Note vs. Letter: What's the Difference?
By Janet White || Published on November 1, 2023
A note is a brief written record or reminder, while a letter is a written communication sent to someone else.
Key Differences
A note is typically a short, informal piece of writing used to jot down information or a reminder. On the other hand, a letter is a formal or informal written communication addressed to an individual or organization, often sent through mail.
The primary function of a note is to serve as a quick reference, memory aid, or reminder. In contrast, a letter serves the purpose of conveying a message, information, or feelings to a recipient.
Notes are usually brief and to the point, often lacking in extensive detail. Letters can range from short to long and typically provide more comprehensive information or express detailed sentiments.
While notes can be informal and are not always addressed to someone, letters often have a designated recipient and can be both formal and informal.
Notes are common in academic, professional, and personal settings as reminders or annotations. Letters, while still prevalent, have seen reduced usage due to digital communication methods but remain important in formal communications, personal relationships, and certain business contexts.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A short written record.
A written message addressed to someone.
Purpose
Reminder, annotation.
Communication, information sharing.
Length
Usually brief.
Can vary from short to long.
Formality
Typically informal.
Can be formal or informal.
Address
Not always addressed.
Typically addressed to an individual/org.
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Note and Letter Definitions
Note
A brief record of facts or details.
She jotted down a note about the meeting time.
Letter
A symbol or character representing a sound in speech.
The letter A is the first in the alphabet.
Note
A short informal letter or written message.
I left a note for you on the fridge.
Letter
A formal declaration or document.
The employee handed in his resignation letter.
Note
A sign or token of remembrance.
He gave her a rose as a note of appreciation.
Letter
A style of printing type.
The headline was in bold letter.
Note
A brief record, especially one written down to aid the memory
Took notes on the lecture.
Letter
A written symbol or character representing a speech sound and being a component of an alphabet.
Note
A comment or explanation, as on a passage in a text
The allusion is explained in the notes at the end of the chapter.
Letter
A written symbol or character used in the graphemic representation of a word, such as the h in Thames. See Note at Thames.
Note
A brief informal letter
Sent a note to the child's teacher.
Letter
A written or printed communication directed to a person or organization.
Note
A formal written diplomatic or official communication.
Letter
Often letters A certified document granting rights to its bearer.
Note
A piece of paper currency.
Letter
Literal meaning
Had to adhere to the letter of the law.
Note
A debt security, usually with a maturity of ten years or less.
Letter
Literary culture; belles-lettres.
Note
A promissory note.
Letter
Learning or knowledge, especially of literature.
Note
A tone of definite pitch.
Letter
Literature or writing as a profession.
Note
A symbol for such a tone, indicating pitch by its position on the staff and duration by its shape.
Letter
A piece of type that prints a single character.
Note
A key of an instrument, such as a piano.
Letter
A specific style of type.
Note
The characteristic vocal sound made by a songbird or other animal
The clear note of a cardinal.
Letter
The characters in one style of type.
Note
The sign of a particular quality or emotion
A note of despair in his remarks.
A note of gaiety in her manner.
Letter
An emblem in the shape of the initial of a school awarded for outstanding performance, especially in varsity athletics.
Note
A distinctive component of a complex flavor or aroma
A full-bodied wine with notes of cherry and musk.
Letter
To write letters on
Lettered the paper.
Note
Importance; consequence
Nothing of note happened.
Letter
To write in letters
Lettered our name on the mailbox.
Note
Notice; observation
Quietly took note of the scene.
Letter
To write or form letters.
Note
(Obsolete) A song, melody, or tune.
Letter
To earn a school letter, as for outstanding athletic achievement
She lettered in three collegiate sports.
Note
To observe carefully; notice
Note the difference between these two plants. ].
Letter
A symbol in an alphabet.
There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet.
Note
A symbol or annotation.
Letter
A written or printed communication, generally longer and more formal than a note.
I wrote a letter to my sister about my life.
Note
A mark or token by which a thing may be known; a visible sign; a character; a distinctive mark or feature; a characteristic quality.
Letter
The literal meaning of something, as distinguished from its intended and remoter meaning (the spirit).
Note
A mark, or sign, made to call attention, to point out something to notice, or the like; a sign, or token, proving or giving evidence.
Letter
Literature.
Benjamin Franklin was multiskilled – a scientist, politician and a man of letters.
Note
A brief remark; a marginal comment or explanation; hence, an annotation on a text or author; a comment; a critical, explanatory, or illustrative observation.
