Best Email Sign-Offs — 50+ Professional Options (2026)
Your sign-off is the last thing someone reads before they see your name and contact details. Most people pick one phrase and use it forever, without thinking much about whether it fits the context. This guide covers every option worth knowing — formal, casual, industry-specific, and cultural differences — so you can make an informed choice rather than a habitual one.
By the NeatStamp Team · Published March 2026 · 15 min read
Quick-reference table
If you just need a fast answer, this table covers the most commonly used sign-offs, what they signal, and when to use them. The full breakdowns follow below.
| Sign-off | Tone | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| Yours sincerely | Very formal | Letters/emails where you know the recipient's name (formal correspondence) |
| Yours faithfully | Very formal | Letters starting 'Dear Sir/Madam' where you don't know the name |
| Sincerely | Formal | US formal business correspondence, cover letters, complaints |
| Respectfully | Formal | Legal, government, senior officials, military |
| Kind regards | Formal-professional | First contact with clients, senior contacts, formal requests |
| Best regards | Professional | General professional emails, safe for most contexts |
| Warm regards | Professional-warm | Ongoing client relationships, mentors, known contacts |
| Regards | Neutral-professional | Direct, no-nonsense professional email |
| Best | Modern professional | Most professional emails in US, tech, media, consulting |
| Many thanks | Professional-warm | When you genuinely appreciate something they've done |
| Thanks | Semi-formal | Quick replies, internal emails, known contacts |
| Thank you | Semi-formal | More complete than 'Thanks', appropriate for requests granted |
| Cheers | Casual-professional | UK/Australia: most professional emails. US: informal only |
| Talk soon | Casual | Ongoing conversations, people you work with regularly |
| Speak soon | Casual | UK equivalent of 'Talk soon' |
| All the best | Warm-casual | Friendly sign-off for known contacts |
| Take care | Warm | Closing a longer exchange, someone going through something difficult |
Formal sign-offs
Formal sign-offs are for situations where the relationship is new, the stakes are high, or the context demands deference — job applications, legal correspondence, initial contact with very senior people, complaints, and any communication that might be read by more than one person or forwarded up a chain.
“Yours sincerely”
When: Traditional business letters and formal emails where you address the recipient by name ('Dear Mr Davies'). More common in UK and Commonwealth countries than the US.
Technically there's a rule from letter-writing: 'Yours sincerely' when you know the name, 'Yours faithfully' when you're writing to 'Dear Sir/Madam'. Most people have abandoned this distinction in email — but if you're writing in a very traditional formal context (law, government), it's worth knowing.
“Sincerely”
When: US formal business correspondence. The standard choice for cover letters, complaint letters, and any email that needs to feel official.
Feels slightly stiff in casual contexts but is bulletproof for formal use. Nobody has ever been offended by 'Sincerely'.
“Respectfully”
When: Communications with government officials, elected representatives, judges, military superiors, or anyone in a position of formal authority where deference is appropriate.
Overused in casual professional emails, where it reads as obsequious. Reserve it for genuinely formal authority contexts.
“Respectfully submitted”
When: Legal filings, formal petitions, anything being submitted to an official body.
This is for documents and formal submissions, not regular emails.
Semi-formal sign-offs
Semi-formal is where most professional email lives. These sign-offs are appropriate for the vast majority of business correspondence — new client contacts, external partners, stakeholders you know but aren’t close to, and most outbound professional email.
In my experience, this is also where the most confusion happens, because the differences between options like “Kind regards,” “Best regards,” and just “Regards” are subtle but real. More on those distinctions in the dedicated section below.
“Kind regards”
When: First contact with external clients, senior contacts, anyone you're asking a favour of, and any context where you want to be professional without being stiff.
The safest semi-formal option. It's warm enough to signal goodwill without being presumptuous. Widely used in the UK and becoming more common in the US.
“Best regards”
When: General professional email. Slightly more formal than 'Best' alone. Good for industries that err on the formal side.
A solid, neutral choice. Works across cultures and contexts. Some people find it slightly robotic after years of use, which is why 'Kind regards' has overtaken it in many circles.
“Warm regards”
When: Ongoing client relationships, mentors, colleagues you have a genuine rapport with, or any situation where you want to acknowledge the human side of the professional relationship.
More personal than 'Kind regards'. Don't use it for cold outreach — it implies familiarity you haven't earned yet.
“Regards”
When: Direct, no-nonsense professional emails. Works well for internal communications, follow-ups, and straightforward requests.
Some people read 'Regards' as slightly cold compared to 'Kind regards'. In practice, it's neutral. Worth knowing that some recipients will notice the difference between 'Regards' and 'Kind regards' in a tense exchange.
“Many thanks”
When: When you're genuinely thanking someone — they helped you, sent you something, or did something you appreciated.
More emphatic than plain 'Thanks'. Feels genuine if you actually mean it; can feel performative if you use it for routine acknowledgments.
“With appreciation”
When: When you want to acknowledge significant help or support in a more formal register than 'Thanks'.
Less common but perfectly appropriate for situations where someone went out of their way for you.
