When writing a newsletter subject line or setting up a form field, the choice between “email” and “e-mail” arises every time. The question may seem trivial, but it comes up in editorial charters, internal style guides, and even in debates among developers about the correct value of an HTML attribute. Deciding once and for all helps to harmonize communications.
Spelling with or without a hyphen: what the technical standards say
The term comes from “electronic mail,” abbreviated as early as the 1970s. Originally, the hyphen was used to indicate the prefix “e-” as a shortcut for “electronic,” following the model of “e-commerce” or “e-learning.” This typographical convention was long the only accepted form in English publications.
Technical standards like RFC 5322, which describes the format of internet messages, do not decide on the spelling of the word itself. The standard pertains to the structure of the message, not the spelling of the term. Headers, subject, body of the email: this is where the requirements focus, not on the choice between “email” and “e-mail”.
In practice, the majority of recent English style guides (Associated Press, for example) have shifted towards “email” without a hyphen. The reasoning is simple: when a compound word enters common usage, the hyphen gradually disappears. We have long written “online” and not “on-line.” To better understand the differences between email and e mail, one must also look at French usage.
Email, courriel, mel: which term to use in France
In France, the situation is more stratified. The Official Journal has recommended “courriel” as the French equivalent of “electronic mail.” This term, coined in Quebec, combines “courrier” and “électronique.” It remains the preferred form in administrative texts and official documents.
In practice, “courriel” rarely appears in daily professional exchanges. Most companies use “email” or “mail” in their interfaces, signatures, and internal communications. Corporate graphic charters are increasingly aligning with “email” out of pragmatism, without even justifying this choice.
The term “mel” has also been proposed as an official equivalent, but it originally referred to the email address itself (following the model of “tél.” for telephone), not the message. Its usage has never really taken off.
- “Courriel” remains the form recommended by French institutions for official and administrative documents.
- “Email” (without a hyphen) dominates in the professional world, marketing, and digital interfaces.
- “Mel” strictly refers to the email address, not the sent message, and remains marginal.
- “E-mail” with a hyphen persists in some editorial contexts but is declining in favor of the closed form.
Mobile readability and interfaces: why the short form wins
Writers working on mobile interfaces, action buttons, or email subjects know this: every character counts in a constrained space. A truncated email subject on a smartphone loses impact. A “Send a courriel” button takes significantly more space than a “Send an email” button.
This UI/UX constraint largely explains the convergence towards “email.” In web forms, one almost systematically reads “Your email” or “Email address,” never “Your electronic mail.” The shortest form prevails due to the mechanics of the interface, not through a thoughtful linguistic choice.
The chosen term matters less than adhering to the rules of structure and accessibility. A well-constructed message, with a clear subject, readable body, and clean signature, will always be more effective than a message where one has simply chosen the “right” word. Recent professional guides emphasize this point: spelling is secondary to the quality of the message itself.
Emailing and mailing: marketing terms not to confuse
In the vocabulary of digital marketing, “emailing” refers to the bulk sending of electronic messages to a list of recipients, for commercial or informational purposes. The term “mailing” is also used, although this latter term is older and can refer to paper mailings.
An emailing is not just a simple email: it involves a segmentation strategy, a dedicated sending tool, and statistical tracking (open rates, clicks, unsubscribes). Confusing the two means mixing the tool and the practice.
The distinction has concrete implications for data management. An emailing requires compliance with GDPR regarding the collection and processing of recipients’ information. The recipient’s email address is personal data, subject to consent and privacy protection rules.
- An email is an individual message sent to an identified recipient.
- An emailing is a campaign sending messages to a contact database, with measurable marketing objectives.
- A mailing can refer to a postal or electronic sending, depending on the context. In France, the term remains ambiguous.
What spelling to adopt in your editorial charter
If you are writing a charter for a company or media outlet, the most effective approach is to set a single term and stick to it everywhere: website, signatures, newsletters, internal documents. Consistency takes precedence over the choice itself.
For an international or tech context, “email” without a hyphen is the de facto standard. For a French administrative document, “courriel” remains the expected form. Feedback on this point varies by sector, but the general trend pushes towards simplification.
The email address, on the other hand, is always written as a single block without spaces, just like a URL. This normalization of usage transcends the debate over the spelling of the word: an email address remains a technical identifier, not a stylistic choice.
The real issue is not whether to write “email” or “e-mail,” but to ensure that every message sent adheres to the fundamentals of digital communication: explicit subject, structured body, tone appropriate to the recipient. The spelling is fixed once in the charter, then we move on to what really matters.