Ending word in email

Wondering how to end an email politely and in a professional manner?

Read these 27 best ways to sign off an email to find out.

Here is what we’re covering:

• Why is the closing of a professional email important?
• What are some of the best and most common cold email sign-offs?
• Additional tips that will help you make your email signature stand out

Let’s get started.

Email Closing 101: Why is the Closing of an Email Important?

Before we dive into some of the best ways to sign off a professional email, let’s first elaborate on why the closing of an email is important.

Some of you might think that all that matters when sending out an email is the content of the email itself.

In other words, the body of text and the information you’re giving the email recipient is where you’d think the value is.

Although no one would argue that the content of an email is unimportant, we can definitely assert that the way you introduce yourself in an email, as well as the way you sign off, are equally important.

Your sign off salutation and the information you’ll be giving the recipient of your email can make a significant difference in terms of your email getting noticed and getting replied to.

Which is why we all send out emails, right?

Although we’d love to sign off with a “Ciao” more often – ciao sounds really cool! – a professional email closing requires us to be more considerate of how our emails will be perceived.

To cut a long story short, what you should keep in mind when signing off your emails is that certain sign-offs can lead to higher response rates.

What is an Email Closing Line and Do You Need It?

Sign-offs and closing lines are two terms that are often confused.

The professional closing line is the final sentence of your email that comes right before the sign-off.

It is usually used to sum up the email, thank the recipient, or provide a CTA (call-to-action) to provide clear next steps for the reader.

It is a good practice to include a closing line before the sign-off for two reasons:

• It makes you look more professional
• It acts as a failsafe ensuring that your recipient understood what it is that you wanted from them

An example of a closing line along with a sign-off is:

“Thank you for booking a meeting with me at 4PM tomorrow.

Looking forward to chatting with you,

[signature]”

Let’s now go through a list of email closings you should definitely consider using.

Formal Email Sign-Offs

Yours truly

A good email sign off is the “Yours truly,” line.

Use cases: Many argue that phrases like “Yours truly” – or the variation you see right below this sentence – might sound too formal and stiff, so avoid using them with regular email clients and people you have regular contact with.

Variations: Yours faithfully

Sincerely

Closing your emails with a word like “Sincerely,” is a polite and nice way to end an email.

It comes with a few variations you can read a little further down and it’s usually used when writing to people you don’t have regular communication with.

Use cases: You might want to use this word and its variations for professional emails, for example when sending a cover letter or proposal.  

Variations: Yours sincerely, Sincerely yours

I appreciate your feedback

A good sign off for emails that relate to asking for customer feedback or help from someone is the “I appreciate your feedback,” phrase.

Use cases: It can be used as an email closing sentence for an email to a colleague that’ll help you with polishing one of your tasks or to your manager who’ll review your work.

Variations: I appreciate your input, I appreciate your opinion, I appreciate your help

Thanks for your consideration

In sales and email marketing, you might find it useful to use the “Thanks for your consideration,” line sometimes.

Such a line basically gives you the opportunity to thank potential clients for giving you a chance to win them over and pitch your products and services to them.

Use cases: When you want to thank a potential client for considering using your services and products and hearing you out.

Author’s Tip: Make sure you use this closing line to your advantage by trying to get insight on the prospect’s decision and their future moves in relation to your potential collaboration.

Variations: Thank you for your time

Respectfully

“Respectfully,” is one of the most formal and professional email endings you’ll use.

This one is usually preferred when writing to government officials or members of institutions that hold a very high position.

Use cases: When writing a very formal closing for an email to someone with position and influence you’ve never spoken before.

Variations: Respectfully yours, Yours respectfully

Cordially

“Cordially,” is a friendly sign off that’s also polite and formal.

In other words, it’s a nice ending phrase for a formal correspondence but you want to make it sound cheerful and kind.

However, some might think it’s slightly outdated.  

Use cases: Business correspondence with personal undertones, useful when you’re not too sure how much formality you should go for.

Variations: Warmly

Informal Email Sign-Offs (That Can Be Used In Some Formal Communications)

Thanks

The most common, and usually one of the most appropriate email endings to use, is to sign off your email with a “Thanks,”.

Use cases: “Thanks” can be used as an email sign off when you actually want to thank someone for something they did.

Additionally, it’s a nice and polite way to close an email and makes it more likely that the email recipient will get back to you.

