Ways to Sign Off an Email
The closing line of an email — the sign-off — signals formality level, relationship, and cultural context. Using the wrong one (too formal for an established relationship, too casual for a first contact) creates tone mismatch that undermines an otherwise well-written email. The choices below are ranked from most to least formal, with specific guidance on when each applies.
Formal Sign-Offs
Use for legal correspondence, government contacts, first contact with senior executives, and any email where you would open with “Dear Sir/Madam” or “Dear Mr/Ms [Surname]”.
“Yours sincerely”
UK formal convention: use when you know the recipient's name and opened with 'Dear [Name]'. Standard for legal, finance, and formal business correspondence. This pairing (Dear Name → Yours sincerely) is a fixed UK convention — breaking it reads as unfamiliar with formal letter-writing norms.
“Yours faithfully”
UK formal convention: use when you don't know the recipient's name and opened with 'Dear Sir/Madam'. The counterpart to 'Yours sincerely'. Less common in email than letters, but correct when the situation calls for it.
“Respectfully”
Common in US formal correspondence, less standard in UK English. Appropriate for government correspondence, legal submissions, and communications with significantly senior contacts. Often used in healthcare and military professional contexts.
“Yours truly”
More common in US than UK English. Formal but slightly warmer than 'Yours faithfully'. Acceptable in transatlantic professional correspondence.
Professional Sign-Offs
The working standard for most business emails. Appropriate for clients, new contacts, and external stakeholders you work with regularly.
“Kind regards”
The most widely used professional sign-off in UK business email. Neutral, warm, and appropriate for virtually any professional context: client emails, job applications, supplier correspondence, professional introductions. Safe default when uncertain.
“Best regards”
Slightly warmer than 'Kind regards'. Appropriate once a working relationship is established. Commonly used in US and international business contexts. Interchangeable with 'Kind regards' in most situations.
“Warm regards”
More personal than 'Kind regards'. Use with long-standing clients, professional mentors, or contacts you genuinely have a warm relationship with. Avoid in cold outreach — it reads as presumptuous before rapport is established.
“Many thanks”
Use specifically when you're making a request, following up on something the recipient has done, or closing an email where gratitude is contextually appropriate. Avoid as a generic sign-off — it implies thanks where none may be needed.
“With appreciation”
Formal-professional hybrid. More specific than 'Many thanks' — use when genuinely acknowledging significant help or support, not as a routine close.
Neutral Sign-Offs
Short, professional, and widely accepted. Work well for high-volume email correspondence where repeating a longer sign-off reads as formulaic.
“Best”
Short form of 'Best regards'. Widely accepted in professional contexts, especially in tech, media, and agency environments. Can feel abrupt to recipients who expect a full sign-off — read the recipient's communication style before defaulting to this.
“Regards”
Direct and professional. Considered cooler than 'Kind regards' — some recipients read it as slightly formal or even curt. Works in high-frequency correspondence where longer sign-offs would be repetitive.
“Thanks”
Casual-neutral. Fine for internal team emails and with contacts you're on first-name terms with. In a request email, 'Thanks' implies the recipient will comply — use 'Thank you in advance' only if you're certain they will.
Casual Sign-Offs
For internal team correspondence and contacts you know well. Not appropriate for clients, new contacts, or cross-cultural communications.
“Cheers”
Common in UK and Australian internal emails. Friendly and informal. Widely acceptable within a team. Problematic in cross-cultural contexts — some recipients (particularly in the US or formal industries) read 'Cheers' as flippant.
Avoid: Cold outreach, first contact with clients, formal complaints, legal correspondence
“Speak soon / Talk soon”
Use only when follow-up is genuinely expected soon. Implies a specific short-term interaction — don't use it as filler when you won't speak for weeks.
“Take care”
Warm and personal. Appropriate with contacts you have an established personal connection with. Reads as overly familiar in first-contact or formal business contexts.
Sign-Offs to Avoid
“Thanks in advance”
Presumes the recipient will comply with your request. Reads as passive pressure. If you need to express expectation, use 'I look forward to hearing from you' instead.
“Sent from my iPhone”
Not a sign-off — it's an auto-inserted device signature that implies the email quality is limited by a small screen. Remove it. Poor email on mobile is not excusable.
“Have a blessed day”
Religious phrasing that may be unwelcome in professional or secular contexts. Avoid in client and external business email.
“XOXO / Love”
Appropriate only in personal correspondence between close friends or family. Never in professional email.
“Ciao / Hasta luego”
Using another language's farewell signals affectation rather than professionalism unless it's a shared language context. Stick to English sign-offs in English correspondence.
Related Guides
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