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.
Note
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.
The Best Options to End a Letter
Review the best way to end a letter with formal, business, or personal letter closings, sample signatures, letter examples, and writing tips.
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Letter Closing Examples
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.
More Letter Closing Examples
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,
- Best of luck,
- Best wishes,
- Cordially yours,
- Fond regards,
- In appreciation,
- In sympathy,
- Kind regards,
- Kind thanks,
- Kind wishes,
- Many thanks,
- Regards,
- Respectfully,
- Respectfully yours,
- Sincerely,
- Sincerely yours,
- Stay well,
- Stay safe and well,
- Thanks,
- Thanks again,
- Thank you,
- 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,
- Warmly,
- 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,
Letter Closings to Avoid
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:
- Always,
- Cheers,
- Hugs,
- Later,
- Love,
- Peace,
- Rgds,
- See ya,
- Take care,
- Thx,
- TTYL,
- XOXO,
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.
How to Capitalize a Closing
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:
- Sincerely,
- Sincerely yours,
- Regards,
- Best regards,
How to Format a Letter Ending
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.
What to Include in Your 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.
Note
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.
Signature Examples
Hard-Copy Letter Signature
Sincerely,
Handwritten signature (for a printed letter)
Typed signature
Email Message Signature Example
Regards,
Typed Signature
Email Address
Phone
LinkedIn URL (if you have a profile)
Note
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.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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.
