yours faithfully cover letter

How to End a Cover Letter on a High Note [w/ Examples]

By Sheila Kravitz

11 min read

Key Takeaways

A cover letter closing is as important as the rest of the document, as it gives you an opportunity to summarize all your strong points .

There are several strategies to follow to craft a compelling closing , such as showing enthusiasm, keeping a professional tone, mentioning your career goals, and demonstrating your value, as well as adding a strong CTA.

Make sure that you avoid mistakes that may negatively affect your cover letter , such as being too pushy and informal, forgetting to proofread, and focusing too much on yourself.

Imagine the following situation: you’ve finally written a cover letter flawlessly, but you stumble upon a potential problem—the closing. Needless to say, not knowing how to end a cover letter efficiently might significantly affect both its quality and the entire job application .

To impress a hiring professional, you need to fill your document letter with great content, starting from the heading all the way to the sign-off. 

In this text, you’ll learn how to end a cover letter properly, so waste not a second more. Let’s get started!

7 Ways to End Your Cover Letter

Let’s examine the best ideas on how to end a cover letter: 

#1. Maintain the Confident Tone

Keeping a confident tone in the closing of your cover letter is an absolute must. Self-confidence and understanding how your skills and qualities may contribute to the company will persuade the hiring manager to seriously take your application into consideration .

Don’t hesitate to highlight your proven results in the closing statement. Otherwise, all the hard and soft skills , strengths, and accomplishments you’ve been elaborating on may lose their value if the employer can’t see how to use them for the benefit of the company.

This is how you can do it: 

Good Example

I am convinced that my ability to increase sales and drive results will significantly contribute to the objectives of your company.

#2. Reiterate Your Skills

As mentioned previously, you have to show what you’re capable of and what you bring to the table to prove that you’ll be a good fit for the company. To achieve that, you must emphasize your most noteworthy achievements and what you believe you excel at.

However, don’t just repeat what you have already mentioned in your resume . Instead, cherry-pick the skills you think are most relevant to the role and elaborate on why the company could find them useful . 

Here’s how you can put it:

I believe that five years of experience in copywriting and graphic design, specifically working in advertising agencies, will make me an excellent match for this position. I would deeply appreciate the opportunity to discuss my qualifications in detail at any time convenient to you.

#3. Mention Your Professional Goals

By expressing the career goals you hope to achieve in this position, you’re showing that you’re proactive and have clear-cut ambitions.

You need to be cautious here, though. When expressing your objectives and expectations, don’t focus solely on yourself—what separates you from other candidates is what connects you to the company.

Here’s how to end your cover letter by expressing your professional objectives:

My ambition is to stand among the foremost experts in the field, distinguished not only by my proficiency but also by my passion for innovation. The mission of your company serves as an inspiration for my professional endeavors, so I’d be delighted to commit my skills to accomplishing its goals.

#4. Share How You Intend to Add Value

The company is hiring professionals to help it grow or solve a specific problem; thus, focus on how you can contribute to it . Share the results you can bring to the table to show that you’ll be a valuable contribution to the company.

Don’t boast or make promises, as you may sound too arrogant or preposterous. Don’t beat around the bush either; be explicit about how you aim to make a positive difference .

Here’s how to do it:

I am confident that my abilities in orchestrating successful events and boosting company earnings will easily transfer to your setting.

#5. Express Your Gratitude

A hiring manager took their time to read your job application, so thanking them indicates that you appreciate their time and effort .

On average, recruiters receive 250 applications per job posting , so reviewing each of them requires devoting time and energy to review each of them. For 52% of recruiters, screening candidates is the most challenging part.

Thus, acknowledging the hiring professional’s time also shows that you have great communication skills , which automatically gives you an advantage in the recruiting process.

You can express your gratitude like this:

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application and read my cover letter. I cherish the opportunity to demonstrate my willingness to contribute to the success of your company.

#6. Add a Call to Action

After you’ve expressed gratitude for the recruiter’s time, add a strong call to action for the next step. Don’t just imply the next move, i.e., the interview , but request it directly . This will demonstrate not only your enthusiasm for the role but also your readiness to take initiative.

Not adding a CTA with a request for an interview may indicate that you’re not as proactive as the company would like you to be or simply not zealous enough to take further action.

This is an example to follow:

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you need any further information. I’d be more than happy to discuss what skills I would bring to the position at an interview scheduled at your earliest convenience.

#7. Show Your Enthusiasm

Expressing enthusiasm in a cover letter demonstrates that you will put in your energy and hard work if hired . Thus, make the most of the closing to persuade a hiring professional that you’re passionate about the role. 

Sometimes, the level of zeal and interest in the position may be a decisive factor between two exceptional candidates with the same skills and experience. Plus, all your skills and achievements may not mean a thing if a recruiter can’t see your commitment and motivation.

Showing enthusiasm is particularly beneficial if you’re applying for an internship and don’t know how to end a cover letter. Since you have no experience, your motivation is your best ally in the selection process.

Here’s an example:

Having a chance to apply all my skills and experience is a perfect and thrilling opportunity for me.

4 Tips on How Not to End Your Cover Letter

Now that you know what a good cover letter sign-off should look like, let’s see how not to end your cover letter:

#1. Don’t Be Pushy

Being confident in your abilities and being pushy aren’t the same. 

The former can persuade the hiring professional that you have skills and abilities that will add value to the company. The latter, however, is just repulsive and will not persuade a hiring manager to consider you for the next stage of the hiring process.

Thus, never end your cover letter like this:

Bad Example

My experience in SEO and SMM will make me the perfect candidate for your company. No other candidate possesses the skills and SEO knowledge I do, so if you hire me, your traffic will skyrocket in just a few days .

#2. Don’t Use Informal Register

A cover letter is not a place where you should use informal language, slang, abbreviations , etc. 

Don’t be too casual either—a recruiter or hiring manager isn’t your mate. It is a person who will decide whether you’re serious, professional, and reliable enough to be hired . Therefore, sticking to the informal register instead of using semi-formal or even academic language will not make them think so.

So, the register you should use in a cover letter isn’t supposed to look like this:

Thanks a bunch for taking the time to read through my application. I'm really stoked about the opportunity to join the ABC Company team and bring my SEO and SMM skills to the table. Hope to talk to you soon!

#3. Don’t Forget to Proofread and Edit Your Cover Letter

Always proofread and edit your cover letter before hitting the send button . Don’t rely exclusively on spell-checkers like Grammarly or QuillBot, as they may be misleading . Read the document several times before sending it. If necessary, you can even ask your friends or family to proofread it for you .

Submitting a cover letter full of spelling and grammar errors is a one-way ticket to being dismissed from the application process—even 77% of employers would screen it out if it had typos.

Hence, make sure to avoid these cover letter mistakes :

I’ am confidant that my abilities in orchastrating succesful events and bosting company earning will easy transfer to your setting.

#4. Don’t Focus on Yourself

As we previously mentioned, when closing your cover letter, you should make sure it’s focused on the company and how it can benefit from you, not on yourself and your needs or expectations . 

To be perfectly blunt (and a bit harsh), not a single employer cares about your personal ambitions or goals. However brutal it sounds, they’re mostly concerned with their own objectives. Therefore, concentrate on how you and your skills can help the company grow , not vice versa.

Here’s an example of what you should avoid:

I am confident that my unparalleled dedication, unmatched skills, and extraordinary vision would make me an invaluable asset to your organization. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to discuss further how my unparalleled qualifications align seamlessly with your company's objectives.