Casual sign-offs
Casual sign-offs are for people you work with regularly, internal colleagues, and any context where formality would feel out of place. They still need to be appropriate for a professional environment — just not stiff.
“Best”
The most common modern professional sign-off in the US. Short, warm, unfussy. Works for almost everything that doesn't require formality.
“Thanks”
Works whenever you're asking for something or wrapping up an action item. Simple and direct. Don't use it if you're not actually thanking them for anything.
“Thank you”
Slightly more complete than 'Thanks'. Good for when someone has done something concrete that you're acknowledging.
“Cheers”
Standard in the UK and Australia. Casual but professional in those contexts. Use carefully in the US where it reads as British affectation.
“Talk soon”
Good for closing a thread where you expect to speak again shortly. Makes the sign-off feel less final.
“Speak soon”
UK equivalent of 'Talk soon'. Both imply the conversation will continue.
“All the best”
Warm and friendly. Good for closing an email that doesn't need to continue, with someone you have a good relationship with.
“Take care”
Slightly warmer than 'All the best'. Can feel appropriate when someone has mentioned a difficult personal situation.
“Have a great week”
Contextual — works on a Monday or Tuesday. Feels strange on a Thursday afternoon.
“Looking forward to it”
Use only when there's something specific you're both looking forward to — a meeting, a project, a call.
Industry-specific options
Some fields have conventions around sign-offs that aren’t obvious unless you’ve worked in them. Here’s what I’ve seen actually used across different sectors.
Legal
Works well
- Yours faithfully (formal letters)
- Kind regards (most correspondence)
- Yours sincerely (when addressing by name)
- With thanks (for quick replies)
Notes
Never 'Cheers' or 'Best' in formal client correspondence. Some firms have a house style — check what senior partners use.
Medical / Healthcare
Works well
- Kind regards
- Best regards
- Yours sincerely (patient letters)
- With kind regards
Notes
Casual sign-offs in patient-facing communication feel out of place and can undermine trust. Stick to professional options.
Academic
Works well
- Best wishes
- Kind regards
- Thanks
- Best (in US academia)
- With many thanks (for significant assistance)
Notes
Academic culture varies by institution and country. US academia skews casual ('Best', 'Thanks'). UK academia is often more formal ('Kind regards', 'Best wishes').
Creative / Agency
Works well
- Thanks!
- Cheers
- Best
- Talk soon
- Excited to hear your thoughts
Notes
Overly formal sign-offs can feel incongruent in creative environments. Match the energy of the relationship and the brief.
Sales and Business Development
Works well
- Best regards (cold outreach)
- Thanks (follow-ups)
- Looking forward to connecting
- Looking forward to hearing from you
Notes
Don't use 'Warmly' or 'Warm regards' in cold outreach — it implies familiarity you don't have. 'Best regards' is safer for first contact.
Finance and Banking
Works well
- Kind regards
- Best regards
- Regards
- Yours sincerely (formal)
Notes
This sector skews formal. 'Cheers' and 'Best' are fine internally but can feel out of place in client communication, depending on the institution.
Sign-offs to avoid at work
These range from genuinely problematic to just mildly awkward. Some are fine in personal email — just not in professional contexts.
“Thx / Rgds / Thnx”
Text abbreviations in professional email signal that you couldn't be bothered to type two more characters. It reads as dismissive. The full word is four letters. Use it.
“XOXO”
Romantic and personal. Not for professional email under any circumstances.
“Blessings / Blessed”
Religious language in a business context can make recipients uncomfortable, regardless of your own beliefs. It introduces an implicit personal framework that not everyone shares.
“Namaste”
Culturally specific in a way that can feel affected or performative outside of contexts where it's genuinely appropriate. Stick to conventional professional options in most business email.
“Peace / Peace out”
Casual to the point of being out of place in any professional context unless you're 100% sure your recipient will read it the way you intend.
“Yours truly”
Technically fine, but sounds like a 19th-century letter. Most recipients will find it oddly formal or humorously antiquated. Stick to 'Sincerely' or 'Kind regards' for formal correspondence.
“Warmly (in cold outreach)”
'Warmly' implies an established relationship. Using it in a cold email — one where the recipient doesn't know you yet — is presumptuous. Save it for people who actually know you.
“Looking forward to your prompt response”
Reads as passive-aggressive pressure. If something is genuinely urgent, say so explicitly in the body of the email. The sign-off shouldn't do that work.
“Sent from my iPhone (left in by default)”
This isn't technically a sign-off, but it belongs here because it's so commonly left in. It implies you didn't customise your email at all. Turn it off in Settings.
Cultural differences: UK vs US vs Australia
Sign-off conventions vary meaningfully between English-speaking countries. What reads as normal in London can feel oddly formal in San Francisco, and what’s breezy in Sydney might raise eyebrows in a New York law firm.
🇬🇧United Kingdom
UK professional email tends to be slightly more formal than equivalent US email. 'Kind regards' is the workhorse of British professional correspondence. 'Cheers' is widely used internally and in established relationships — it's professional-casual rather than unprofessional. 'Best wishes' is common for warmer sign-offs. 'Yours sincerely' and 'Yours faithfully' are still used in formal letters.
