Letter vs. Mail: What's the Difference?
Edited by Sumera Saeed || By Sawaira Riaz || Updated on October 27, 2023
A "Letter" is a written message addressed to someone, while "Mail" refers to letters, packages, or parcels sent or delivered through a postal system.
Key Differences
When considering Letter and Mail, a Letter is a specific form of communication, usually a written message on paper, intended for one or more recipients. In contrast, Mail encompasses a broader range of items, including letters, postcards, packages, and even electronic emails in some contexts.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 26, 2023
The tradition of sending Letters dates back centuries, acting as a primary means of long-distance communication. However, Mail can also include things beyond written letters, such as packages, parcels, and even magazines or newspapers that get delivered.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 26, 2023
A Letter usually entails a personal touch, often carrying emotional or informational content. It's a subset of what constitutes Mail. Mail, however, is a more generic term, not limited by content, and can include anything that is sent via a postal service or similar delivery method.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 26, 2023
It's essential to realize that every Letter is Mail, but not every piece of Mail is a Letter. This distinction arises from the specific nature of a Letter as a written message, whereas Mail serves as an umbrella term for various sent or delivered items.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 26, 2023
When people refer to checking their Mail, they could be looking for a variety of items, including bills, advertisements, or packages. When someone mentions writing a Letter, it distinctly implies crafting a written message, possibly long-form, addressed to a particular individual or organization.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 26, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A written message.
Letters, packages, or parcels sent/delivered via postal system.
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Oct 26, 2023
Specificity
Specific type of communication.
Broad category of delivered items.
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Oct 26, 2023
Content
Primarily textual information.
Can be textual, goods, or any other deliverable items.
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Oct 26, 2023
Mode
Typically paper, but can be electronic (e.g., e-letter).
Includes both tangible and electronic items.
Janet White
Oct 26, 2023
Personal touch
Often personal and directed at someone.
Can be personal or impersonal, like advertisements.
Sara Rehman
Oct 26, 2023
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Letter and Mail Definitions
Letter
A symbol or character representing a sound in a language.
The Letter 'A' is the first letter of the alphabet.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 09, 2023
Items sent or to be sent by the postal service.
He received a lot of Mail on his birthday.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 09, 2023
Letter
A printed or written communication in a bounded form.
He received a Letter of recommendation from his professor.
Janet White
Oct 09, 2023
Electronic messages sent over the internet.
He checks his email Mail daily.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 09, 2023
Letter
An official document or communication.
The company sent a Letter of intent to the potential partner.
Sara Rehman
Oct 09, 2023
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Protective armor made of linked metal rings.
The knight wore a suit of chain Mail.
Harlon Moss
Oct 09, 2023
Letter
A written symbol or character representing a speech sound and being a component of an alphabet.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 08, 2023
To send something using a postal service.
I need to Mail this package to my friend.
Janet White
Oct 09, 2023
Letter
A written symbol or character used in the graphemic representation of a word, such as the h in Thames. See Note at Thames.
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Oct 08, 2023
Materials, such as letters and packages, handled in a postal system
The volume of mail increases around the holidays.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
A written or printed communication directed to a person or organization.
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Oct 08, 2023
Postal material for a specific person or organization
Could you pick up my mail at the office?.
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Oct 08, 2023
Material processed for distribution from a post office at a specified time
Delivered the morning mail around town.
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Oct 08, 2023
A postal system. Used with the, sometimes in the plural
Used the mail to send the supplies.
Advertisements sent through the mails.
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Oct 08, 2023
Flexible armor composed of small overlapping metal rings, loops of chain, or scales.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
An emblem in the shape of the initial of a school awarded for outstanding performance, especially in varsity athletics.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
To earn a school letter, as for outstanding athletic achievement
She lettered in three collegiate sports.
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Oct 08, 2023
The material conveyed by the postal service.
Don't forget to pick up the mail on your way.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
A symbol in an alphabet.
There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
A written or printed communication, generally longer and more formal than a note.