How to Write a Perfect Sign-Off for Your Cover Letter

Now that you’ve included a strong and compelling closing, it’s time to end it with a professional sign-off.

Most candidates end a cover letter with ‘sincerely.’ While there is nothing inherently wrong with this expression, there are also many other less common expressions to sign off your cover letter with, including the following ones:

Cover Letter Sign Off Examples

Best regards,

Kind regards,

Warm regards, 

With best regards, 

Respectfully,

Thanks in advance,

With gratitude,

When ending your cover letter, it’s essential that you stay professional and polite but not stuck up and distant . Likewise, don’t be too casual and personalized, either.

To avoid the risk of being too reserved or too friendly, stay away from the following application-ending words:

Bad Examples

Affectionately,

See you soon,

Best wishes,

Yours truly,

Yours faithfully,

Yours sincerely,

Don’t forget to add your full name right below the signature . It is a rule of thumb to add a handwritten signature above your name in typing if you’re sending a cover letter via mail. However, given that most applications are submitted electronically nowadays, typing your name will be sufficient .

Final Thoughts

Not knowing how to end a cover letter might be a true struggle—though skipping the closing and adding a formal sign-off might seem like a compromise, it is not. 

This part is as important as the rest of the document —if you know how to start a cover letter effectively, you need to know how to end it as well. Our guide is here to help you master it, so feel free to refer to it and all the examples of cover letter closings we’ve provided!

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"Yours sincerely", "Yours faithfully," and "Yours truly"

When to use "yours sincerely", "yours faithfully," and "yours truly".

The Quick Answer

• If you know the recipient or use their name, end your letter with 'Sincerely yours' (US) or 'Yours sincerely' (UK).
• If you don't know the recipient or don't use their name, end your letter 'Yours truly' (US) or 'Yours faithfully' (UK).

Starting and Ending Letters

"Yours sincerely" or "Yours faithfully"?

Use "yours faithfully" ( ) or "yours truly" ( ) for unknown recipients.

Use "Yours sincerely" ( ) or "Sincerely yours" ( ) for Known Recipients

With "yours sincerely" and "yours faithfully" give only the first word a capital letter.

Follow "Yours sincerely" and "Yours faithfully" with a Comma

Write the salutation, postamble, and your name by hand, top tip: don't use "s" twice.

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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The English application: Cover letter

Cover letter: final statement and ending salutation, final statement.

The last paragraph of your cover letter should mention when and how you are reachable as well as that you would welcome an invitation for a personal interview. Emphasize that you will reach out to the company yourself in the next few days to ensure that your application has arrived. Having sent the application, you now have a reason to call there. During the phone call, ask whether references and/or additional certificates are required and build an immediate personal contact, preferably with the person responsible.

Short and sweet

• When and how are you reachable?
• You are looking forward to an interview.
• You will call in the next few days to ensure that the application has reached.

Ending salutation

The ending salutation depends on whether the name of the contact person is known. ‘Sincerely’ (US) and ‘Yours sincerely’ (UK) are the most common greetings if you know the person’s name. If you do not, however, and have used the salutation, ‘Dear Sir or Madam’, then ‘Yours faithfully’ is the preferred ending salutation. Phrases like ‘With best regards’ must never be used here, as they represent a more colloquial style and are used in email.

Whether you should place a comma after the ending salutation will depend on whether you have placed a comma after the greeting.

Dear Mr. XY, ... Yours sincerely, Dear Mr XY ... Yours sincerely

After the ending salutation, about four blank lines serve as placeholders for your signature, followed by your first and last names. In contrast to the CV, British and American cover letters are both signed.

Kurz und bündig

• ‘Sincerely’ if the contact person is known
• ‘Yours faithfully’ if the contact person is unknown
• Comma after ending salutation if there is also a comma after the greeting

• Get an instant price to have your English document edited by professionals.

English Editing Blog

How to Start and End a Cover Letter

Now that you’ve written your resume in English , and you’ve found a job advertisement, here are a few tips on how to write a respectable cover letter.  I consider these tips to be the ‘good manners’ you’d want to extend to your potential new company.

When we’re editing cover letters at English Trackers , I’ve come to realise that many people don’t know how to start or finish a letter in English.

Compared to some of the flowery endings you find in other languages, English is incredibly simple and the salutation and sign off should be learned in pairs.

Let me explain.

The Salutation  – How to start a cover letter

There are three possible choices:

You know the person’s name – then use it:

• Dear Mr Parker

You don’t know the person’s name – but have been told to write to the HR department:

• Dear HR Manager

You don’t know the person’s name and don’t want to offend either gender:

• Dear Sir or Madam

NOTE : Do not use ‘To Whom It May Concern’

This should only be used on letters of reference, certificates etc. These kinds of documents are submitted over and over again, and are therefore addressed to many different people – whom ever it may concern.

The Sign Off – How to end a cover letter

There are only two choices: Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully

Here’s a very simple way of remembering whether you end with Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully.

“You can never have more than one ‘ S ’ in a salutation and signoff.” Therefore – Dear S ir & Yours s incerely – should never appear together.

If you know the person’s name, you ALWAYS sign off with Yours sincerely. For every other salutation, you sign off Yours faithfully.

• Dear Mr Parker – Yours sincerely
• Dear Ms Little – Yours sincerely  
• Dear Sir – Yours faithfully
• Dear Madam – Yours faithfully
• Dear HR Manager – Yours faithfully

I said it was simple! If you want more info on coping with letter etiquette, download the English Trackers Email Etiquette Tips – we’ve covered just about every eventuality in there.

Setting the tone

Tone is not an easy thing to master in another language. You need to write in such a way that you don’t presume anything – that the person will call you for an interview, that the company will hire you etc. – but you do want to show you’re a good fit for the position.

Endings are very hard – as hard and important as the beginning of a cover letter, and they merit a fair amount of time. You want to end on a positive note that points to the future – the possibility of an interview, the submission of further information.

In the edited version below, these two points are merged together into one fluid and positive last sentence.

I thank you for taking the time to consider my application, and would welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you in more detail.

In the following unedited example, the first sentence is not too bad in terms of tone, but the second sentence is basically an order; there is not even a please or a thank you!

In case this application together with my attached CV has paid your attention I will be happy to elaborate on the value I can bring xxx company.

As I am permanently employed it is very important that you treat this application with full discretion and confidentiality.

Below, is a polite, edited version of those two sentences:

Should you wish, I would be very happy to discuss the contents of this letter and the enclosed CV in person. I would also request that in light of my on-going permanent employment this application be treated with full discretion and confidentiality.

And don’t forget, when you’ve finished writing  – edit, edit, edit .

Re-read it and then if possible, leave it for a night. Come back to it fresh and go through it again. Ask someone else to read it – preferably a native English speaker – and only when you are sure it’s error free and ready to represent you politely – then push SEND!

Good luck with your job applications.

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How to write a cover letter.

A cover letter introduces you to an employer and asks them to think about your application. 

It’s a short letter, usually 3 to 5 paragraphs long.

When to include a cover letter

You should always include a cover letter when you apply for a job using a CV. 

You can write it as an email if you’re applying online or print a copy to go with a paper application.

When writing a cover letter, let the employer know you’re keen by showing that you’ve researched the company. Learn more about what they do through:

• their website
• recent news articles
• talking to people you know who work there

Send it to the right person

It's important to try to address your cover letter to someone by name. Check you have the details of the person you need to send it to. 

