How to end an email

End an email with one closing line that says what happens next, then a sign-off, then your name. "Kind regards" is safe for almost anyone, "Thanks" or "Best" suits people you know, and "Yours sincerely" belongs on formal letters. The closing line matters more than the sign-off: it is the last thing the reader sees before deciding what to do.

Below are closing lines grouped by what you want, and sign-offs grouped by who you are writing to, with when each one fits.

The three parts of an ending

1. A closing line. What you want from them, or what you will do next.
2. A sign-off. Two or three words, matched to your greeting.
3. Your name. First name for people you know, full name the first time you write.

Closing lines

You need a reply or an action

Ask a question they can answer, and give a date.

Could you let me know by Thursday?
Please send the signed copy back when you have a moment this week.
Which of the two dates suits you better?

No reply is needed

Say so. It spares them a "Thanks, got it" and spares you reading one.

No need to reply.
This is for your records. Nothing needed from you.

You are offering help

If anything here is unclear, call me on the number below.
Happy to go through it on a call if that is easier.

You are thanking them

Thanks for turning this round so quickly.
Thank you for your time on Tuesday.

You will see or speak to them soon

See you on Tuesday.
I look forward to meeting you on the 9th.

You are saying no, or goodbye

I hope we get the chance to work together another time.
I wish you well with the project.

Sign-offs

Formal

• Yours sincerely, For a formal letter or email that began with the person's name: "Dear Ms Novak,".
• Yours faithfully, The British pair to "Dear Sir or Madam,". Rare in email now.
• Sincerely, The American formal standard. Fine anywhere for an application or a formal request.
• Respectfully, Very formal. For officials, courts and formal complaints.
• Kind regards, The least stiff of the formal options, and correct in all of the above if the others feel like too much.

Someone you do not know

• Kind regards, The safest choice there is. Polite, neutral, never out of place.
• Best regards, The same weight as "Kind regards". Pick one and keep it.
• Best wishes, A little warmer. Good when the email was friendly.
• Many thanks, When you have asked for something.
• Thank you, On its own line, when the whole email was a request.

A colleague or someone you know

• Thanks, The everyday default when you have asked for anything at all.
• Best, Short and neutral. Fine with colleagues and with clients you know.
• All the best, Warmer. Good before a holiday or at the end of a project.
• Cheers, Casual, and common in Britain and Australia. Keep it for people who would say it back.
• Speak soon, When you really will.
• Just your name. Normal between people who email each other daily.
• Nothing. In a fast thread, after the first exchange, no sign-off is needed.

A group

• Thanks all, or Thanks everyone, When you have asked the group for something.
• Best, or Kind regards, For an announcement.
• Thank you all for your work on this, When the email is the thanks.

Match the ending to the beginning

A greeting and a sign-off should be from the same shelf. "Dear Ms Novak," goes with "Yours sincerely" or "Kind regards". "Hi Pilar," goes with "Thanks", "Best" or "Kind regards". "Dear Ms Novak," followed by "Cheers" reads oddly, and so does "Hey Pilar," followed by "Yours faithfully". The greetings are covered in how to start an email.

Whole endings

A request to someone you have not met:

Could you let me know by Friday 20th whether the hall is free?
Kind regards,
Yusuf Demir

An update to your team:

No action needed from anyone. I'll send the final figures on Monday.
Thanks all,
Niamh

A formal application:

I would welcome the chance to discuss the role, and I am available for interview on any weekday.
Yours sincerely,
Imran Sheikh

A quick reply to a colleague:

Done. It's in the shared folder.
Pilar

Your name and signature

Use your full name the first time you write to someone and your first name after that. A signature needs your name, your role, your organisation and one way to reach you. Leave out quotations, large logos and lists of every social account. If your employer adds a legal notice, that is theirs to worry about. On a phone, change "Sent from my phone" to your name or delete it.

What to avoid

• "Thanks in advance." It assumes they will say yes. "Thank you" does the same job without the push.
• "Please advise." It sounds like a form. Ask the question you mean: "What would you like me to do?"
• "Regards," on its own. Correct, but it can read as curt, particularly after a disagreement. "Kind regards" costs one word.
• "Please do not hesitate to contact me." Nobody was hesitating. "Call me if anything is unclear" says it.
• "I look forward to hearing from you" with no question above it. They will not know what you want to hear.
• "Love", "xx", "Hugs". For friends and family. They slip into work email by habit, so look before you press send.
• "Thx", "Rgds", "BR". Write the words.
• Two sign-offs. "Thanks, Kind regards, Niamh" is one too many.

Ending it with Hemmingway

If you can write the middle but stall at the end, the AI email writer writes the whole email from your notes, closing line and sign-off included. Tell it who the email is to, what you want them to do and by when, and how formal it should be. It uses only what you give it and writes one version. Read it, swap the sign-off for the one you always use, and send it yourself. There is a free trial with no card needed.

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If what you are writing is a nudge on an earlier email, how to write a follow-up email has the wording for that, and how to write a professional email covers everything between the greeting and the sign-off.

Common questions

What is the best way to end an email?

With one line that says what happens next, a sign-off, and your name. For example: "Could you let me know by Thursday? Kind regards, Yusuf". The closing line does the work, and the sign-off only has to match the tone of the rest.

How do you end a formal email?

With a sentence that states the next step, then "Yours sincerely," or "Kind regards," and your full name. Use "Yours sincerely" when you addressed the person by name, and add your role or a phone number under your name if they may need it.

Is "Best regards" or "Kind regards" better?

They carry the same weight and either is correct in any work email. Neither is warmer or more formal than the other in any way a reader will notice. Pick one and use it every time.

What is the difference between "Yours sincerely" and "Yours faithfully"?

In British usage, "Yours sincerely" follows a greeting with the person's name, such as "Dear Ms Novak,", and "Yours faithfully" follows "Dear Sir or Madam,". American usage has "Sincerely" for both. In everyday email, "Kind regards" replaces either.

Can I end an email with "Thanks"?

Yes, when the email asks for something or the person has helped you. It is normal with colleagues and with clients you know. For a first email to a stranger, "Many thanks" or "Kind regards" is a little more polite.

What is a good closing sentence for an email?

One the reader can act on: "Could you confirm by Friday?", "I'll send the draft on Monday", or "No need to reply". Lines such as "I hope this helps" or "Let me know your thoughts" are weaker because they do not say what you want.