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ATT,ATTN,FAO...abbreviationsfor'attention'incorrespondence|WordReferenceForums
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ATT, ATTN, FAO ... abbreviations for 'attention' in correspondence

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andersxman
Senior Member
Denmark/danish

Whenwritingenglishbusinessletters,whichisthecorrctabbreviationof"attention".Ireckonitmustbeeither"att"or"atn".I'vealways
used"att",butfearthatitmightbeacalqueintroducedfromdanish.
Thankyou.

andersxman, Apr 5, 2006

#1

SpeakEnglishFluently
LearntoSpeakEnglishFluentlywithOnlineSpokenEnglishProgram.

You'reclose:Attn.Inabusinessletter,though,you'reusuallybetteroffavoidingabbreviations,andsomestyleguidesrecommendleaving
'attention'outentirely.

Kelly B, Apr 5, 2006

Kelly B

#2

Senior Member
USA English

Wherewereyougoingtoputit?
WewouldsometimesbeaskedspecificallytomarksomethingfortheattentionofXXXXX,sothatitescapesfromthenormaljumbleof
mailsortingandgetstotherecipientdirectly.
SuchitemsarealwaysaddressedFAOMrBrown,muchtomyamusement.
panjandrum, Apr 5, 2006

#3

panjandrum
PongoMod
Belfast, Ireland
EnglishIreland (top end)

HelloEveryone,

raftor
New Member
India English

CansomeonepleasetellmewhattheacronymAtt:standsforwhenitisusedinemailsandisimmediatelyfollowedbytherecipient's
name.
Example:
Att:JohnPhillips
Thanksinadvance
raftor, Apr 17, 2012

http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/attattnfaoabbreviationsforattentionincorrespondence.126550/

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ATT,ATTN,FAO...abbreviationsfor'attention'incorrespondence|WordReferenceForums
Itmeansattention.

LilianaB
Senior Member
US New York
Lithuanian

LilianaB, Apr 17, 2012

#5

Att:isnotanacronym,it'sanabbreviation.
Itdoesindeedmean"Attention:"(TheBritisharelikelytosay"FTAO"Fortheattentionof"

sdgraham

sdgraham, Apr 17, 2012

#6

Senior Member
Oregon, USA
USA English

Usuallyit'swrittenas"attn./Attn."

Hau Ruck

Hau Ruck, Apr 17, 2012

Senior Member

#7

United States Midwest

English U.S.

sdgraham said:

Att:isnotanacronym,it'sanabbreviation.
Itdoesindeedmean"Attention:"(TheBritisharelikelytosay"FTAO"Fortheattentionof"

NotthisBrit.ImightuseAttn:
Andygc

Andygc, Apr 17, 2012

Senior Member

#8

Devon
British English

Egmont
Senior Member
Massachusetts, U.S.
English U.S.

"Attn"(oroneoftheotherversions)isusedwhenyousendmailtoacompany,butyouthinkaspecificpersonistherightpersontoreadit.
Thisformofaddressingmakesitclearthatitisbusinessmail,notpersonalmail.Ifthatpersonisnotavailableperhapshehasleftthe
company,perhapsshejustbeganatwomonthtrekthroughNepalanotherpersoncanopentheletterwithoutfearofreadinganything
private.

Egmont, Apr 17, 2012

#9

sdgraham said:

TheBritisharelikelytosay"FTAO"Fortheattentionof"

Meneither~I'dwriteFAO
ewie, Apr 17, 2012

#10

ewie
Senior Member
This septic isle!
NW Englandish English

InAEitisproperlywrittenonenvelopesasthefirstlineoftheaddressblock.(formerlyseenseverallinesbelowthereturnaddress,left
alignedwithit)
Itisnormallywrittenwithacolon:Attn:JohnSmith

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ATT,ATTN,FAO...abbreviationsfor'attention'incorrespondence|WordReferenceForums

pwmeek
Senior Member

Inabusinessletteritself,itwouldappearthus:

SE Michigan, USA
English American

<sender'saddressblock>
<date>
<recipient'saddressblock>
Attention:(orAttn:)JohnSmith(orAttention:/Attn:Salesdepartment)
DearMr.Smith:
<bodyofletter>
pwmeek, Apr 17, 2012

#11

pwmeek said:

InAEitisproperlywrittenonenvelopesasthefirstlineoftheaddressblock.

I'dexpectitonthesecondlinelikethis:
WordgamesLtd
(Attn:MrFSmith)
<restoftheaddress>

Andygc
Senior Member
Devon

Andygc, Apr 18, 2012

#12

British English

Andygc said:

I'dexpectitonthesecondlinelikethis:
WordgamesLtd
(Attn:MrFSmith)
<restoftheaddress>

Copyright

IthinkintheUS,wewouldneverdothat.

Senior Member

Isubscribetothepwmeekstyle.

Copyright, Apr 18, 2012

Penang

#13

American English

Copyright said:

IthinkintheUS,wewouldneverdothat.

Isubscribetothepwmeekstyle.

Notmystyle.Ihave(upuntilyesterday)putitonthesecondlineasAndygcshowed.Itwasresearchforthisthreadthattaughtmebetter.
Ihadtocompletelyrewritemyfirstdraftofthepost.
pwmeek
Senior Member

AstheUSPostalServicesays:fromtoptothebottomyougofromthesmallesttothelargest.So,the"Attn:"linegoesatthetop.

SE Michigan, USA

Sidenote:ItisimportantfortheCityStateZiplinetobethebottommost,andforittobeformatted"City,ST123456789"andhave
nothingbelowit,asthisiswhattheautomaticscannersarelookingfor.IfapersonhastoentertheZipCodebyhand(orworse,enterthe
cityandstatebyhandtolookuptheZipCode)itcanaddadayortwotodeliverytime.ThePOwouldpreferALLCAPS(whethertypedor
handwritten),butrealizesthattherewouldbealotofresistancetothis,aspeoplemuchprefertheusualcombinationofupperandlower
caseletters.

English American

pwmeek, Apr 18, 2012

#14

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