You'll need their name and preferred title. For example, ‘Dr’, ‘Mr’, ‘Mrs’, ‘Ms’, and their job title. You should also make sure you have the right company name and address, including postcode.

If you do not know their name

If the job advert does not include a name you can check the company website. Try to find details of the head of the department, head of human resources or a recruitment manager.

If you still cannot find a name, you can start your letter with ‘Dear Sir or Madam’.

Introduction

Introduce yourself and explain how you found the advertised job. You can mention the job title, and reference number if there is one. 

If you’re asking about any job openings and not applying to a vacancy, tell them what sort of job you’re looking for. Let the employer see how keen you are to work for them.

Show you're right for the job

Highlight the skills and experience you have that match what the employer is looking for. 

Convince them that you're enthusiastic about working for them. Let them know you share their work values, culture and style.

Give extra information

If you have gaps in your employment history, you could talk about the skills you gained while you were out of work.

If you’ve mentioned on your CV that you have a disability, you might want to talk more about this in your cover letter. Organisations like Disability UK can give you advice on how to do this. You do not have to mention your disability at this stage if you prefer not to.

You can get more help with specialist advice on finding work if you have a disability.

Ending your cover letter

Thank the employer for considering your application. Let them know that they can get more details from your CV, and tell them you're looking forward to hearing from them.

Let them know how they can best contact you. Make sure your contact details are correct on both your cover letter and CV.

Yours sincerely or yours faithfully

If you know the name of the person you’re writing to, you should end the letter with ‘Yours sincerely’.

If you’ve addressed the letter ‘Dear Sir or Madam’, you should end the letter with ‘Yours faithfully’.

Tips for writing a cover letter

When writing your cover letter, remember to:

• write a new one for every job you apply for and make sure it’s tailored to the company and the specific role
• use the same font and size as you do for your CV, so it looks consistent
• make sure the company name and recruiter’s details are correct
• use the right language and tone: keep it professional and match the keywords used by the employer in their job advert
• show you’ve done your research into the job and the company
• highlight your most relevant skills and experience to stand out from other applicants
• back up any statements you make with facts and use the STAR method
• double check spelling and grammar before you send it
• keep a copy of your cover letter as they may ask you about it in an interview

Related content

How to write a CV

Completing application forms

Interview tips

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Sincerely or Faithfully?

If you know the name of the person you’re writing  to (‘Dear Jane…’) use sincerely . If you don’t know the name of the name of the person you’re addressing then you should use faithfully .

Emails tend me be less formal than traditional letters so you could always keep it simple and use regards/kind regards .

Yours sincerely and Yours faithfully are both traditional ways to end a letter. Letter writing over the years has been an art form and signing off has a long history with conventions attached to it. When you sign off a letter at the end, phrases such as Yours sincerely are known as valedictions . Take a look at these examples :

• Yours truly
• Kind regards
• Yours hopefully

For our American readers there is little fuss over the sincerely/faithfully question because there it is common to use sincerely and not muddle things by adding faithfully to the equation.

But for the rest of us the question arises about how to sign off a letter and make sure that we are using the correct valediction.

Here is how we do it (and how to remember which one to use: faithfully or sincerely).

Yours sincerely

This is used if you know the person’s name (perhaps the job advertisement has told you to send letters to a Mr J. Fox). You know their name so you will be addressing the letter to them and signing off Yours sincerely.

Yours faithfully

This is used where you do not know the name of the person to whom you are sending the letter. You may have seen a job advertised but you have not been given a name to address your cover letter to. You may start your letter, Dear Sir or Madam and end it with Yours Faithfully.

Sincerely or faithfully: How Do I Remember Which One To Use?

This is how I remember it: if you are writing a letter to someone and you do not know their name you are writing to them blindly and you must have blind faith that they will reply and be helpful. With this faith in mind you must use faithfully.

If you know the name of the person you are writing to then you are in a stronger position to be sincere in your letter to them: use sincerely

Sincerely or faithfully: another way to remember which one to use.

Many people remember it like this:

Never use Sir with Sincerely

So if you open with Dear Sir or Madam you will never end with sincerely; you will use faithfully.

Remember that a covering email is usually a little less formal and frequently uses less stuffy ways to sign off ; you may use lighter language to sign off such as Regards.

Perhaps you have your own ways of remembering valedictions. Leave your own ideas in the comments section.

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Cover Letter , CV , Jobsearch

3 Responses to Sincerely or Faithfully?

The usage of “sincerely” and “faithfully” as described above is nonsense. If you only know a person’s name you clearly do not know the person so “faithfully” is the only valediction that can be used. The meanings of the nouns “person” and “name” are not synonymous but in the above criteria they have been used as such.

Person : A human being regarded as an individual

Name : A word or set of words by which a person or thing is known, addressed, or referred to i.e. label

One then has to clarify what is considered to be the meaning of to know a person. As the noun “person” in this case is the object the word “know” has the following meaning:

[WITH OBJECT] Have developed a relationship with (someone) through meeting and spending time with them; be familiar or friendly with:

It would therefore seem that “faithfully” is the only valediction unless one has met the addressee! It would seem that the above guide to usage is pretty much useless. I was taught if you know the person “sincerely” and if you don’t know the person “faithfully”. KNOWING A NAME IS NOT KNOWING A PERSON! I’m not a scholar of the English language but I do understand that “person” and “name” mean different things. I would seem that English guidelines have been adulterated to allow the one size fits all American usage.

Oxford University Press does not agree that this is nonsense:

“The wording at the end of a business letter follows a standard format: If you know the name of the person you’re writing to, you should end the letter with Yours sincerely. If your letter begins with Dear Sir or Dear Madam, it should end with Yours faithfully.”

Citation: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/business-letters

Regardless of your sensible, laudable, logical, and probably better suggestion, the convention is as the Job Fox describes, namely (pun intended) “Sir doesn’t go with sincerely”.

To use faithfully where you know the name, but have otherwise no knowledge of the person, will look odd to most people and distract from the purpose of the letter.

Having said that, language changes. Maybe when you were at school, your definition was more generally accepted, but since then the custom has changed. Maybe in a couple of generations, the distinction between sincerely and faithfully will be less known and so widely disregarded that it becomes irrelevant. Maybe we’ll just put a smiley and hit send.

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How to End a Letter (With Closing Examples)

The Best Options to End a Letter

Letter closing examples, more letter closing examples, letter closings to avoid, how to capitalize a closing, how to format a letter ending, what to include in your signature, signature examples, frequently asked questions (faqs).

AntonioGuillem /  iStock / Getty Images Plus

How you end a letter is important. It’s your last chance to make a good first impression on your reader. Choose the wrong closing, and you might damage the goodwill you built up in the rest of your communication.

What’s the best way to end a letter or email message? Your closing needs to leave the reader with positive feelings about you and the letter you have written.

In closing your letter, it is important to use an appropriately respectful and professional word or phrase.

Most formal letter closing options are fairly standard, but there are degrees of warmth and familiarity if you're using a less formal closing. Your relationship with the person to whom you're writing will shape which closing you choose:

• If you don’t know the individual to whom you’re writing, stick with a professional formal closing.
• If you’re writing to a colleague, business connection, or someone else you know well, it’s fine to close your letter less formally.

Above all, your closing should be appropriate. Choose the right letter closing, and your reader likely won’t remember how you ended your letter. Ideally, your message will resonate instead of your word choice.

