The doctor abbreviation is Dr., written with a capital D, a lowercase r and a period in American English. It goes before a person's name as a title: Dr. Lopez, Dr. Amara Singh. British English usually leaves out the period and writes Dr Lopez.
The title is used for medical doctors and for people who hold a doctoral degree, such as a PhD. Some style guides limit it to medical professionals, while schools and universities use it for anyone with a doctorate. The form itself, Dr., stays the same either way.
Quick facts
Abbreviation
Dr. (US), Dr (UK)Plural
Drs., as in Drs. Kim and PatelType
Title abbreviation, placed before a nameSaid as
Doctor, never as lettersDo not double
Dr. Ana Ruiz, MD repeats the titleAlso means
Drive in street addresses
How to use the doctor abbreviation in a name
Put Dr. directly before the last name or the full name. Keep the capital D and the period, then add a space.
- Dr. Chen
- Dr. Maria Chen
- Dr. and Mr. Chen (a couple where one is a doctor)
- Drs. Chen and Ali (two doctors)
Appointment card: "Your next visit: Dr. Okafor, Thurs. 10:15." The title tells you the person you will see is a physician or similar provider, and the card uses other short forms too.
Dr. or MD: pick one, not both
A common mistake is to write both the title and the degree, as in "Dr. Leah Park, M.D." Both parts say the same thing, so formal writing uses only one.
| Written as | Correct? |
|---|---|
| Dr. Leah Park | Yes |
| Leah Park, MD | Yes |
| Leah Park, PhD | Yes |
| Dr. Leah Park, MD | Redundant |
The letters after a name show the type of doctorate. See MD for doctor of medicine and PhD for doctor of philosophy. Others include DO, DDS, DVM, PharmD and EdD.
Who can use the title Dr.?
In everyday American use, the title belongs to people with a doctoral level degree. That includes physicians, dentists, veterinarians, optometrists, pharmacists with a PharmD, and people with a PhD, EdD or similar research doctorate.
Usage varies by setting. A hospital may reserve Dr. for clinicians on its badges. A university calls its PhD faculty Dr. as well. Some news style guides use the title only for medical doctors. Lawyers hold a JD, a professional doctorate, but in the United States they almost never use the title Dr. For teaching titles, compare the professor abbreviation.
Period, capitals and plural
- Period: American English uses Dr. with a period. British style drops the dot on shortenings that keep a word's final letter, so Dr stands bare there.
- Capitals: always a capital D. Lowercase dr. looks like a note to yourself.
- Plural: Drs. for two or more doctors named together.
- Spelled out: write "the doctor" in lowercase when there is no name after it: "The doctor will see you now."
Dr. in addresses means drive
On envelopes and street signs, Dr. means drive, not doctor: "412 Maple Dr." The postal abbreviation is DR, without a period. Context makes the difference clear, because the title sits before a name and the street word sits after a street name.
Mailing label: "Dr. Rosa Diaz, 88 Hillcrest Dr." The first Dr. is the title; the second is drive. Both are correct on the same line.
Writing to a doctor
In a letter or email, open with "Dear Dr. Nguyen," using the last name. Spelling it out as "Dear Doctor Nguyen" is also fine and a little more formal. Skip the first name unless you have been invited to use it. On an envelope, either "Dr. Hana Nguyen" or "Hana Nguyen, MD" works. For other titles like Mrs., see the Mrs. page, and browse common abbreviations for more.
Questions people ask
How is doctor abbreviated?
The standard abbreviation for doctor is Dr., a capital D followed by r and a dot, in US writing. British writers usually drop the dot.
How do you write Dr. for more than one doctor?
The plural is Drs., as in "Drs. Gomez and Reed." Use it when two or more doctors are named together.
Can you write Dr. and MD together?
It is best not to, because they say the same thing. Write either Dr. Ana Ruiz or Ana Ruiz, MD.
Can someone with a PhD be called Dr.?
Yes. A PhD is a doctoral degree, and holders may use the title Dr. In medical settings, though, the title usually signals a clinician.
Does Dr. always mean doctor?
No. After a street name, Dr. means drive, as in 21 Oak Dr. Before a person's name, it means doctor.