I wrote a letter to my sister about my life.
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Oct 08, 2023
The postal service or system in general.
He decided to send his declaration by mail.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
The literal meaning of something, as distinguished from its intended and remoter meaning (the spirit).
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
Literature.
Benjamin Franklin was multiskilled – a scientist, politician and a man of letters.
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Oct 08, 2023
(uncountable) Electronic mail, e-mail: a computer network–based service for sending, storing, and forwarding electronic messages.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
(law) A division unit of a piece of law marked by a letter of the alphabet.
Letter (b) constitutes an exception to this provision.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
A size of paper, 8½ in × 11 in (215.9 mm × 279.4 mm, US paper sizes rounded to the nearest 5 mm).
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Oct 08, 2023
(uncountable) Armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together.
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Oct 08, 2023
(nautical) A contrivance of interlinked rings, for rubbing off the loose hemp on lines and white cordage.
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Oct 08, 2023
Any hard protective covering of an animal, as the scales and plates of reptiles, shell of a lobster, etc.
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Oct 08, 2023
(ditransitive) To send by electronic mail.
Please mail me the spreadsheet by the end of the day.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
A mark or character used as the representative of a sound, or of an articulation of the human organs of speech; a first element of written language.
And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew.
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Oct 08, 2023
(transitive) To contact (a person) by electronic mail.
I need to mail my tutor about the deadline.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
A written or printed communication; a message expressed in intelligible characters on something adapted to conveyance, as paper, parchment, etc.; an epistle.
The style of letters ought to be free, easy, and natural.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 08, 2023
Letter
Verbal expression; literal statement or meaning; exact signification or requirement.
We must observe the letter of the law, without doing violence to the reason of the law and the intention of the lawgiver.
I broke the letter of it to keep the sense.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
A single type; type, collectively; a style of type.
Under these buildings . . . was the king's printing house, and that famous letter so much esteemed.
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Oct 08, 2023
A small piece of money; especially, an English silver half-penny of the time of Henry V.
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Oct 08, 2023
A flexible fabric made of metal rings interlinked. It was used especially for defensive armor.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
A telegram longer than an ordinary message sent at rates lower than the standard message rate in consideration of its being sent and delivered subject to priority in service of regular messages. Such telegrams are called by the Western Union Company day letters, or night letters according to the time of sending, and by The Postal Telegraph Company day lettergrams, or night lettergrams.
A strange lock that opens with AMEN.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
To impress with letters; to mark with letters or words; as, a book gilt and lettered.
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Oct 08, 2023
A contrivance of interlinked rings, for rubbing off the loose hemp on lines and white cordage.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
A written message addressed to a person or organization;
Mailed an indignant letter to the editor
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Oct 08, 2023
Any hard protective covering of an animal, as the scales and plates of reptiles, shell of a lobster, etc.
We . . . strip the lobster of his scarlet mail.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
The conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech;
His grandmother taught him his letters
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
A strictly literal interpretation (as distinct from the intention);
He followed instructions to the letter
He obeyed the letter of the law
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Oct 08, 2023
The bag or bags with the letters, papers, or other matter contained therein, conveyed under public authority from one post office to another; the whole system of appliances used by government in the conveyance and delivery of mail matter.
There is a mail come in to-day, with letters dated Hague.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
An award earned by participation in a school sport;
He won letters in three sports
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Oct 08, 2023
That which comes in the mail; letters, etc., received through the post office.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
Owner who lets another person use something (housing usually) for hire
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Oct 08, 2023
To deliver into the custody of the postoffice officials, or place in a government letter box, for transmission by mail; to post; as, to mail a letter.
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
A written message from one person to another.
She wrote a heartfelt Letter to her childhood friend.
Sara Rehman
Oct 09, 2023
The bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
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Oct 08, 2023
Letter
A distinct piece in an enumerated sequence.
She received a Letter of acceptance from the university.