Key Takeaways

• When you don’t know the individual to whom you’re writing, use a professional formal closing.
• If you're writing to someone you know well, it’s fine to close your letter less formally.
• Some closings are not appropriate for business correspondence, so avoid being too informal.

Review the best way to end a letter with formal, business, or personal letter closings, sample signatures, letter examples, and writing tips.

The Balance

The following are letter closings that are appropriate for business and employment-related letters.

Sincerely, Sincerely Yours, Regards, Yours Truly, and Yours Sincerely 

These are the simplest and most useful letter closings to use in a formal business setting. These are appropriate in almost all instances and are excellent ways to close a cover letter or a job inquiry . “Sincerely” is a classic way to end a letter or email. If you're not sure about options, it's a good one to choose.

Best Regards, Cordially, and Yours Respectfully

These letter closings fill the need for something slightly more personal. They are appropriate once you have some knowledge of the person to whom you are writing. You may have corresponded via email a few times, had a face-to-face or phone interview, or met at a networking event.

Warm Regards, Best Wishes, and With Appreciation

These letter closings are also appropriate once you have some connection to the person to whom you are writing. They can effectively tie back to the content of your message, providing a fitting conclusion. For example, if you are sending a thank-you note, it may be appropriate to use "With Appreciation." Only use these if they make sense with the content of your letter.

When you’re ending your letter, be sure to choose a letter closing that is appropriate to the topic of your letter and your relationship with the person to whom you are writing. Here are more examples to choose from:

• All the best,
• Best of luck,
• Best wishes,
• Cordially yours,
• Fond regards,
• In appreciation,
• In sympathy,
• Kind regards,
• Kind thanks,
• Kind wishes,
• Many thanks,
• Respectfully,
• Respectfully yours,
• Sincerely yours,
• Stay safe and well,
• Thanks again,
• Thank you for your assistance in this matter,
• Thank you for your consideration,
• Thank you for your recommendation,
• Thank you for your time,
• Warm regards,
• Warm wishes,
• With appreciation,
• With deepest sympathy,
• With gratitude,
• With sincere thanks,
• With sympathy,
• Your help is greatly appreciated,
• Yours cordially,
• Yours faithfully, 
• Yours sincerely,
• Yours truly,

There are certain closings you should avoid in any business letter or email. Most of these are simply too informal. Casual doesn't work with professional correspondence. Some examples of closings to avoid are listed below:

Some closings (such as “Love” and “XOXO”) imply a level of closeness that is not appropriate for a business letter. Slang or acronyms aren't appropriate either.

Capitalize the first word of your closing. If your closing is more than one word, capitalize the first word and use lowercase for the other words. For example:

• Best regards,

Once you have chosen a word or phrase to use as a send-off, follow it with a comma, some space, and then include your signature.

Printed letter: If you are sending a hard-copy letter, leave four lines of space between the closing and your typed name. Use this space to sign your name in ink. 

Email message: If you’re sending an email , leave one space between the complimentary close and your typed signature. Include your contact information directly below your typed signature.

Beneath your letter closing, include your signature. If this is a physical letter, first sign your name in ink, and then list your typed signature below. If this is an email letter, simply add your typed signature below your send-off.

Make sure to include your contact information in your letter.

If this is a physical letter, your contact information will be at the top of the letter. However, if this is an email, include that information beneath your typed signature. This will allow the recipient to respond to you easily.

Hard-Copy Letter Signature

Handwritten signature (for a printed letter)

Typed signature

Email Message Signature Example

Typed Signature Email Address Phone LinkedIn URL (if you have a profile)

To set up your email signature, go to “settings” in your email account. Follow the steps to add your signature and pre-populate future messages.

How do you start a business letter?

If you are sending a hard-copy version, start your business letter with your name and address, followed by the date, and then the recipient’s name and address. Then, include a salutation and the recipient’s name, e.g., “Dear Ms. Green.”

What are the parts of a business letter?

The parts of a business letter are the sender’s address, the date, the recipient’s address, a salutation, the message body, a closing, and the sender’s signature. If you send the letter by email, you can omit the address and date sections and include your contact information in your email signature.

“Yours Faithfully” or “Yours Sincerely”? Best Choice In Formal Letters

When signing a letter, you can use a few options to end it. “Yours faithfully” and “yours sincerely” are two such options, and this article will look at which is best in formal letters. There are certain rules to follow when using both, so we’ll cover those as well.

Is “Yours Faithfully” Or “Yours Sincerely” The Best Choice For Ending Formal Letters?

They are present at the end of almost every formal email or letter, and we use them to close off before writing our name. Both are correct, and it only depends on how well you know the person you’re writing a letter to that determines which of them you should use.

When To Use “Yours Faithfully”

“Sir,” “madam,” and similar titles are correct to use in this case. We do this when we’re not sure who might receive the letter or want to keep our formalities appropriate.

When To Use “Yours Sincerely” And “Sincerely Yours”

Whether we only know the surname or the full name doesn’t matter. As long as we know an element of their personal name, we are able to use “yours sincerely” to sign off the letter.

“Sincerely yours” and “yours sincerely” are interchangeable. As long as we address the recipient by name, we can use either closing statement to end our letter.

Is It Right To Say “Sincerely Yours”?

It might help to look through common usage across American and British English. Sometimes, this helps us to understand whether the phrase is worth learning at all.

According to Google Ngram Viewer , “sincerely yours” and “yours sincerely” are used almost identically in American English. However, neither phrase is particularly popular, as you can see from the rapid decline over the last 200 years.

While American English doesn’t have a preference between the two, British English clearly favors “yours sincerely.”

The exact reason why this is the case is unclear, though it’s taught that “yours sincerely” is the only correct option in British schools. American English like to sway away from standardized rules, so they might have introduced “sincerely yours” as their own unique language construct.

When To Use “Yours Truly”

According to Google Ngram Viewer , “yours truly” is still more popular than the other two choices but much less popular overall in British English. It seems that all three phrases are used almost to the same degree, and British English has no particular preference.

You should use “yours truly” when you do not know the name of the recipient of your letter, just like “yours faithfully.” However, it’s much more likely that you’ll come across this in American English rather than British English.

Why Is It “Yours Faithfully” And Not “Your Faithfully”?

You should use “yours” because it’s addressing “your” in the possessive form, meaning that the recipient now owns the contents of the letter. “Your” isn’t the possessive form, meaning it doesn’t make any sense to sign off in this way.

Does This Rule Also Count For “Yours Truly” And “Your Truly”?

Synonyms for “yours faithfully” and “yours sincerely”.

With that said, we’d like to point out that “kind regards” is a great formal choice, but we mostly use it in emails. You’ll rarely (if ever) see it used in a letter, so you should avoid doing so.

Final Thoughts

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here .

Resources > Unitemps Career Advice > Cover letter mistakes and how to avoid them

Cover letter mistakes and how to avoid them

Cover letters seem straightforward enough but there is an art to making them stand out – find out what to avoid if your cover letter is to have the impact you want it to.

1. Don’t write a personal statement

A cover letter should give a brief indication of why you think you are right for this role. You will also want to showcase your passion for the work involved but be wary of writing a statement that is all about you – a personal statement would be a more appropriate document to tell your story and only some employers will want this as part of the application process. A cover letter, on the other hand, ‘covers’ the skills detailed on your CV by going into more detail and demonstrating your ability and how these skills have been put into practice.

