The coordination chemistry of neutral thio-, seleno- and telluroether ligands towards the hard s-block, f-block and higher oxidation state early d-block metals has developed significantly over the last 15 or so years. This has revealed several hitherto unknown classes of complexes and new insights into the chemistries of these hard-soft metal-ligand combinations. This Perspective describes the synthetic routes used to access such complexes and draws out their key structural features and spectroscopic properties. Where appropriate, applications of these species are also highlighted, including their use as single source precursors for the chemical vapour deposition of semiconducting metal chalcogenide thin films and as pre-catalysts for olefin polymerisation reactions.