“Dear whom it may concern” is generally considered incorrect and awkward in modern English, especially in formal letters or emails.

What the phrase is supposed to be

The standard, accepted salutation is:

To Whom It May Concern:

Key points:

  • All main words capitalized: To Whom It May Concern.
  • Usually followed by a colon in formal writing: To Whom It May Concern:.
  • Used when you do not know the specific recipient or are addressing a non‑specific audience (e.g., a department, a reference letter reader).

Why “Dear whom it may concern” sounds wrong

  • “To whom it may concern” is a fixed idiomatic phrase; changing “To” to “Dear” breaks the set expression and sounds “icky” or overly odd to native speakers.
  • “Dear” normally takes a direct addressee (“Dear Dr Smith”, “Dear Hiring Manager”), not a clause like “whom it may concern”.
  • It can feel both excessively formal and strangely personal at the same time, which is why forum users and style guides advise against it.

Better openings you can use

Most modern style guides recommend avoiding “To Whom It May Concern” when possible and using a more specific greeting instead.

You can use, for example:

  • “Dear [First Name]” or “Dear [Title] [Last Name]” (e.g., “Dear Dr Smith”).
  • “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “Dear HR Director,” if you know the role but not the name.
  • “Dear Customer Service Department,” or “Dear Admissions Committee,” when writing to a team.

Only if you truly cannot identify a name, role, or team, use the standard:

To Whom It May Concern:

Quick style mini‑guide

If you’re drafting a formal letter using the classic phrase:

  1. Start with:
    To Whom It May Concern:
  1. Double‑space, then begin your first paragraph.
  1. Maintain a formal, respectful tone throughout.

Tiny example

To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to provide a professional reference for Jane Doe, who worked under my supervision from 2021 to 2025.

In short: stick with “To Whom It May Concern:” , and avoid “Dear whom it may concern” in professional or polished writing.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.