2. Keep it succinct

It’s tempting to overload your cover letter with multiple examples of your skills and how you have utilised these in your work so far but the employer needs a short and snappy summary to get through a lot of applications. Instead, save some of your examples and scenarios for the interview stage, where you will be able to talk about your work in much more depth. Your cover letter should be no longer than one page.

3. Don’t repeat your CV

A cover letter shouldn’t simply list your achievements and work to date as this is the task your CV takes care of. Instead, you should reflect your skills and experience using specific examples to back up the information on your CV. Your cover letter is all about proving you’re the right person for the job through clear scenarios, so think about what qualities the employer is looking for and then instances of when you have shown these qualities at work.

4. Format it correctly

Be sure to present the information on your cover letter in the correct style and layout. It’s professional to include your address in the top right column and the address of your employer in the top left column of your letter, regardless of it being sent electronically. You should start the letter with ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ or even by name if you have this information to hand. If you have addressed the receiver as sir or madam, you should sign off with ‘Yours faithfully’. If you have addressed the receiver by name, then ‘yours sincerely’ is best. Check our the Unitemps cover letter template for an example of what to do.

5. Write a new cover letter for every job role

Writing cover letters shouldn’t be rushed – and this means it can be time-consuming and the temptation to copy and paste from previous covering letters is strong. The problem with doing this is that it is often obvious to the employers that you haven’t tailored your skills to the job description. It appears lazy and you can come across as unmotivated straight away – so, if you want your covering letter to have an impact, put the time in and explicitly link your skills and experience to the person specification.

Register with Unitemps to upload your CV and begin applying for jobs straight away.

Last updated on 28 May 2024

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• February 29, 2020

How To Use ‘Yours Sincerely’ and ‘Yours Faithfully’

It’s a common question: when should I use ‘your sincerely’ and when should I use ‘yours faithfully’ to finish my formal emails and/or letters.

Here we provide all the information you need to make the right choice.

The first thing to say is that these are both formal ways to finish an email or a letter (also known as salutations, which are the ways that we greet and then bid farewell to people, particularly in writing).

Getting salutations right is a necessary skill to learn quickly, particularly when you are working in English, and of course, deciding when to use ‘yours sincerely’ and ‘yours faithfully’ is a big part of this.

So, here are the important things to consider:

British English usage

As can happen with the English language, there are slight differences in opinion and habitual use when it comes to British English and American English. In general, American English would include Canada, whereas British English means every other country that speaks English. Once again, that’s a general rule.

In British English, there are particular style guides that are considered authoritative when it comes to the language, and one such guide is Henry Watson Fowler’s Dictionary of Modern English Usage. Despite being nearly a hundred years old, it is still referred to as a principle guide for writing in English. So what does Watson say exactly?

·   Use ‘Yours sincerely’ when responding to invitations and friendly, but not intimate, letters

·   Use ‘Yours faithfully’ when writing to unknown persons on business matters

Although ‘yours truly’ and ‘yours very truly’ have become somewhat archaic in modern British English terms, ‘yours sincerely’ and ‘yours faithfully’ are still the main go-to endings for business correspondence. Here Fowler is clear that ‘Yours sincerely’ is slightly more personal that ‘Yours faithfully’.

This approach is supported by advice given in the Oxford Handbook of Commercial Correspondence, which classifies the two terms as follows:

·   Use ‘Yours sincerely’ when you know the person’s name to whom you’re writing

·   Use ‘Yours faithfully’ when you begin a letter with “Dear Sir/Madam”

The Oxford Handbook of Commercial Correspondence also offers up the most informal of salutations:

·   Use “Best wishes” when writing to someone you know well

And there you have it! In British English ‘Yours faithfully’ is the most formal of all, and is used when you do not have the name of the person you are writing to.

American English usage

Across the Atlantic, there is a slight difference of opinion on these matters. Firstly, things are rather less formal in the United States, but there are still conventions of sorts.

‘Yours faithfully’ doesn’t exist as a salutation in the United States. Instead, when the recipient of the email or letter is unknown, the term ‘Yours truly’ is used.

‘Sincerely’ is therefore slightly less formal, and for when you know the name of the person you are addressing the correspondence too. But instead of ‘Yours sincerely’ the inverted ‘Sincerely yours’ is preferred.

So, there we go. Transatlantic differences and the importance of knowing how to end your letter when you know the recipient’s name as opposed to when you don’t. That’s all you need to know.

Hint: when writing online it is always a good idea to get some AI help. Use our free grammar checker or innovative AI-based paraphrasing app to elevate your writing.

More from Linguix Blog

Frequently asked questions

Should i write ‘yours sincerely’ or ‘yours faithfully’.

Traditionally, the sign-off Yours sincerely is used in an email message or letter when you are writing to someone you have interacted with before, not a complete stranger.

Yours faithfully is used instead when you are writing to someone you have had no previous correspondence with, especially if you greeted them as ‘ Dear Sir or Madam ’.

Frequently asked questions: Effective communication

‘Looking forward in hearing from you’ is an incorrect version of the phrase looking forward to hearing from you . The phrasal verb ‘looking forward to’ always needs the preposition ‘to’, not ‘in’.

• I am looking forward in hearing from you.
• I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Some synonyms and near synonyms for the expression looking forward to hearing from you include:

• Eagerly awaiting your response
• Hoping to hear from you soon
• It would be great to hear back from you
• Thanks in advance for your reply

People sometimes mistakenly write ‘looking forward to hear from you’, but this is incorrect. The correct phrase is looking forward to hearing from you .

The phrasal verb ‘look forward to’ is always followed by a direct object, the thing you’re looking forward to. As the direct object has to be a noun phrase , it should be the gerund ‘hearing’, not the verb ‘hear’.

• I’m looking forward to hear from you soon.
• I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Just checking in   is a standard phrase used to start an email (or other message) that’s intended to ask someone for a response or follow-up action in a friendly, informal way. However, it’s a cliché opening that can come across as passive-aggressive, so we recommend avoiding it in favor of a more direct opening like “We previously discussed …”

In a more personal context, you might encounter “just checking in” as part of a longer phrase such as “I’m just checking in to see how you’re doing”. In this case, it’s not asking the other person to do anything but rather asking about their well-being (emotional or physical) in a friendly way.

“Earliest convenience” is part of the phrase at your earliest convenience , meaning “as soon as you can”. 

It’s typically used to end an email in a formal context by asking the recipient to do something when it’s convenient for them to do so.

ASAP is an abbreviation of the phrase “as soon as possible”. 

It’s typically used to indicate a sense of urgency in highly informal contexts (e.g., “Let me know ASAP if you need me to drive you to the airport”).

“ASAP” should be avoided in more formal correspondence. Instead, use an alternative like at your earliest convenience .

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Daily Writing Tips

Yours faithfully or yours sincerely.

In 1928 H. W. Fowler listed these phrases and their uses:

Yours faithfully (to unknown person on business) Yours truly (to slight acquaintance) Yours very truly (ceremonious but cordial) Yours sincerely (in invitations and friendly but not intimate letters)

With slight variations between British and American usage, these forms are still in use.

If you don’t know the name of the recipient…

Yours faithfully is British usage. It is used when the recipient is not addressed by name, as in a letter with a “Dear Sir” salutation. I have never seen it in correspondence between Americans. That’s not to say it won’t catch on. I’ve come across letter-writing guides on the web that imply that it is standard American usage.

