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Getting read · Lesson 3 of 10

Short, Not Curt: Keep Emails Brief but Warm

Learn how to keep emails short enough to get read while staying friendly, polite and accurate, with one warm line and a quick check.

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THE WRITTEN LESSONFollow along at your pace

Short emails get read. But short can go too far and sound cold. In this lesson you will learn how to keep your emails tight, how to keep them kind, and which details to check before you press send.

Long gets put off

In a study of tens of thousands of email users, an email’s length was one of the strongest signs that it would be put off. A message that looks like hard work gets left for later, and a short one gets handled now.

On the left, a long Project update email with many lines and a stack of envelopes, labeled Later. On the right, a short email to Sam Lee, Report for Friday, asking for the report by Friday, with a green check and the label Now.(opens the full-size picture)
A short email is handled now. A long one is left for later.

How short is short?

Keep it tight. Aim for sentences of about fifteen words on average, and short paragraphs. If you need to cover several things, use a simple list. Put the extras, like reports or notes, in an attachment instead of the body of the email.

Three numbered steps: About 15 words a sentence, shown by the short sentence Please send me the report and a ruler; A list for several items, with bullets The venue, The date and The budget; and Extras in an attachment, shown by a paperclip on a file.(opens the full-size picture)
Short sentences, a simple list, extras attached.

Short is not curt

But short can go too far. In experiments, very brief emails with no friendly tone, or with typos, were judged more harshly. A reply that just says “Fine.” can sound cold, even when you meant nothing by it.

Two emails to Priya N. On the left, the whole message is the single word Fine, next to a frowning face and the label Sounds cold. On the right, a message with the typos reprot and tomorow underlined in red, labeled Typos judged harshly.(opens the full-size picture)
Too brief, or too careless, and a short email can sound cold.

Add one warm line

The fix is small. Add one warm sentence, like “Thanks for pulling this together” or “Hope the launch went well.” One line is enough to make a short email sound kind without making it long.

An email to Sam Lee with a new green first line, Hope the launch went well, above a short request for the sales report by 3 pm Friday. Beside it, a balanced scale has Short on one side and Warm on the other, with a green check.(opens the full-size picture)
One friendly line keeps a short email level: short and warm.

Check before you send

Then check the details that matter most: names, dates, figures, and whether the attachment is really attached. These are the mistakes that take the most time to fix later.

Four numbered checks: Names, shown as a name badge; Dates, shown as a calendar page reading Friday; Figures, shown as a coin with a dollar sign; and Attachment attached, shown as a paperclip on a file.(opens the full-size picture)
Four quick checks before you press send.

YOUR TURN

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Read the full lesson script

Welcome back. In this lesson, you'll learn to keep emails short enough to get read, while still sounding friendly, polite, and careful.

In a study of tens of thousands of email users, an email's length was one of the strongest signs that it would be put off. A message that looks like hard work gets left for later. Short messages get handled now.

So keep it tight. Aim for sentences of about fifteen words, and short paragraphs. If you need to list several things, use a simple list. And put the extras, like reports or notes, in an attachment instead of the body.

But short can go too far. In experiments, very brief emails with no friendly tone, or with typos, were judged more harshly. A reply that just says "Fine." can sound cold, even when you meant nothing by it.

The fix is small. Add one warm sentence, like "Thanks for pulling this together" or "Hope the launch went well." One line is enough to make a short email sound kind, without making it long.

Then check the details that matter most: names, dates, figures, and whether the attachment is really attached. These are the mistakes that cost the most time to fix later.

So remember: long emails get put off, so keep sentences and paragraphs short, and attach the extras. Short should never sound cold, so add one warm line. And always check names, dates, figures and attachments. Before the next lesson, cut your next email by a third, then add one friendly line. Next, you'll see why your tone is less clear than you think.