With Best Wishes

Many people are visiting this site in search of answers to their etiquette questions. One popular query is "How do I end a letter?" Another is "Is Best regards acceptable?"

It's the "complimentary close" or "complimentary closing" that business writers are wondering about, those phrases that come before the signature in a letter:

1. Very truly yours,
2. Respectfully,
3. Yours truly,
4. Sincerely yours,
5. Sincerely,
6. Best regards,
7. Regards,
8. Cordially,
9. With many thanks,
10. Warm wishes,

All of the complimentary closes above are perfectly acceptable, and choosing one is a matter of taste and fit. The first three are reserved for formal situations. The next, "Sincerely yours," is a bit formal, but it's also a standard close. Number 5, "Sincerely," is the most common close used. If you're not sure which close fits, choose "Sincerely."

"Best regards" has become more and more common, and it may soon eclipse "Sincerely" in popularity. "Regards" is the minimalist version of it. I don't like "Regards," since I prefer that people's regard for me be their "best" or at least "warm."

"Cordially" means "warmly" and "sincerely," but the word feels too reserved to me. I prefer "Warm wishes" or "Sincerely," which both feel warmer. But it's a question of preference--not appropriateness. I simply don't prefer "Cordially."

"With many thanks" has its proper place. However, the words "Thank you" are not a complimentary close--they are a sentence. They belong in the body of the letter with a period at the end.

The proper close for a letter of sympathy or condolence is one of these, or something similar:

• With deepest sympathy,
• With condolences,
• In sympathy,
• Sincerely yours,

As you have probably noticed, only the first word of the complimentary close is capitalized, despite the title of this post.

In business writing classes, people have asked, "Do I have to write Sincerely if I can't stand the person and I don't feel sincere?" The answer is yes. "Sincerely" is a much more gracious close than "Spitefully" or "With strong malice."  (Note: I am joking. The two previous closes would never be used in a business letter.) Besides, "Sincerely" communicates positive energy and a knowledge of proper etiquette.

Warm regards,

Lynn

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Other search spellings: complementary, complamentary, sincerly, condolance, etiquete, etiquitte

Comments

[Daan]

Hello lynn,

This blog of yours is great!
I am a student from the netherlands, forced to do job-applications in english, beceause the man doing the meetings is italian.
This was very helpfull!
Thanks again,

Respectfully,

Daan Beijers

p.s. I got the Job!

[Lynn]

Thanks for the compliment, and congratulations!

[bari]

i want to formal best free greetings sample

[Lynn]

Bari, please scroll through this blog under the category "Etiquette." You will find examples of greetings. They are often called "salutations."

[Steven]

Dear Lynn,
I have the following question:
-------------------------------
I wrote like this to an employer whose name is Em-LastName Em-FirstName (Em-means Employer's)

Dear Sir:

Yours faithfully,
my-LastName my-FirstName (i.e I wrote my full name)
--------------------------------
I received a reply from the employer like this:

Dear Mr. my-LastName

With Best Wishes

Em-FirstName
---------------------------------

The question is in my reply, what should I use:

For example: Should I follow the same way the employer addresses and end the letter?
Thank you.

[Lynn]

Steven, you do not need to do exactly what the employer did. In fact, his capitalization and lack of punctuation on the closing are both not standard (that is, considered wrong).

I do not know which country you live in, but in the U.S. and Canada "Yours faithfully" is old-fashioned. I would suggest "Sincerely" or "With best wishes," which the employer used.

I am a bit perplexed about "Your last name, your first name." You should both type and sign your name with first name first. Maybe I misunderstood what you meant.

As the employer becomes less formal, you may become less formal--unless you are 21 and the employer is 45+. In general, follow the employer's lead.

I hope that helps!

Lynn

[Steve]

I was once told by an Englishman that he was taught never to sign an anonymous Dear Sir or Madam letter "sincerely" but rather "yours faithfully". So this may be English style.

Personally, I am a fan of simply signing "best wishes", but am beginning to doubt my choice as I have a lot of ESL students who tend to copy my signature and this tends to be a bit too greeting card-like for more formal correspondence. So it was with interest that I landed on your comments regarding with best wishes. Maybe I'll switch to warm or fuzzy wishes to make clear that I'm a bit off...

[Lynn]

Steve, I love "Warm and fuzzy wishes"! Let's just hope your ESL students don't follow your lead!

Lynn

[Viktorija]

Hello Lynn,

I was looking for some inspiration, when I came across "Spitefully" or "With strong malice". I have not laughed for a long time as hard as about this. "Sincerely" is definitely better! Thanks for not only great tips but also to make me laugh!