Yours truly is the American equivalent of “yours faithfully” that I was taught by my American business teachers. When I begin a letter “Dear Sir,” I close it with “Yours truly.”

When you do know the name of the recipient…

Yours sincerely is also British. Americans tend to reverse the order and write Sincerely yours .

When I worked in England, I was told that to write Sincerely without the Yours was very bad form. Now, of course, Sincerely is a common and acceptable close for American business letters.

Which words to capitalize…

Only the first word is capitalized:

Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely, Sincerely yours,

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84 thoughts on “Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?”

I use Best–is there anything wrong with that style?

Speaking about closing letters, I *hate* the closure:

“Warmly, dot dot dot”

It always makes me think, well Jeepers, how else will they say it?

“Frigidly, dot dot dot” “I’m really stressed by you but I’ll lie about it and say Warmly, dot dot dot” etc.etc.etc.

That being said, I do use “Sincerely” when being formal, and “Best wishes” every other time.

I use “Sincerely” to conclude almost all correspondence. Once in awhile I might say “Most sincerely,” but never “Yours [whatever]” for the simple reason that I am not “yours.” You could attribute that to the streak of American egalitarianism in me, or possibly my being a lawyer who sometimes writes to adversaries, but I am my wife’s, or my children’s, but never “yours.”

I’m a 40 year old American, and I was taught:

For business or formal letters- “Sincerely,” or “Yours truly,”

For personal letters- “Love,” or “Warm regards,” or “Sincerely yours”

Barbara, you made me laugh! I use “Best wishes,” but oh, how I long to write, “I remain, your most faithful and humble servant.” (sigh)

Hi. I’m new to your site, but I love it already!

I’ve always thought that “Yours truly”, “Sincerely yours” etc. sound extremely frivolous, forced, and, frankly, ridiculous!

Why? Well, because “I’m yours” is something that we say only to people we’re MADLY IN LOVE WITH in real life!

But alas, the usage in English is overwhelmingly accepted. Who am I to say it sounds too mushy and cutesy for my taste?

Sincerely yours (please refer to my first sentence 😀 ), Cesar!

Dee, you caught me in a mental lapse, which may show how infrequently I write actual letters to my family. “Love” is the perfect closing for correspondence to my wife and children. I use “love” all the time in closing [shudder] e-mails to them and a few close cousins.

What would Fowler have made of “Yours very truly and sincerely”?

To me, this shows the arbitrary creation of some “rules” for writing, especially those that seem to have neither grammatical considerations nor agreement between the meaning of the words and the purpose for which they are used.

“I don’t know you. We’ve never met. This is an unsolicited letter trying to get your business. You will probably throw it in the trash. I don’t expect to hear back from you. In spite of this, truly, I am yours.”

I said this in another response somewhere, but the idea of telling someone I am his or hers, when I have never met that person, feels awkward to me.

My pick is still for “Sincerely.” I wouldn’t recommend that a client change the closing line he or she has selected, but I will continue to use “Sincerely” for my own professional correspondences.

I use “Best regards” for email letters and “Sincerely” for cold call business-type letters. I’m with Al G. on letters to family and friends, you show your emotions, “Love” or “Love ya mucho.”

I use “Dear Jane” to someone I know and end with “Yours sincerely”, whether she is dear to me or not, to indicate that she may rely on the emotions I express.

I use “Dear Sir” to someone i do not know and end with “Yours faithfully”, where my faithfulness is to indicate that my words may be relied upon.

With emails, I end with “Regards”, as i want something that i can use every time to anyone as a mark of consistency and to avoid giving offence by reverting to “regards” having used used “warm regards” or similar on a proor occasion.

I use “Dear Sir” to someone I do not know and end with “Yours faithfully”, where my faithfulness is to indicate that my words may be relied upon.

With emails, I end with “Regards”, as I want something that I can use every time to anyone as a mark of consistency and to avoid giving offence by reverting to “regards” having used used “warm regards” or similar on a prior occasion.

what about “I’m your most sincerely” ?

i appreciate the good work done to set the standard in the english language. most a times we interchange the american version with the british version. i strongly believe u have given more insight on the use of the english language.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

9 plus 18 is always 20. hoop u learned something of it.

I had a truly frightening experience yesterday. I sent a business letter to a new client whom I have never met and likely never will. We also had never corresponded previously. I signed this letter, ‘Yours faithfully’. He complained to two of my bosses that it was religious in some way, and inappropriate. One of said bosses then wrote me to admonish me saying though he found it ‘endearing’ that I should be professional when signing off, ‘Yours sincerely’, ‘Kind Regards’, ‘Many Thanks’. WHEN DID THESE THINGS BECOME MORE FORMAL THAN YOURS FAITHFULLY??! Clearly the ignorant business exec in question has never seen the phrase ‘in good faith’ or he would know that yours faithfully derived from this phrase meaning, of course, that the sender of the letter or contract would not try to cheat the receiver in business terms and so on. And the more frightening thing is that neither of my bosses stood up for me, because neither of them had ever, according to them, seen the sign off ‘yours faithfully’ before. These people all have masters in business administration. Can anyone help me vent??? WHAT is going on here!???

Tess, I’d regard “yours faithfully” as being closely akin to “yours truly.” I’m guessing that it derives from “your faithful and obedient servant,” the latter being in vogue in the 1700’s and used by people who were nobody’s servants. Your client and your boss come across as rather illiterate oafs.

Having said all that, I’d consider using the plain-vanilla “sincerely,” which can be used even if you are not totally sincere.

Yes, I also thought that. I think I just needed somebody to see the illiterate oaf-ness of them as well! I don’t think I would personally go that far back to explain ‘yours faithfully’ to someone. To me ‘yours faithfully’ today implies that I am being both honest and trustworthy. ‘Sincerely’ only implies truthfulness, which is why you use it when you already know someone – the trust is already implicit in the relationship. I did some googling to see if I was simply out of date and one of the first things to come up was a website called ‘investorwords.com’, which had a great definition of the similar phrase, ‘in good faith’; “The observance of honorable intent in business relations and the avoidance of any attempts to deceive in assuming and performing contractual obligations.”

Quite phenomenal that somebody found it so inappropriate (RELIGIOUS no less) that he couldn’t just ignore it, he had to complain about it! It frightens me, but I am obviously more passionate about language than the sirs in question.

i want to improve my English language.

How can I write English sentences effectively?

I smsed to a girl whom I just met once who came to my office for some business. I asked her if i could keep in touch with her and she said yes. One day i sent her an sms just to ask her how she was and signed off as yours, now i don’t hear from her. Please.. i don’t know what happened.

Darmendar: I would say she probably thought you were coming on to her or something. I would never just close “Yours”. SMS’ are a little informal, try using a more informal close. Such as “Thanks”.

People who resort to “religious” reasons/excuses for things should be locked up. Traditions of several hundred years can’t be just suddenly ignored because someone gets it into their head that it offends their religion (which is always a matter of “human” interpretation anyway). The person who complained that “Yours faithfully” was religious in some way should be sent an English business letters book of some kind, gift wrapped, as a gift to help them overcome their ignorance and illiteracy. You should also find out where they studied business or management or whatever and write a formal letter of complaint about their former student. This reflects badly on the educational institution where this person has studied.

I utterly agree with the comments of Caroline Leek. I came to this site because I was shocked that the president of a professional society had sent a notice of a meeting to professional colleagues, all of whom he or she knows, and signed it Yours faithfully rather than Yours sincerely

I like to use “Yours lustily” if it’s a letter to someone outside of my immediate family, otherwise I just use my initials followed by two kisses (Xx).