Variations: Thank you, Many thanks, All my thanks, Thanks so much

Author’s Tip: When it comes to professional emails, avoid using “Thx” – which is short for Thanks – because it’ll most likely come across as a way too informal sign off. Save thx for a personal email or text.

Best regards

The second email sign off that’s widely used in terms of closing formal emails is “Best regards,”.

Use cases: It works perfectly as an ending line for professional emails and it’s ideal for initial email communications.

Variations: Warm regards, Kind regards, Regards, Kindest regards

Author’s Tip: In terms of signing professional emails, steer clear from abbreviations like Rgds because your email will most likely sound far too informal.

Best wishes

Similar to the closing remark we’ve just looked at, “Best wishes,” is a good phrase to sign off your business email professionally with.

Use cases: There’s nothing unexpected about the phrase “Best wishes” as a closing line.  It can be used to end pretty much any professional email, business letters, as well as follow-up emails.

Variations: Warm wishes

Thanks in advance

A great and polite email sign off for both professional and personal emails is the “Thanks in advance,” line.

Use cases: When you want to thank someone in advance that you’ve just asked them to do in the preceding email.

Variations: Thank you in advance

Author’s Tip: When using phrases like this one, try to sound as  undemanding as possible.

Instead, try to actually show that you’re thanking someone who’s about to help you instead of showing that they should be obliged to help you.

Cheers

Similarly to ‘Thanks,’, “Cheers,” is a casual and friendly email ending word that’s widely used.

Use cases: When sending emails to colleagues or external collaborators you have a friendly, developed, and less formal relationship with.

Best

“Best,” is one of the most commonly used email endings.

Some argue that it’s actually become meaningless and cold.

However, we do think that, depending on the situation, it can still be relevant as a business email sign off.

Use cases: This email closing word, as well as its variations, can be used  – in most cases – interchangeably in pretty much all email communications as a safe bet when you can’t decide what else works.

Variations: All best, All my best, All the best

Hope to hear from you

“Hope to hear from you,” is a closing line that can be used when you’re expecting the recipient to write you back.

Use cases: When writing an email to a prospective client or collaborator that you’re keen to get a reply from.

Variations: Hope to see your reply soon, Hope to connect soon

Looking forward to hearing from you

Following from the previous email ending line, “Looking forward to hearing from you,” can also be used for emails that imply that an answer is desired.

Some might think that this line is a bit vague or even aggressive, but given that your email actually shows that there’s something in there that needs to be answered, this sign off can be a good fit.

Use cases: When writing an outreach email to a potential client or someone you’d like to collaborate with.

Variations: Looking forward to your response, Looking forward to hearing your thoughts

Thanks for your help

“Thanks for your help,” is a pretty self explanatory email ending line that’s used to thank someone for the time they’ve dedicated to helping you.

Use cases: When writing to a colleague that’s helped you out with something that might not be in your area of expertise.

Variations: Thank you for taking the time to help me/us, I appreciate you taking the time to help

Talk soon

A casual closing, “Talk soon,” is an ideal, friendly, and semi professional closing for an email to someone you have regular contact with because of your jobs.

However, it can easily be used for personal emails, too.

Use cases: When sending an email to a colleague or vendor you have a casual professional relationship with and are in regular contact.

Variations: Speak soon, Chat soon

Have a great week

Similarly, a closing like “have a great week,” is a friendly and casual phrase to end an email with someone you have regular contact with.

It’s a sign-off that’s perfectly balanced between being formal and informal.

Use cases: When sending emails to your colleagues, especially on the first days of the week.

Variations: Have a great weekend, Enjoy your week, Enjoy your weekend

Have a nice evening

The “Have a nice evening,” line is a friendly and cheerful option, usually used when sending emails in the morning or afternoon.

Use cases: You can use this sign-off to end an email with a colleague or external collaborator. It adds a personal touch and is great when they’ve shared with you that they have plans that night.  

Variations: Have a great evening, Enjoy your evening, Hope your evening goes well

Looking forward to seeing you there

Let’s say that you’re organizing a virtual or physical event and you’re reaching out to people to let them know.

In such a case, you could consider ending your email with a phrase that shows you’re wishing they will attend.

Use cases: When inviting a regular client or close colleague to a company event or meeting.

Variations: See you soon, See you there, Catch you then

With appreciation

There’ll be cases when you’ll need to show appreciation via email.

A polite and widely used way to do so is by using the closing “With appreciation,”.

In short, this closing is great when you want to show your appreciation in a direct but subtle way.

