How to Write a Block Style Letter in Microsoft Word

A block style letter is a common format for both personal and business correspondence It presents the text in clear, evenly spaced paragraphs with a distinctive overall shape.

Writing an effective block style letter in Word requires some specific formatting techniques. In this comprehensive guide, we will cover how to set up a block letter template from scratch using styles and custom spacing.

By the end you will have the skills to quickly format letters in the block style for any purpose.

Benefits of Using the Block Letter Format

Before we dive into formatting, let’s review why you may want to use a block style format for your Word letters

• Presents a clean, consistent look with even spacing and alignment
• Easy to read with clear paragraph breaks
• Balanced on the page with equal margins and indentation
• Adaptable for both print and electronic distribution
• Standard format for many business and personal letters

Overall, the structured style of a block letter projects a polished, professional image in written communications.

Option 1: Use a Built-In Template

The fastest way to create a block style letter in Word is to start with a pre-made template. Here are the steps:

1. Open a new blank Word document.

2. Go to the “Letter” category under “Personal Stationery” or “Business Stationery” templates.

3. Browse the letter templates and choose one with “Block Style” in the name.

4. Double click the template thumbnail image to insert it into your document.

5. The template will include the correct fonts, spacing, margins, and indents for a block letter.

6. Replace the placeholder text with your own letter content.

The benefit of using a template is it automatically formats all the elements of a block letter for you in just a few clicks.

Option 2: Set Up Custom Spacing

You can also create a block letter “from scratch” in Word by manually adjusting the spacing. Here is how:

1. Start with a blank Word document.

2. Go to the Layout tab and set the top, bottom, left, and right margins to 1″.

3. Set the spacing after paragraphs to 0 pt.

4. Set the line spacing to single.

5. Select the Paragraph icon to open formatting options.

6. Under Indentation, set the left and right indents to 0″.

7. Set the Special indent for First Line to 1⁄2″.

8. Click OK when finished to apply the spacing settings.

9. Type your letter content, using hard returns between paragraphs.

The custom spacing creates the distinctive aligned blocks of text separated by even spacing characteristic of block style letters.

Option 3: Create a Block Style

For maximum control, you can create your own custom block letter style in Word. Here are the steps:

1. Select all paragraphs in your letter document.

2. Right click and select “Styles”.

3. Click “Create a Style”.

4. Name your style something like “Block Letter Style”.

5. Make sure “Paragraph” is selected for the style type. Click OK.

6. With the style selected, set the spacing, alignment, indentation, etc. to your preferences.

7. Click the “Options” button and check “Add to Quick Style list”.

8. Click OK to finish creating the style.

Now you can apply your custom style to any new documents to quickly format them as block letters.

Option 4: Save Formatting with Styles

For frequent block letter writers, you can also save custom formatting to the Styles gallery in Word:

1. Create a new document with your preferred block letter formatting.

2. Select all paragraphs and right click.

3. Choose “Styles” and then “Save Selection as a New Quick Style”.

4. Give your style a name like “My Block Letter” and click save.

Now your custom block letter formatting will be available in the Styles gallery for any document. Just click it to apply.

Formatting Best Practices

Keep these tips in mind when formatting and writing your block style letter for best results:

• Use 1″ margins on all sides for balanced whitespace.

• Single space lines with an extra return between paragraphs.

• Indent the first line 1⁄2″ to clearly separate paragraphs.

• Align text left and paragraphs evenly with no justification.

• Put date and address at top, signature and name at bottom.

• Break letter into short paragraphs for easy reading.

• Use a formal, professional tone appropriate for audience.

Sample Block Style Letter

Putting all the advice together, here is an example block style letter formatted in Word:

March 1, 2023

John Smith
123 Main St
Anytown, CA 12345

Dear Mr. Smith:

I wanted to follow up on our meeting last week to review the proposal for a new social media strategy for Acme Tools.

First, thank you for taking the time to discuss current challenges and goals for improving Acme’s online engagement. It was extremely helpful to understand your priorities and learn more about your customers.

Based on our conversation, I have put together the attached proposal outlining my approach, deliverables, timeline and pricing. The strategy focuses on driving social engagement through highly visual content and social listening data.

I look forward to partnering together to increase Acme’s social media presence. This is exactly the kind of project I love to work on. Please feel free to reach out with any other questions!

Sincerely,

Mary Johnson
Senior Social Media Strategist
123 Media Co.

Recap and Next Steps

The block style provides a clear, balanced layout for all kinds of Word letters. To recap how to create one:

• Use a pre-made block letter template
• Set custom spacing, margins, and indents
• Create your own block letter paragraph style
• Save custom formatting to the styles gallery

The next time you need to write an important letter, give the block style format a try. It gives any message an extra dose of professional polish.