How does one address an email me when the gender/s*x of the recipient is unknown?

Question

I received an email about a job/internship and I need to respond to it. The person's name is Stacey, but I am not sure if this Stacey is a Mr. or Ms. I feel uncomfortable about addressing the email as Hello Stacy or something. I'd prefer to use this person's last name. What should I do?

Answer 1

You could leave the name out - "Hi" is fine. Emails are generally informal.

"Hi Stacey" would be fine

"Dear Stacey" would sound a bit more formal

You have to remember that the person used his/her first name in the email they sent you. Therefore you could safely infer that they must be comfortable with it or else they wouldn't have used it.

Answer 2

Salutation

It is usual to address a letter to a client or potential witness in the personal form, using their family name or even, if you have been encouraged to do so by the client, their first name. In some cases, for example, where the client is a child in a personal injury case, it may be appropriate to use the more familiar form of address in any event.

By contrast, when writing to members of the public who are neither clients nor potential witnesses, a less personal approach may be preferable. A letter of demand should begin ‘Dear Sir’. A letter to the Registrar of a court, who is known to be female, should be to ‘Dear Madam’. In writing to solicitors or other commercial concerns in connection with your professional work the convention is to use ‘Dear Sirs’ if the partners are all male. If they are not, or where the gender of the recipient is unknown, ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ or even ‘Sirs/Madams’, might be appropriate. The letter can be addressed to an unnamed individual in an organisation, such as ‘The Managing Director’ or ‘The Secretary’, in which case, ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ is a suitable opening.

Answer 3

I'd simply address it to Dear Sir or Madam.  Leave the last name out, that way it sounds more formal.  Perhaps when they respond they'll put a Mr. or Miss on it for you.