Use cases: When you want to express your appreciation to someone senior who’s gone out of their way for you.

Variations: Much appreciated

With gratitude

Similar to the closing we’ve just mentioned, “With gratitude,” is a phrase that shows gratitude and respect to your recipient.

Use cases: When you want to show gratitude to someone for something they did for you.

It might be used between two business associates that don’t know each other well, for example.

Variations: Grateful for your time/help/advice

Do not hesitate to contact me (if you have any questions or concerns)

The “Do not hesitate to contact me,” ending line shows the recipient that you’re at their disposal for anything they might need after they receive your email.

It underlines the fact that you’re open and will be available for any help or questions they might have.

Use cases: You can consider using this one when communicating with your employees or vendors to show that you’ll be available to help them in case they have questions about a task you’ve assigned them.

Variations: Don’t hesitate to ask any questions, Here to answer any questions

I truly appreciate your gesture

“I truly appreciate your gesture,” is an appreciation email sign-off that includes a personal tone, although it could be used for business purposes as well.

Use cases: This sign-off is ideal for expressing appreciation to someone who did a nice and thoughtful thing for you, like sending a gift or making a referral.

Variations: I truly appreciate your words, I truly appreciate your feedback, I truly appreciate you thinking of me

Keep up the good work!

Here’s a truly motivational email signoff that might just make the recipient’s day.

“Keep up the good work,” is a fantastic ending line that shows appreciation for someone’s hard work.

Use cases: This ending line can be successfully used from an employer to an employee that’s giving their best self at work.

Variations: You’ve done great with this! Great work, keep it up!

Casual Email Sign-Offs

Take care

“Take care,” is yet another widely used email closing phrase.

Use cases: It’s a great, casual closing line for a friend or familiar colleague.

However, it should be avoided for business emails because it can be considered too intimate.

Variations: Look after your

Have a good one

A good way to finish an email with a friendly tone is by using the closing “Have a good one,”.

Although it’s not formal, it can definitely be used amongst co-workers.

Use cases: When sending a friendly email to your work partner, particularly when you know they have a challenge or task to work on.

Variations: Have a good day ahead, Enjoy your day

xoxo

Ok, we know that this one is not for professional emails but we couldn’t resist mentioning it.

“xoxo!”

A sign off that sends hugs and kisses, it might be accompanied by emoticons and gifs and should be kept for communications that are personal and informal.

Put another way, keep xoxo for people you’re close enough to actually kiss and hug with.

Use cases: Only between close friends, family members, and loved ones.  Too informal for anything else!

Variations: xxx,

6 Tips to Help You Create an Email Signature that Stands Out

An email signature is like a standardized email template that people use to sign off their emails.

Email signatures are mostly used in professional email communications and usually include essential contact information.

There is no single “right way” to build a signature, but let’s break down some important tips that’ll help you create an effective email signature that stands out.

Tip #1: Make sure to include your full name

The first tip we have for you in terms of your email signature is to include your full name.

Your full name should go right under the body of your email.

Have a look:

Including your full name is a must for the first time you’re communicating with someone.

Although it’s not necessary to sign off with your full name when you’re having regular email communication with someone, or when exchanging emails with a close friend, your full name must be part of your professional email signature.

Here’s our second tip.

Tip #2: Make sure to include your contact information

The second tip we have for you is to make sure to include your contact information.

A default email signature includes all necessary contact and personal information that’ll give the recipient alternative communication routes in case they’d prefer to get back to you in ways other than email.

This is helpful because people might prefer having phone calls or sending letters.

For that reason, you should consider including information like your phone number, fax number, alternate email address, and your work address if it’s a professional correspondence.

Let’s now move on to the third tip.

The third tip we have for you is to include your social media account links in your email signature.

Similar to what we’ve already discussed about including contact information that’ll help the email recipient contact you in alternative ways, your social media accounts might do exactly that.

People love to stay connected on social media with people they have personal or a professional relationship with, so make sure you include some of your social media account information.

It can be your Linkedin and Twitter profiles for professional email correspondence.

Here’s how your email signature with links to your social media accounts might look like:

As simple as that.

Moving on to the next tip.

Tip #4: Provide the email recipient with your job title

Alongside your social media profiles and other contact information, it’d be great to provide the email recipient with your job title.

Exactly like shown in the snapshot below:

Again, this tip mostly applies to first time professional emails.

Knowing your job title or job position within a company is very helpful for someone receiving your email.

