use ‘Yours Faithfully’ in the rare case that you don’t know their name. The rules are similar to closing a standard cover letter.

Appreciation letter format: closing paragraph and sign-off

5. Select a suitable format and layout for your appreciation letter

A formal appreciation letter has to follow the standard business letter format. Mirror the setting-out of our letter of appreciation sample, and you’ll have this in the bag. Proofread your appreciation letter. Professionalism is important, no less so in a letter of appreciation. So check it thoroughly.

Use plenty of white space

Set the line spacing to 1.15 and use double spaces between paragraphs. Leave all four margins at 2.5 cm. This will create a lot of white space, making your appreciation letter easier on the eye and easier to read. Keep you letter to a single page if you can, but don’t bunch it up to make that happen.

Choose a professional-looking font

Select an understated, easy-to-read font for your letter of appreciation. Something like Noto, Garamond, Liberation, or even Arial or Calibri. Anything that won’t compete for attention with your carefully chosen words. Leave the font size at 11–12 points. Your letter might be printed out, even if you email it.

Save your appreciation letter in PDF

You want your letter of appreciation to look good no matter what device it’s viewed on or what printer it’s printed on. PDF is the way you can all but make sure that’ll happen. PDF files are much more likely to preserve formatting and layout across devices than something like a *.docx file.

You’re doing a good thing by taking the time to write a letter of application. Do you feel better equipped to write a good one now? Drop us a line down below. Leave any questions, feedback or experiences of your own that you’d like to share. Have you received an appreciation letter before?

How we review the content at LiveCareer

Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.