•Letter style
Write a funny love letter
that's still sincere underneath.
Humor doesn't cancel out sincerity — a letter that makes them laugh and then hits them with one true line often lands harder than either alone.
Create your letterA funny love letter is a letter that uses humor — teasing, inside jokes, playful exaggeration — while still including at least one genuinely sincere line underneath the jokes.
A love letter doesn't have to be entirely serious to mean something. If humor is part of how you two actually talk, a letter written in that voice will feel more like you than a formal, sincere-only one. The trick is making sure at least one real, undefended sentence survives the jokes — otherwise the letter reads as funny but empty.
What to include
Your actual voice
Write it the way you'd actually talk to them, jokes included.
One real line underneath
At least one sentence that drops the joke and means it plainly.
Inside jokes over generic humor
A reference only you two get does more than a broadly funny line.
Know when to stop joking
Let the sincere line sit without immediately undercutting it with another joke.
Letter templates to start from
The roast-with-love letter
"You are, objectively, extremely annoying to be this in love with —"
Tease them affectionately for a paragraph, then land one plainly sincere sentence without a joke right after it.
The inside-joke letter
"Given [inside joke], I feel like I have to say this properly for once —"
Reference something only the two of you understand, then use it as a bridge into one sincere line.
Tips for writing yours
Write in your actual voice
If you two are naturally funny together, a formal, purely sincere letter can feel like it's not from you. Write it the way you'd actually talk.
Include at least one real, undefended line
Humor is great, but a letter that's funny the whole way through can read as avoidance. One sentence that drops the joke and means it plainly is what makes it a love letter, not just a bit.
Use inside jokes over general humor
A reference only the two of you understand does more emotional work than a joke that could apply to anyone.
Let the sincere line sit
Right after your one real sentence, resist the urge to immediately joke again to relieve the tension. Let it land first.
AN EXAMPLE LINE
“You are, without question, the most ridiculous person I have ever loved, and also — somehow, despite the ridiculousness — the safest place I have. I don't know how you're both. I'm not complaining.”
Want the general principles first? Read the complete guide to writing a love letter.
Frequently asked questions
Can a love letter be funny and still count as romantic?
Yes — humor doesn't cancel out sincerity. A letter with jokes plus at least one genuinely undefended line often lands harder than an entirely serious one, especially if humor is part of how you two normally talk.
How do I balance jokes and sincerity in a letter?
Let the humor carry most of the letter if that fits your relationship, but include at least one real sentence that drops the joke entirely and let it sit without immediately undercutting it with another joke.
Should I use inside jokes in a love letter?
Yes — a reference only the two of you understand does more emotional work than generic humor, since it's proof of shared history no one else has access to.
Updated 2026-08-22