Additionally, it might play a significant role in terms of the response rate of your emails.

In other words, your job title might make it more likely that the recipient will send you back a more appropriate response.

Have a look at the second to last tip in terms of creating your email signature.

Tip #5: Stay away from ‘Sent from my iPhone’ types of sign offs

A rather important tip we want to share with you is to avoid using email sign offs that indicate the type of device you used to send your emails from.

This basically means that you need to dedicate some time to deactivating automated sign offs that might come with your device or certain apps, that’ll show the recipient the type of device you used to write and send your email.

Although some say that a ‘sent from my iPhone’ line helps them justify potential typos, we stick to our conviction that such lines are unnecessary pieces of information no one really needs to know about.

Keep reading to check out our last email signature tip.

Tip #6: Keep your email signature short and simple

The last tip we have for you when tailoring your email signature is to keep it short and simple.

You can use a company logo or a graphic if you want to, but your email signature should overall be short and as minimal as possible.

The most important thing to remember is to include the pieces of information the recipient needs to know about you and that should be enough.

Let’s wrap this post up with a few final comments and a question for you.

Now Over to You

There you have it.

You now know everything about ending an email in a professional manner, so that you can always make a positive impression.

If you need help streamlining your email outreach campaigns, don’t hesitate to start your 7-day free trial with Respona to see how we can help!

[Update]: This article was updated on November 16, 2022.

You’ve just finished composing a perfect email. Double-checked for any errors or typos. Simply put, you’ve created a well-composed piece of art. And then, you get blocked by the shortest and, in theory, easiest email part – the email ending phrase.

What is an email sign-off?

An email sign-off (in other words, an email ending or email closing) is a short phrase that you add at the end of an email, right above your email signature. The closing phrase shows where your message ends and is one of the primary elements of netiquette (the etiquette for the Internet). It is an indicator of your manners and can clearly highlight your expectations. Without email endings, your messages might be seen as unfinished. In short, it’s important.

Best practices for ending emails

1. Keep your sign-off consistent with your email style – writing a formal email and ending it with “Bye!” would be confusing to say the least. Similarly, sending an informal email with the ending phrase “Your sincerely” is simply off.
2. When in doubt, imitate – using the same sign-off as the person who emails you is the safe option. There’s nothing wrong with playing it safe. Unless the sender chooses something really strange as their closing phrase and it would be awkward to re-use it.
3. Drop a sign-off in a thread – as long as you don’t take three business days to answer each email, not every single reply requires a sign-off. While email wasn’t meant for instant messaging, it is often used this way. There is no need to add beginning and ending to every reply in quick-exchange conversations.
4. Add a personal touch – you probably don’t have time to think about how to make each email unique. That’s why in most cases you might be using plain, boring sign-offs that suit every situation. However, from time to time, you can add a personal touch, for example, by writing “Thank you for (insert the specific reason)” or “Have a nice trip” when you know someone is about to take one.

5 bad practices (or which email endings NOT to use)

It doesn’t matter if you write a formal email to a professor or an informal email to your friend, there are email sign-offs that are generally a bad idea.

1. Sent from my iPhone – a truly cringeworthy sign-off. It’s been made fun of; organizations look for ways to automatically get rid of it, but still it persists. In general, for the recipient, it doesn’t make any difference if you are emailing from an iPhone, Android, toaster, or a flying saucer, as long as they get the message.
2. “Always look on the bright side of life” – or any other quote, motto, or a joke. If the recipient likes the quote, they might enjoy the first time they see it. Later on, it becomes just an unnecessary and annoying space filler, no matter how great “The Life of Brian” (or any other quote source) was.
3. Thank you in advanced – this, together with a lot of other permanently misspelled sign-offs might trigger your recipient. It’s like reading about “updatations”.
4. ASAP – if you’re in a hurry, need a lightning-fast response and, in general, a lot depends on a quick reaction, there’s nothing wrong with letting your recipients know about that. But even when the issue’s priority is high, ending an email with a clean ASAP is a bit too much.
5. Waiting for a positive response – the phrase itself might be considered OK in the right context. The problem is, it is usually preceded with an offer that can and, in most cases, will be refused. This email ending itself definitely doesn’t improve chances of an actual positive response.