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.
Note
A written or printed communication or commitment.
Letter
A size of paper, 8½ in × 11 in (215.9 mm × 279.4 mm, US paper sizes rounded to the nearest 5 mm).
Note
A brief piece of writing intended to assist the memory; a memorandum; a minute.
I left him a note to remind him to take out the trash.
Letter
A size of paper, 215 mm × 280 mm.
Note
A short informal letter; a billet.
Letter
Clipping of varsity letter
Note
(academic) An academic treatise (often without regard to length); a treatment; a discussion paper; (loosely) any contribution to an academic discourse.
Letter
A single type; type, collectively; a style of type.
Note
A diplomatic missive or written communication.
Letter
One who lets, or lets out.
The letter of a room
A blood-letter
Note
(finance) A written or printed paper acknowledging a debt, and promising payment
A promissory note
A note of hand
A negotiable note
Letter
(archaic) One who retards or hinders.
Note
(obsolete) A list of items or of charges; an account.
Letter
(transitive) To print, inscribe, or paint letters on something.
Note
A piece of paper money; a banknote.
I didn't have any coins to pay with, so I used a note.
Letter
To earn a varsity letter (award).
Note
(extension) A small size of paper used for writing letters or notes.
Letter
One who lets or permits; one who lets anything for hire.
Note
(music) A sound.
Letter
One who retards or hinders.
Note
A character, variously formed, to indicate the length of a tone, and variously placed upon the staff to indicate its pitch.
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.
Note
A musical sound; a tone; an utterance; a tune.
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.
Note
(by extension) A key of the piano or organ.
Letter
A writing; an inscription.
None could expound what this letter meant.
Note
(by extension) A call or song of a bird.
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.
Note
(uncountable) Observation; notice; heed.
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.
Note
(uncountable) Reputation; distinction.
A poet of note
Letter
Learning; erudition; as, a man of letters.
Note
A critical comment.
Your performance was fantastic! I have just one note: you were a little flat in bars 35 and 36.
Letter
A letter; an epistle.
Note
(obsolete) Notification; information; intelligence.
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.
Note
(obsolete) Mark of disgrace.
Letter
To impress with letters; to mark with letters or words; as, a book gilt and lettered.
Note
That which is needed or necessary; business; duty; work.
Letter
A written message addressed to a person or organization;
Mailed an indignant letter to the editor
Note
The giving of milk by a cow or sow; the period following calving or farrowing during which a cow or sow is at her most useful (i.e. gives milk); the milk given by a cow or sow during such a period.
Letter
The conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech;
His grandmother taught him his letters
Note
(transitive) To notice with care; to observe; to remark; to heed.
If you look to the left, you can note the old cathedral.
Letter
A strictly literal interpretation (as distinct from the intention);
He followed instructions to the letter
He obeyed the letter of the law
Note
(transitive) To record in writing; to make a memorandum of.
We noted his speech.
Letter
An award earned by participation in a school sport;
He won letters in three sports
Note
(transitive) To denote; to designate.
The modular multiplicative inverse of x may be noted x-1.
Letter
Owner who lets another person use something (housing usually) for hire
Note
(transitive) To annotate.
Letter
Win an athletic letter
Note
(transitive) To set down in musical characters.
Letter
Set down or print with letters
Note
To record on the back of (a bill, draft, etc.) a refusal of acceptance, as the ground of a protest, which is done officially by a notary.
Letter
Mark letters on or mark with letters
Note
To butt; to push with the horns.
Letter
A written message sent to a person.
She received a letter from her friend overseas.
Note
To notice with care; to observe; to remark; to heed; to attend to.
No more of that; I have noted it well.
The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
Letter
A piece of printed or written matter.
She read the letter in the newspaper.
Note
To record in writing; to make a memorandum of.
Every unguarded word . . . was noted down.
Note
To charge, as with crime (with of or for before the thing charged); to brand.
They were both noted of incontinency.
Note
To denote; to designate.
Note
To annotate.
Note
To set down in musical characters.
Note
Know not; knows not.
Note
Nut.
Note
Need; needful business.
Note
A mark or token by which a thing may be known; a visible sign; a character; a distinctive mark or feature; a characteristic quality.
Whosoever appertain to the visible body of the church, they have also the notes of external profession.
She [the Anglican church] has the note of possession, the note of freedom from party titles,the note of life - a tough life and a vigorous.