Typical sign-offs
🇺🇸United States
US professional email is generally less formal than UK equivalents. 'Best' has become the dominant default across industries. 'Regards' is common in finance and law. 'Thanks' is used widely, even in relatively formal contexts. 'Cheers' is used but can read as affectedly British. 'Sincerely' is for formal correspondence only.
Typical sign-offs
🇦🇺Australia
Australian professional culture skews informal. 'Cheers' is more common in Australian professional email than in the UK, and significantly more common than in the US. 'Thanks' and 'Kind regards' are both normal. The overall tone of Australian business email tends to be direct and conversational — overly formal sign-offs can read as stiff.
Typical sign-offs
For cross-cultural professional email, “Kind regards” and “Best regards” are the safest choices — they read as professional in all three contexts without any cultural ambiguity. Also worth reading: the email signature etiquette guide covers how cultural differences affect the whole signature, not just the sign-off.
“Best” vs “Regards” vs “Thanks” — when to use each
These three are the most common professional sign-offs, and the choice between them matters more than most people think. Here’s the practical breakdown.
“Best”
“Best” is short for “Best wishes” or “All the best.” It’s warm without being effusive, professional without being stiff. It’s the most common sign-off in modern US professional email and is gaining ground in the UK and Australia.
Use “Best” for: most professional emails in established relationships, ongoing correspondence, and any context where you want to seem approachable without being casual. Avoid it for: initial contact with very senior people in formal industries, or anywhere that formality is expected.
“Regards” / “Kind regards” / “Best regards”
The “regards” family is the semi-formal backbone of professional email. Each variant signals a slightly different level of warmth: “Regards” is neutral, “Best regards” is slightly warmer, “Kind regards” is warmer still.
Use “Kind regards” for first contact with clients or senior contacts where you want to signal goodwill. Use “Best regards” for general professional correspondence. Use “Regards” alone when you want to be direct and professional without additional warmth — it can occasionally read as slightly cold, so reserve it for neutral-to-direct contexts.
“Thanks” / “Thank you”
“Thanks” is the most functional sign-off in the set. It works best when you’re actually thanking someone — for a reply, a favour, an introduction. It’s slightly odd when you’re not thanking them for anything, like when you’re sending them new information or making a request.
Use “Thanks” for: replies to someone who helped you, requests where you’re anticipating their help, and internal emails where brevity is appropriate. “Thank you” is slightly more formal and complete — better for genuine gratitude, worse for perfunctory closes.
Pairing your sign-off with your signature
Your sign-off and your email signature together create the close of every email you send. They should feel consistent — the same general level of formality, the same general tone.
A few combinations that work well:
Consistent: the sign-off and signature are both professional and clear.
Works: the brevity of 'Best' matches the stripped-down signature.
Fine for internal quick replies where full context already exists in the thread.
The part that trips people up most often is using a very formal sign-off with a casual, minimal signature — or the reverse, a breezy “Cheers” with a heavily formal signature block. It’s not a hard rule, but the inconsistency is noticeable.
If you’re building or updating your signature, the NeatStamp editor is free and generates clean, client-compatible HTML. The professional email signature guide covers what belongs in the signature itself, and the business email signature guide has examples by industry. For quotes in signatures (different from sign-offs), the email signature quotes guide is worth a read. And the email signature best practices guide pulls everything together.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most professional email sign-off?
For formal business emails, 'Kind regards' and 'Best regards' are the most universally appropriate. 'Regards' is clean and professional without being stiff. 'Sincerely' is safe but slightly dated in most contexts. The best choice depends on your relationship with the recipient — a close colleague gets 'Thanks' while a new executive contact gets 'Kind regards'.
Is 'Best' too casual for professional emails?
Not really. 'Best' has become the default professional sign-off in many industries, particularly in the US and in tech, consulting, and media. It reads as warm but professional. In very formal contexts (legal, senior government) or for a first contact, 'Kind regards' or 'Best regards' is safer. But for most modern business correspondence, 'Best' is fine.
What email sign-offs should I avoid at work?
Avoid anything overly casual that doesn't match the relationship ('Thx', 'XOXO', 'Later'), anything religious or spiritually loaded in a business context ('Blessings', 'In His grace'), and anything that sounds like an automated system ('Regards,' with no other context). Also avoid 'Warmly' for cold outreach — it's presumptuous.
Is 'Cheers' professional?
In the UK and Australia, 'Cheers' is widely used in professional contexts — it's informal but not inappropriately so. In the US, it reads as notably British and can feel slightly affected. If you're emailing within the UK or Australia, it's fine for most non-formal correspondence. For cross-cultural communication, 'Thanks' or 'Kind regards' is safer.
Should my sign-off match my email signature?
They serve different purposes, but they should feel consistent in tone. A formal sign-off ('Yours sincerely') paired with a casual, first-name-only signature looks mismatched. Your sign-off is the closing sentiment; your signature is the contact card. Make sure the formality level is roughly the same across both.
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