Words / B2

kor-uh-SPOND-uh-ns/ˌkɒrəˈspɒndəns/

Correspondence is letters and emails exchanged: keep all correspondence, a correspondence course (study by post/email). Letters is everyday; correspondence is the official file. It can also mean a close similarity (a correspondence between the two accounts). Correspond is the verb. In speech, the letters and emails is enough. Do not call a single text a correspondence file, and keep the “letters” sense and the “match” sense apart.

Meaning

Letters and emails exchanged; also a close similarity.

Examples

• “Please keep a copy of all correspondence with the college.”
• “Please file the correspondence in date order before the audit.”
• “There is a close correspondence between the two translations, which is the similarity sense.”

Good to know

Letters and emails (official). Also: a close similarity. Verb: correspond. Everyday: the letters. Not one casual text.

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