what does attention mean?
according to the longman dictionary of english, the abbreviation attn is short for “attention”. this is used on a letter or package to indicate that it is for a specific person. this is generally considered optional, but can be useful when sending a letter or package to a large business address where there are many potential recipients. in this case, you can put attn before the recipient’s name on the first line, followed by the company name on the second line. one can use all caps attn, or just capitalize the first letter, like “attn”.
attn can also be used in emails. biz fluent states that one can put attn or “attention” in the subject line of an email address when sending an email to a general department or company email. If you don’t have the specific email of someone in the company, you can use attn when sending email to these more generic addresses so that whoever opens the general email can forward it to the right person.
the free dictionary, along with other dictionary apps, lists many other meanings for the word attn. these other meanings are acronyms, meaning that each letter represents a word, as opposed to the previously discussed meaning of attn, in which it was an abbreviation of a single word. These acronyms are less common meanings of attn, so care should be taken when using them. unless the context is very clear, one is likely to think that the speaker or writer means “attention”. care should always be taken when using acronyms and make sure their meaning is clear.
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Unlike many other common abbreviations, attn is not considered a slang term. Other social media abbreviations like lol, brb, and omg may be considered too informal for a business setting, but using attn is perfectly acceptable and considered professional when used on letters, packages, and emails.
Where is the abbreviation ATTN commonly seen?
The abbreviation attn is most commonly seen on business letters or packages. when something is mailed to a residence, this is usually not necessary, as the recipient is the sole occupant of the house or apartment. however, when using the postal service to send something to a larger company, or an address with many companies, using attn is a sure way to ensure that the letter or package reaches the correct person. Many postal and parcel services such as USPS, FedEx, DHL, and UPS are familiar with this abbreviation and know how to use it in their mail system.
what is the difference between attn and ℅?
While the word attn and the abbreviation ℅, short for “care of” may have a similar meaning, they are not synonymous. macmillan thesaurus shows the difference between these two: while attn describes the intended recipient, ℅ is used to show that the intended recipient is not at the address to which the mail is sent or is not a permanent resident there.
classroom states that ℅ should only be used when sending a letter or package to a person who does not live or work at the mailing address. This could be used when sending a letter to someone who is staying at a friend’s house, or if someone is sending someone a gift, letter, or package for one of their clients. for example, ℅ can be used when sending a fan letter to a celebrity that is sent to their agent or manager.
how can attn be used in a letter or package?
biz fluent claims that many people misplace their attention lines on letters and packages. Many people mistakenly place this abbreviation in the lower left corner of an envelope or package. they may think this draws the extra attention of a post office clerk, which it can have when humans handle all the mail by hand. however, today these tags are read by a handwriting recognition machine, and these machines do not recognize any words in that position.
Instead, the attention line should be placed in the first line of the address. USPS even calls this the hotline or consignee line. On the line after the person’s name, the sender must write the name of the company. then this is followed by the address itself. The USPS has worked with many companies to create this easy-to-read standard for their recognition machines. this increases accuracy and efficiency in delivering letters and packages. the recipient’s address should be in the center of the envelope and the return address should be in the upper left corner. Here is an example of how to use attn when sending a letter to someone from a large company.
attention: john smith
acme talent agency
1234 artist avenue suite 900
beverly hills, ca 90210
Here, the first line is the intended recipient and the second line is the company. note that the suite number is at the end of address line one, as is standard for service objects. the “ca” in address line two stands for california. Each state has its own two-letter abbreviation to make it easier to send letters and packages.
The abbreviation attn is generally used on letters, packages, and in the subject lines of emails when sending something to a larger company’s address. this is used on the first line before the recipient’s name. the company name will appear on the second line. this is commonly seen on many letters and packs.
sources:
- https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/attn
- https://www.macmillanthesaurus.com/us/c-o
- https://www. ldoceonline.com/dictionary/attn#:~:text=attention)%20used%20to%20say%20that,of%20%e2%86%92%20see%20under%20attention
- https:// bizfluent.com/how-8476929-address-mail-attn.html
- https://bizfluent.com/12078609/how-to-address-an-sobre-using-attn
- https://www.serviceobjects.com/blog/why-address-line-2-should-never-be-offered-in-address-forms/#:~:text=suites %20and%20apartment%20numbers%20should%20go%20over%20the%20address.
- https://classroom.synonym.com/the-rules-for-attn-in-an-address-12084076. html