Janet White
Oct 09, 2023
The system whereby messages are transmitted via the post office;
The mail handles billions of items every day
He works for the United States mail service
In England they call mail `the post'
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Oct 08, 2023
Any particular collection of letters or packages that is delivered;
Your mail is on the table
Is there any post for me?
She was opening her post
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Oct 08, 2023
Cause to be directed or transmitted to another place;
Send me your latest results
I'll mail you the paper when it's written
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Oct 08, 2023
A system by which letters and packages are transported.
She sends packages via overnight Mail.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 09, 2023
FAQs
Does Mail always refer to something physical?
No, "Mail" can also refer to electronic messages, especially in American English.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 26, 2023
Is every Letter considered Mail?
Yes, once a Letter is sent or to be delivered, it's part of Mail.
Janet White
Oct 26, 2023
Can Mail include packages?
Yes, packages are a type of Mail when sent through a postal or delivery system.
Sara Rehman
Oct 26, 2023
How does "air Mail" differ from regular Mail?
"Air Mail" specifically refers to Mail transported by aircraft.
Sara Rehman
Oct 26, 2023
Is "junk Mail" the same as "spam"?
"Junk Mail" often refers to unwanted physical advertisements, while "spam" typically means unwanted electronic messages.
Janet White
Oct 26, 2023
How is "chain Mail" related to the postal system?
It isn't. "Chain Mail" refers to a type of protective armor, unrelated to the concept of sending messages.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 26, 2023
Can a Letter be addressed to multiple people?
Yes, a Letter can be addressed to multiple recipients.
Harlon Moss
Oct 26, 2023
Can a Letter be electronic?
Yes, in modern contexts, an e-letter or email is considered an electronic Letter.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 26, 2023
Can a Letter be sent outside of the Mail system?
Yes, a Letter can be hand-delivered, emailed, or sent via courier services.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 26, 2023
How is "email" related to Mail?
"Email" stands for "electronic mail," a digital form of sending messages, which is a subset of Mail in broader contexts.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 26, 2023
Are postcards considered Letters?
Not exactly. While both are forms of written communication, a postcard is its own distinct type of Mail.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 26, 2023
What's a "cover Letter"?
A "cover Letter" is a Letter of introduction accompanying another document, often a resume.
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Oct 26, 2023
How can I stop receiving junk Mail?
You can request to be removed from mailing lists or use services that help reduce unwanted Mail.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 26, 2023
How is a "Letter grade" related to written Letters?
It isn't directly. A "Letter grade" is a system of rating academic performance using Letters like A, B, C, etc.
Harlon Moss
Oct 26, 2023
Why is it called "snail Mail"?
"Snail Mail" is a colloquial term for traditional Mail sent through the postal system, referencing its slower speed compared to email.
Harlon Moss
Oct 26, 2023
What does "Letter of the law" mean?
It refers to the strict and literal interpretation of a law, as opposed to its intent or spirit.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 26, 2023
Can Mail be tracked?
Yes, many postal and delivery services offer tracking options for Mail.
Harlon Moss
Oct 26, 2023
Can you send Mail without a stamp?
Typically no, as stamps act as proof of postage payment. Without it, Mail might not be delivered.
Janet White
Oct 26, 2023
Can Mail be private?
Yes, most Mail is intended to be private, especially personal Letters and packages.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 26, 2023
Is Mail always delivered to homes?
No, Mail can be delivered to post office boxes, businesses, or specific collection points.
Sara Rehman
Oct 26, 2023
About Author
Written by
Sawaira RiazSawaira is a dedicated content editor at difference.wiki, where she meticulously refines articles to ensure clarity and accuracy. With a keen eye for detail, she upholds the site's commitment to delivering insightful and precise content.
Edited by
Sumera SaeedSumera is an experienced content writer and editor with a niche in comparative analysis. At Diffeence Wiki, she crafts clear and unbiased comparisons to guide readers in making informed decisions. With a dedication to thorough research and quality, Sumera's work stands out in the digital realm. Off the clock, she enjoys reading and exploring diverse cultures.
