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The salutation "hi, Joe," often does not have a comma after "hi." "Hi" is not a modifier like "dear." It is not part of a person's title. "Hi" is an interjection and is normally set off with commas. If one would put a comma after "good morning" in "good morning, Joe," then why is the comma after "hi" omitted so often? Is it proper to omit this comma?

Anthony McDonald
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    I think that because "Hi" is informal by definition, whether a comma is used or not probably doesn't matter. What really matters is whether the meaning is conveyed properly and in this case I'm sure nobody would ever get confused whether a comma was used or not. – Jim Feb 06 '15 at 01:23
  • Hi Anthony. Commas separate complex ideas for clarity. There isn't much complexity in Hi Joe :-) – ScotM Feb 06 '15 at 10:55
  • But commas are also used to signal non-verbal communication. The comma here connotes considered, extended (or distracted?!) greeting; its omission connotes briskness or even brusqueness. – Edwin Ashworth Feb 06 '15 at 17:18

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