I have also found “Yours fellatiously” to be a particularly useful sign-off, especially when trying to win favour with a bank manager or disgruntled boss.

I’m definitely not a big fan of “See ya!” or “laters!” – but I do sometimes find it appropriate, after a tiresome exchange of emails, to simply finish with the onomatopoeic “Arrrrgggghhhh!!!!!!!!!” – sometimes with the exclamation marks running into the tens of thousands.

How about an email with “Blissfully yours” as sign off . any one knows waht it means?

Why is it the Americans insist on doing things differently, i’m sure they do it for the sake of it – What’s wrong with the British way of doing things anyway…. its like they left for the colonies and have purposely try to do things differently ever since.

Yours faithfully.

One British citizen.

I have to totally agree with Toby Lerone.

Except the Americans don’t do it for the sake of it. They do it because it is the lazy way. this way you don’t (or can’t) have to follow any rules and if you do, just change the rules (and the spelling) to the simplist form.

The way they have changed the date system is strange too. I am still trying to work out what happened on the 9th of November?

All the very best, Wadey (An Aussie).

I am a North European and I am affected by both UK/US writing styles of English although I do not consider American English a real English language. I usually use “Best regards” but once or twice I unintentionally misspelled “Beat retards”. Take a look at your keyboard and you will see if one is not careful and has large fingers one can easily write “Beat retards” instead of “Best regards”.

Also, I would never write “Best Regards” although many increasingly try to “kiss up” and use uppercase letter for “Regards” as well.

I always thought that writing “Sincerely” alone was fine and I sometimes feel that writing “Yours” is very intimate and could feel even sexual… 😉 especially when a man writes to a man.

Even writing “Dear Sir” where both words I write from an uppercase letter although others I see write “Dear sir” instead. So writing “Dear” sometimes to me sounds intimate too much when writing to another male. I suspect someone who created this writing style with “yours” and “dear” could have been a “same sex advancer”… LOL (just joking).

Arthur, gentlemen, gentile men, ladies

how about using the sign off “Yours sexually” and/or “Anally yours”. Also: “Yours orally” and “Yours unfaithfully” could be good ones written to good (sexual) friends or partners. Another “good” one would be “Yours sin cerely” where “sin” is separated “from the rest of the word. :Let me just write a few more without the bla-bla-bla:

Yours sinfully Yours mentally Yours physically Yours emotionally Yours infinitely Yours now and always Yours yours yours Yours and only Yours not Yours philosophically etc.

I’m sorry if I insulted anyone.

Yours truly not,

It’s all quite simple. In a business letter: Dear Sir, Yours faithfully; Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms, Yours faithfully; Dear John/Jane, Yours sincerely. In any other correspondence, regardless of media, there are no rules: do what you think is appropriate.

I prefer to alternate between “Regards,” and “Kind regards,” as both seem to be resonably neutral expressions. I agree with J Miles P about creating consistency.

To all who think “Yours” would be too “intimate”. Yours is not only 1. person singular but 2. person plural – which English has lost, but can be seen in other European languages like German “Ihr” or French “Votre” and in this case it is a form of politeness and so joined with respect and of course personal distance!

To all who think such phrases are too disingenous and hypocritical. So I think in present days it is possible to write either … with the expression of my great displeasedness – in a letter of complaint

Tess, I’m sorry to hear that the ignorance and stupidity of those set above you has caused you trouble. You might refer them to one of the standard works (Fowler’s Usage or something). Obviously, if you *were* being religious, you would have used the non-standard form, “Yours Faith-fully”, with a capital F, or something similar. Why is it that the ignorant and just plain stupid have all the imperium, but none of the auctoritas? They have no idea what they’re talking about, but they have a big stick with which to hit you.

*Sigh* Welcome to the uneducated generation. The generation that “finks”, “lolz” and “innit”s, and sees nothing wrong with it in the process.

“Its a natural development of language” some high profile people argue. I just consider it to be bad manners to get it so wrong and not to care. I don’t know why I feel like that, its just the way it is.

I’m no saint when it comes to language, but I do try to correct mistakes (how many have you counted so far), but when I read statements like “Is it just me or does nobody have manors these days” – I want to strangle the perpetrator. In that instance, at least someone had the wit to respond that they only lived in a normal sized house.

I was always taught ‘You should be sincere in business and faithful to your friends, so of course some idiot got it backwards when signing letters.’

I’ve always done that since then, but really, I don’t think it matters. No one really takes in the valediction anyway.

Speaking of lazy, Wadey… I guess as an Aussie you are lying on your back typing this because of your expert capitalization skills (or capitalisation if you can’t handle the spelling difference). I can handle both

I do agree about the date thing. But that’s more a matter that in North America, they haven’t fully adopted the metric system. A shame really because since I am used to both systems, it’s always confusing for me so I usually stick to ISO or include the month abbrev. More unwieldy but I’m not as lazy as an Australian so I can handle it.

Even though I’ve been taught to use “Yours sincerely” or “Yours truly”, or the reverse (Sincerely yours or Truly yours) I always refrained from using it because it always seemed insincere or false to me. I also agree, using “yours” is too intimate for my taste as a business salutation. I wouldn’t even use it for my friends/family, preferring xxx or whatever Arthur R S Eagle would find appropriate.

I picked up using “Kind regards”, or just “Regards”, as a salutation because it had the right tone for business, and have stuck with it for the past 10 years or so. You can use it when you’re being insincere and false without guilt.

I personally love it when non native English speakers literally translate their salutations into English. My time in Netherlands, I saw “with friendly greetings” which directly translates from ” Met vriendelijke groeten” or also “met vrolijk groeten”. However the reverse translations (by non native Dutch speakers into Dutch) are usually more interesting…

In Dutch, vrolijk is sometimes confused by non native dutch speakers with vrouwlijk which means womanly…

Also non native dutch speakers will mispell “groeten” with “groenten” (which means vegetables).

So if you’re reading a letter in Dutch, you sometimes get letters with the closing.. “with womanly greetings” or “with friendly veggies”.

Will that catch on in English?

Good thing that Tess didn’t sign off with “Yours in Christ”. Is that appropriate for a business letter? (I’m being sarcastic; don’t crucify me! Sorry, bad pun :-O)

It is a shame this string turned into an ugly American discussion. I was curious as to the origins of some closings and found this page. Throughout time word usage, like everything else, obviously changes. It makes no sense to expect language to remain unaltered while the rest of the world moves on. Resisting change simply because you feel that any change stems from ignorance or laziness seems self righteous to me. If you can’t get past the use of “Sincerely,” in a business letter from an American, you should ask yourself whether your priorities are in check and whether you have too much time on your hands. That’s an acceptable valediction in America, according to my alma mater’s business writing professors.

I fully understand your wrath! No wonder our economy is in such a mess, when senior managers waste valuable time arguing over semantics. When working for Social Services, I was directed to compose a ‘Communications Policy’. However, my university- educated bosses complained bitterly because I used the word ‘facilitate’ – which they criticised as being too pompous (and could I please use simple language?). They would not accept that it was a word in common usage! Grrr!!!

