The 2 biggest mistakes people make in work emails—and how to avoid them
Communicating over email is a necessity for most office workers, and it’s causing a lot of stress.
A majority, 60%, of people say the volume of emails they receive at work adds stress to their day, according to a survey of 2,000 U.S. office workers from Babbel, the language learning platform.
Miscommunication and potential fallout abound: 88% of people say they’ve regretted the contents and language of an email right after sending it, and 28% even say an email has hurt their careers.
“Our research reveals that emails are a major source of workplace stress,” says Esteban Touma, a cultural and linguistics expert at Babbel. Plus, “their formal and permanent nature is at odds with almost every other means of professional communication now in use, with potentially career-defining consequences.”
As a language expert, Touma tells he often sees people make two big mistakes when writing over email.
Typos and grammatical errors
The first big mistake Touma often sees is when people neglect to proofread and edit messages thoroughly.
“Typos, grammatical errors and unclear phrasing can detract from the professionalism and effectiveness of the message, making the meaning murky and unclear,” he says.
The mistake can easily get on your co-workers’ nerves: Nearly half, 48%, of people surveyed said they judge typos in work emails more harshly than they might on chat platforms like Slack or Teams.
To avoid this mistake, take the time to proofread emails before you hit send, Touma says. Doing so can help you catch misspellings and unintended digital faux pas, like when autocorrect changes the recipient’s name.
Pay attention to punctuation, too. A misplaced comma can completely change your meaning. For example, Touma says, ”‘Let’s schedule a call when you have some time to kill, Brian’ is politely addressing Brian. But ‘Let’s schedule a call when you have some time, to kill Brian’ suddenly becomes a lot more sinister.”
Unclear messaging
Another big mistake people make in their emails is failing to articulate their message clearly.
Being wordy or using jargon and ambiguous language can lead to misunderstandings, delays and frustration, Touma says.
Instead, be concise and specific in your emails. Three ways to do that are utilizing clear subject lines, organizing information logically, and providing clear action points that can help convey your message more effectively, Touma says.
It can be tricky to convey tone and emotion through emails, which can make the message feel cold. But be mindful when introducing humor over email and do so only when it’s appropriate, depending on the context of the message and who you’re sending it to.
“With many trying to overcompensate for the absence of tone in their replies and email sign-offs with over-the-top messages, it’s probably best to avoid going too far,” Touma says.
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