Viktorija

[Katherine]

Hello Lynn,

I have a question in regards to a complimentary close when writing a letter to a customer who has presented a dishonoured cheque to our company.

It is standard practice to give the customer 2 weeks to rectify the problem before we take the matter further.

Is it okay, considering the customer is receiving the benefit of the doubt for the 2 weeks that a mistake may have occured, to close the letter with "regards" (even though you don't like it). A collegue suggested "yours faithfully" but I haven't heard of that closing in a long time.

Any suggestions?

[Lynn]

Katherine, I think "Regards" is fine in your situation. In fact, I am warming to that closing for general use. "Yours faithfully" seems old-fashioned, in part because I have never seen it used in business.

Lynn

[jojo]

Dear Lynn,
How long has "warm wishes" been around? For me that sounds very personal and I would never feel comfortable ending a business letter with it. How common is that?
Sincerely,
Jojo

[Lynn]

Hi, Jojo. I don't know how long "Warm wishes" has been around. It is not for use as a closing to a stranger. It's for warm relationships. I use it when I close letters or emails to clients I know well, especially when I am saying thank you to them.

My best,

Lynn

[snoo]

Hello Lynn,

I have a question about how to end a Birthday Card for my English teacher he is from England.

As he is my favorite teacher,I would like to use "Your loving student" as a closing.

Could you give me an advice?
Thank you.

[Lynn]

It is very thoughtful of you to send or give a birthday card to your teacher from England. You can close with one of these phrases: "Best wishes," "Warm wishes," or "Very best wishes."

"Your loving . . . " is not appropriate to a teacher. It suggests devotion and intimacy that are a step beyond the teacher-student relationship. It would be correct for your husband, husband to be, father, grandfather, uncle, or brother (or for women in similar roles).

Lynn

[SS]

We learned recently that a neighborhood friend/acquaintance has been diagnoses with a terminal illness. Can you provide an example of an appropriate closings for a handwritten note that I am leaving in a card?

[Lynn]

The closing of such a delicate, important message should complement what you say in it. Here are some possibilities:

Sincerely,
Warmest wishes,
Wishing you peace,
All my best wishes,
Thinking of you,
Warmly,

I hope those help.

[rick]

What about when someone ends an e-mail with "thanks".

Like:

Please check price and availiability of the parts listed.

Thanks,
George

I find it a bit presumptuous. However, if it accepted these days, I guess I'll live with it. What d'ya'll think?

[Lynn]

Rick, I think that use of "Thanks" is fine. George starts with "Please" and ends with "Thanks"--very polite.

If it seems presumptuous to you, think of it as "Thanks for considering my request." Or if George is your boss, "Thanks for handling this."

Lynn

[Chris]

George,

Like you, I find a closing 'Thanks' presumptuous at worst and carelessly dismissive at best. I am disappointed that Lynn should find it acceptable, but not surprised as the standard of communication in email is generally appalling, 'ain't it?

However I am surprised that Lynn should think 'Yours faithfully' has fallen out of general usage in business correspondence. I see it used daily in letters to this office, and it is certainly the correct 'complimentary close' when corresponding with 'Sir', 'Madam', or even 'To whom it may concern'.

Chris

[Chris]

George, I beg your pardon - I meant Rick!

(Curses, the morale high ground is lost through carelessness once again...)

[Lynn]

Hi, Chris. Where do you work that such a formal close as "Yours faithfully" is typical?

Here's what Peggy Post, the etiquette expert, has to say about the closings in her book "Emily Post's Etiquette":
"'Faithfully' and 'Faithfully yours' are rarely used but are appropriate on very formal social correspondence--letters to a high member of the clergy, a member of the U.S. Cabinet, an ambassador, or anyone holding an equally important post."

I don't correspond socially with such a lofty group--and I have never seen "Yours faithfully" used in business correspondence.

On the subject of "Thanks," when we get irritated because someone closes a message with that word, something else is going on. It's not about the close--it's about the relationship.

Lynn

[Les Hampton]

Hi Lynn,

Here in the UK it is correct to close business letters where the name of the recipient is not known with Yours faithfully. Where the recipients name is known you would end Yours sincerely. The use of punctuation here, eg Dear Mr Smith, and Yours sincerely, seems to be classed now as wrong - although I still use it myself. It seems though, that in electronic communications any ending will do. So...

All the best,

Les H.

[Lynn]

Les, thanks for your input. I always appreciate learning what is correct across the oceans.

I am looking for a manual to help me with UK writing style and will probably get the "Oxford Style Manual." However, I do not know whether it includes advice on business letters and email. Can you recommend a guide?

Lynn

[R]

Your blog has been very helpful! Thank you!