Yours most sincerely,

Can I just point out to the North American dislikers, that language form does change over time? Like how in North America, practice is both the verb and the noun, while in “non-American” English, practice is a noun and practise is a verb. Language will change over the course of time. Take the invasion of William the Conqueror into England, and how that changed the shape of what we call Modern English. Take Creole, a mix of French, Portuguese, Spanish, and native languages, that morphed into Creole. Take Japanese, which took certain characters of Chinese. Now just think.

I think the French have the right idea – the formal ending for letters is: Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l’expression de mes sentiments distiguées. This means literally – I beg you to accept, Sir/Madam, the expression of my distinguished feelings. So long winded, but the most memorable phrase from A-level French XD

My children think i’m too pedantic when it comes to thanks you and letter endings etc. Good manners cost nothing and i am dissappointed when i see the ” incorrect” ending to letters or conversations. A simple “thank you” will often suffice rather than the cheesey American ” Thank you so much.” I was a little taken aback in the supermarket when the cashier signed of with ” enjoy the rest of your Saturday “. Nice but unexpected. I mumble in that oh so British way, “Yes you too.”

That tradition continues and is in fact enhanced in diplomatic missives – in formal notes verbale (even those originating from American embassies and consulates), the valediction is usually along the lines of: “I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you the assurances of my highest consideration”. 🙂

I’m english and always put ‘Yours’ first and dont leave it out. I’m not posh but thats what us british people do

Everyone has their own ways and opinion, so you can’t please everybody. As long as you have done your part, and your sentances are correct, well done. No one is 100% perfect in this world, and everyone is prone to make mistakes. We learn from mistakes to become better.

Dislike using Dear. Open with Mr. / Ms. For the most part I simply use, Respectfully as the salutation.

This is a large country and as such, its people settled great distances apart. The end result is, taint no merican english language, so der. How about India, China, Russia, and so on.

I’m well and truly british and as a rule I don’t like to use ‘faithfully’, ‘sincerely’ too often, not because it is mushy but it leaves a cold feeling when you are writing/ emailing a letter.

However I do think it is acceptable to use those terms when referring to a cover letter when applying for the job. Using any other term would potentially put the employer off and you need them to like what you have written and WANT to write it.

I think the language and politeness we exhibit as disappeared over the years especially in certain correspondence. We don’t have the ‘please’, the ‘thank you’ like we use to and if we can end a letter in a formal, kind manner I think it’s worth it.

When it comes to friends and family though it is a different story. I never tend to end it in those terms, just simply, “Love you” simple and to the point.

RE: to anyone who thinks I am “old” because of what I have written, haha, I’m only 26 years old. Thanks for reading this, I didn’t mean to do such a long comment.

I am from Great Britain and I always use Yours Sincerely and Yours Truly. If you have feelings you wish to convey put them in the body of the correspondence and do shut up you tedious Americans.

I’m British, and was taught at school ‘Yours faithfully’ for ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ and ‘Yours sincerely’ for ‘Dear Mr Smith’. (‘Dear John’ would be ‘Love from’, though depending on the recipient I might prefer to avoid that as an adult!)

Just came here to remind myself of which it should be, as I’m writing a business letter on paper for the first time in years. I usually do all my correspondence by email, which is a far less formal medium; in emails I either start ‘Hi’ (with or without name depending on if I know it), or, if I feel that would be too casual, with no salutation at all. And I usually end with ‘Thanks’.

But you can’t start a business letter on paper with ‘Hi’! ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ seems the only option for an unknown recipient. But ‘Yours faithfully’ did seem a bit OTTl for a letter written in a fairly friendly style – I’m an illustrator/designer, not in finance or law or something – so I just finished with ‘Thanks’. Probably all wrong, but…

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Is it "Yours faithfully" or "Yours sincerely"?

When should one sign a letter with "Yours faithfully" or "Yours sincerely"?

• word-choice
• writing-style
• letter-writing
• valediction

6 Answers 6

This is called " complimentary close ".

As reported by Oxford Handbook of Commercial Correspondence:

If the letter begins with Dear Sir, Dear Sirs, Dear Madam, or Dear Sir/Madam, the COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE should be " Yours faithfully ".

If the letter begins with a personal name, e.g. Dear Mr James, Dear Mrs Robinson, or Dear Ms Jasmin, it should be " Yours sincerely ".

A letter to someone you know well may close with the more informal "Best wishes".

Note that the Americans tend to close even formal letters with Yours truly or Truly yours, which is unusual in the UK in commercial correspondence. Avoid closing old-fashioned phrases , e.g. We remain yours faithfully, Respectfully yours.

• 4 <rhetorical>I suppose, then, that Yr. obt. svt. is right out of the question?</rhetorical> –  bye Commented Feb 22, 2011 at 14:10
• 3 I use the following mnemonic. Since the word 'Faith' can be a name, simply ensure that your salutation and closing contain one name. I acknowledge that this ignores more informal letters, but it helps me remember when to use sincerely and when to use faithfully –  Dancrumb Commented Feb 23, 2011 at 0:57
• 7 I've always remembered this as Don't put the S's together - so Sir and Sincerely should not appear together. –  Chris Moutray Commented Jul 29, 2017 at 8:38
• Are these closings still standard in business correspondence in the UK, or do they count as old-fashioned now? (Don't want to open a new question just for this small detail.) –  Szabolcs Commented Mar 10, 2019 at 18:12

I've been taught the following distinction:

• Use "Yours sincerely" when you know the person you are addressing, i.e. Mr. Smith.
• Use "Yours faithfully" when you are starting your letter with Dear Sir/Madam, or a similar construction.

That being said, it has been my experience that these are used less and less, especially in electronic communications. I would still prefer them in dead-tree letters, but only in the most formal of circumstances (probably when invited to a cup of tea by the Queen of England...).

• Yes, in a printed letter that's a common convention in the UK. However, as you say, other formulae such as just "Sincerely", "Best wishes" or even just "Best" are common especially in more informal business correspondence or e-mail. –  Neil Coffey Commented Feb 21, 2011 at 17:39
• It is as @Manoochehr says if you begin with a personal name not if you know them. –  mmmmmm Commented Feb 21, 2011 at 21:14

I usually just write "Sincerely,". I understand it to be a contraction of "I am yours sincerely" or "I am yours faithfully". If I used it, I'd probably invert it to "Sincerely yours," or "Faithfully yours,". These statements are typically reserved for love letters or other personal correspondence, although faithful could technically describe a business relationship.

• edited my original question, I had wrongly said 'Your faithfully'... –  Julius A Commented Feb 21, 2011 at 16:56

Best, The Raven

The modern era does not routinely recognize the "complimentary close" as such, and its use is becoming rather quaint.

• 2 Best what? Best regards? Best wishes? All the best? Best of luck? Best friends for life? –  Asclepius Commented Jul 14, 2015 at 14:13
• 2 Sure it's a modern era, but is "Best," what you'd use for a formal letter (like resignation letter etc)? –  Pacerier Commented Nov 3, 2015 at 3:01
• 2 No, you shouldn't --- formal correspondence should still use 'yours faithfully' or 'yours sincerely'. –  David Given Commented Jul 24, 2017 at 13:12

Since Julius didn't specifically ask for a «commercially» correct way of signing a letter, less informal alternatives to what others have posted include:

• Best wishes
• Kind regards
• Yours (truly)
• All the best
• Best of luck
• Sincerely/Faithfully

I just use "Thank you" - it seems to fit everywhere and doesn't sound like the letter was auto-generated by some letter writing wizard.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged word-choice adverbs writing-style letter-writing valediction or ask your own question .

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