Universal email sign-offs

The ending phrases from the list below should work in most scenarios:

1. Best/All best/All the best/Best wishes – one of the most neutral options for ending an email.
2. Thank you in advance – it’s a nice option if your email contains a request. Apart from showing good manners, it might be super helpful if your recipient misses the point of you needing something from them.
3. Let me know if you need anything else – a bit wordy but still a great way to finish off a conversation in which you provided some assistance.
4. Hope it helps/Let me know if it helped – it’s a great option right after you give someone instructions on how to fix something.
5. Much appreciated/Thank you for your time – if someone helped you, it is far better to thank them than to end with a generic “Best regards”.
6. Thanks – simple but works in almost any situation.
7. Have a great weekend/vacation/etc. – you won’t always be able to use it, but this level of personalization proves that you care and listen to others. Just don’t use ”Have a great life”.
8. Stay tuned – suitable for both formal and informal emails if you want others to expect follow-ups or some big news coming.

Formal phrases to end an email

Formal email closings are the ones you should use when you contact someone for the first time, don’t know them in person, or you’re not quite sure about what to use. Remember, you don’t necessarily need to use formal options in business emails – again, context is everything.

1. Regards/Best regards/Kind regards – all those options are pretty much universal for email sign-offs. Formal, but not too formal, you can pretty much use them in any email.
2. Sincerely/Your Sincerely/Sincerely Yours – much higher in the official ranking. In most situations, it might be considered as too official, archaic, or reserved for snail mail.
3. Respectfully – the super formal email closing variant.
4. Looking forward to hearing from you – that’s a nice way of saying you can’t wait to get a reply.
5. Awaiting your response – the colder variant of the sign-off above. You will usually see it in follow-ups.

Informal email endings

Like mentioned before, informal email endings might appear in business correspondence. Usually, there’s nothing wrong with keeping conversation casual, especially if your recipient is not a complete stranger and, preferably, is around your age.

1. 😁, ;] – some people 💗 to end their 📧 with an 😊, 😅, 🤗 or other emoji. It’s quite 👍 for informal messages. Just remember that some people simply prefer words. Too many emoticons might make them go (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
2. Cheers – one of the most common informal email endings. It doesn’t get simpler than this.
3. Take care – usually reserved for the end of a conversation, when you know that all you meant to discuss on a particular subject has been discussed.
4. Warm regards/Warmest/etc. – the raised temperature makes this sign-off less formal than simple “Regards”. Warm seems to make this ending more emotionally charged.
5. WDYT? (what do you think?) – for your recipient, it’s a clear indicator that their opinion is expected. Without it, some emails are likely to be read, archived, and forgotten. The abbreviated version is more suitable for colleagues than business contacts.

Private correspondence sign-offs

This section is different from the one on the informal email endings above as the suggestions below won’t work for business emails.

1. Love/Hugs/Lots of love/XOXO – there are a lot more variations; all of these emotionally charged closings are nice when you’re emailing someone very close to you.
2. Thx – expressing gratitude and appreciation is a good practice. However, to use this option, you need to know the recipient pretty well.
3. Let’s kick some ass! – such references to a… healthy competition might inspire and boost morale. This one, however, might be considered as a bit too informal or straight offensive. Make sure to read the room before you send such a sign-off to anyone.

Professional email endings

Like I’ve already mentioned, it’s not the formal or informal style which makes a sign-off suitable for professional business correspondence. Depending on the context, you can use any sign-off from the Universal, Formal, and Informal groups. That’s why I’ve saved this part for alternative ways to use the ending phrase in your email.

1. If you want to schedule a meeting with me, click the Book now button in my email signature – a modern email signature has evolved from a simple line with your name in it to something much useful. One of the ways in which it can be used is making scheduling meetings easy. Mentioning this fact in your sign-off shows your recipient that the button is the preferred way to contact you.
2. You can find more helpful articles on my blog (check the link in my signature) – your email signature can contain a direct link to any external source. Pointing it out might be helpful when someone is not expecting such information in email signature.

There are lots of different ways in which email signatures might be used. Be careful, though. If you add a complete email signature with marketing banners, social media buttons, customer satisfaction surveys and so on to each email, the actual content of the conversation might become overflowed with signatures. A good way to prevent this is to use different signatures for the first and consecutive messages.

Unique email sign-offs

“Unique email endings” are the phrases that you probably won’t see very often. I’ll list these less popular sign-offs together with the most probable explanation for why they haven’t taken over the world of email.