What a note of youth, of imagination, of impulsive eagerness, there was through it all !
Note
A mark, or sign, made to call attention, to point out something to notice, or the like; a sign, or token, proving or giving evidence.
Note
A brief remark; a marginal comment or explanation; hence, an annotation on a text or author; a comment; a critical, explanatory, or illustrative observation.
The best writers have been perplexed with notes, and obscured with illustrations.
Note
A brief writing intended to assist the memory; a memorandum; a minute.
Note
Hence, a writing intended to be used in speaking; memoranda to assist a speaker, being either a synopsis, or the full text of what is to be said; as, to preach from notes; also, a reporter's memoranda; the original report of a speech or of proceedings.
Note
A short informal letter; a billet.
Note
A diplomatic missive or written communication.
Note
A written or printed paper acknowledging a debt, and promising payment; as, a promissory note; a note of hand; a negotiable note.
Note
A list of items or of charges; an account.
Here is now the smith's note for shoeing.
Note
A character, variously formed, to indicate the length of a tone, and variously placed upon the staff to indicate its pitch. Hence:
The wakeful bird . . . tunes her nocturnal note.
That note of revolt against the eighteenth century, which we detect in Goethe, was struck by Winckelmann.
Note
Observation; notice; heed.
Give orders to my servants that they takeNo note at all of our being absent hence.
Note
Notification; information; intelligence.
The king . . . shall have note of this.
Note
State of being under observation.
Small matters . . . continually in use and in note.
Note
Reputation; distinction; as, a poet of note.
There was scarce a family of note which had not poured out its blood on the field or the scaffold.
Note
Stigma; brand; reproach.
Note
A short personal letter;
Drop me a line when you get there
Note
A brief written record;
He made a note of the appointment
Note
A characteristic emotional quality;
It ended on a sour note
There was a note of gaiety in her manner
He detected a note of sarcasm
Note
A piece of paper money (especially one issued by a central bank);
He peeled off five one-thousand-zloty notes
Note
A notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound;
The singer held the note too long
Note
A comment or instruction (usually added);
His notes were appended at the end of the article
He added a short notation to the address on the envelope
Note
High status importance owing to marked superiority;
A scholar of great eminence
Note
A tone of voice that shows what the speaker is feeling;
There was a note of uncertainty in his voice
Note
A promise to pay a specified amount on demand or at a certain time;
I had to co-sign his note at the bank
Note
Make mention of;
She observed that his presentation took up too much time
They noted that it was a fine day to go sailing
Note
Notice or perceive;
She noted that someone was following her
Mark my words
Note
Observe with care or pay close attention to;
Take note of this chemical reaction
Note
Make a written note of;
She noted everything the teacher said that morning
Note
A particular pitch or tone of sound.
The singer hit a high note.
Note
An annotation or explanation.
There's a note at the bottom of the page about the source.
FAQs
Are letters becoming obsolete?
While traditional letters are less common due to digital communication, they still hold significance in various contexts.
Is a note always short?
While notes are typically brief, they can vary in length based on purpose.
Are sticky notes popular?
Yes, sticky notes are a popular tool for quick reminders and annotations.
Can a note be addressed to someone?
Yes, while notes often serve personal reminders, they can be addressed to others.
How is a business letter different from a personal letter?
A business letter follows a formal structure and tone, addressing professional matters, while personal letters are more relaxed and personal.
Can a letter be sent digitally?
Yes, electronic letters, often called emails, are common in the digital age.
Are musical notes and written notes the same?
No, musical notes represent sound, while written notes represent information or reminders.
What's the history of letter writing?
Letter writing dates back to ancient civilizations and was a primary method of long-distance communication.
Can a letter be informal?
Absolutely, letters can be both formal and informal based on the context and relationship.
Can notes be organized in a book?
Yes, many people use notebooks or notepads to organize their notes.
Can a note be digital?
Yes, digital note-taking tools and apps are popular in today's tech era.
How is a note different from a memo?
While both are brief, a memo is often more formal and used for internal business communications.
Is postage required for a letter?
For traditional mail, yes, but not for digital letters or emails.
What is a "letter of intent"?
It's a formal letter outlining one's intentions or actions in specific situations, often in legal or business contexts.
Are hand-written letters still popular?
While less common, handwritten letters are cherished for their personal touch and sentiment.
Can a note be an annotation?
Yes, notes can serve as annotations or added explanations on texts or documents.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
