Commander and Lieutenant Commander
These ranks should not be abbreviated.
How to Address a Commander or Lieutenant Commander
The recommended social style of address is as follows:
| Beginning of letter | Dear Commander/Lieutenant Commander Jones |
| End of letter | Yours sincerely |
| Envelope | Commander John Smith, CBE, RN; Lieutenant Commander James Jones, RN |
| Verbal communication | Commander Smith*/Lieutenant Commander Smith |
| Invitation | Commander John Smith/Lieutenant Commander James Jones |
| Description in conversation | Commander Smith/Lieutenant Commander Jones |
| List of Directors or Patrons | Commander John Smith; Lieutenant Commander James Jones |
| Place card | Commander John Smith/Commander James Jones |
*A younger man, or a more junior officer in any of the Armed Forces, addresses him as 'Sir'.
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