1. V/R (“Very Respectfully”) – although I’ve seen someone trying to use it as “Virtual Regards”. This case is quite strange as it’s a very formal ending, made vastly informal by abbreviating it. Also, the simple fact that most people need an explanation of what it means makes it unlikely to become a go-to email sign-off.
2. Rgds – the lazy version of Regards. Theoretically, everyone should understand what it means. Unfortunately, recipients might wonder how much time is saved by typing three letters less.
3. Your faithfully – an extremely rare sighting in emails. In standard letters, it is the sign-off reserved for formal letters when you don’t know the recipient’s name. There’s nothing wrong with using it in an email if the context is right.
4. To infinity and beyond! – OK, I’ve never seen this one in real life, and it would fall under the quotes category, but I’m (unsuccessfully) trying to convince myself that it could work for an occasional informal email.
5. MfG (Mit freundlichen Grüßen) – it’s actually a very popular email ending, but not for emails written in English. What I especially like about it is that 90% of emails I’ve received in German have this exact closing phrase. Still, I admit it may be a statistical anomaly because I haven’t received that many emails in this language…
6. If I don’t make any sense, blame the autocorrect – I find it (and all the other tributes to autocorrect or fat fingers) a better alternative than “Sent from my iPhone”, but still, if you have time to be this verbose, you should also be able to scan the whole email for typos and autocorrect fails.

Email sign-offs vs email signatures

An email sign-off is not the same as an email signature or a disclaimer. Although they usually come together, they serve different purposes.

1. Email sign-offs still count as the middle of an email body. Netiquette aside, they make the email content whole. Often, without an email closing, a message looks incomplete, and the recipient might wonder if the email was actually finished.
2. Email signatures serve other important purposes, the most important ones being to identify the sender and give some extra information about them. But they also carry the branding value, make emails compliant with corporate identity, can be used for various marketing activities, include scheduling/meeting links, or collect customer feedback. If you want to create your own professional email signature, you can use our free email signature generator.
3. Email disclaimers are the “legal mumbo-jumbo thingies” at the bottom of an email. While their legal effectiveness has been put in doubt on numerous occasions, there are situations in which they are required for business communication. Still, nothing can excuse an disclaimer being a two-page long essay, especially when added to a three-word long email. See some good email disclaimer examples

If you don’t want to worry about the email closing each time you compose your message, you can add one of the neutral examples to your automatic email signature, just above the signature itself.

Read more

• How to add email signatures in Outlook for Microsoft 365 and Outlook on the web
• Create a professional HTML email signature for free
• See our email signature tools

How to End an Email — The Good, Bad and Ugly

Have you ever received a well-written email, only to cringe when you read the ending? When worded in the wrong way, it may as well change your mind about the entire email. Needless to say, how you end your email is just as important as its content.

From the Military to Academia, there are countless examples of strictly followed email sign-offs. For example, in the Military it is recommended to use “Very respectfully” to someone above your rank, and “Respectfully” for someone who is below your rank.

But, don’t worry! We will show you how to end an email whether it is a business email or a casual one with examples in this guide. Here’s how to end an email in the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Let’s get started!

The Good

How To End A Formal Business Email

While there are many ways to close out a formal or professional email, here are a few endings that will always hit the right spot:

• Best regards —
  This is a closing statement that senders use in formal business emails. Therefore, it is always expected and has always worked great when it comes to showing genuine concern and connection for the mail recipient.

• Best wishes —
  When thinking of how to end a letter or an email, this closing always comes to mind. It is the perfect combination of formality and friendliness, showing the recipient that you are professional, yet approachable.

• Sincerely —
  Is there a better way to state your true intentions? “Sincerely”, is a word that says it all! It is the right tone for formal correspondence but may sound a bit too stuffy when used in any other type of email.

6 Additional Examples to End A Formal Business Email

In addition to the above, you can also use the following to end a formal email:

1. Thanks in advance
2. I appreciate your help
3. Thanks for your consideration
4. Let me know if there are any issues
5. Will follow up with some more information soon
6. Respectfully

How To End Friendly or Casual Business Emails

These are the kind of emails that you send to close friends, family, or acquaintances. Therefore, a professional tone is not a requirement. However, these endings will always communicate your love and affection:

• Cheers —
  “Cheers” is always an appreciated way to end a friendly email when you need a response. After all, it takes two (or more) people to make a toast.

• Love always —
  This is a genuine way to showcase love, affection, and concern to the reader of your email. It offers reassurance as your contact will know how you feel about them when they read the email.

• Best —
  This is the perfect substitute for the phrase “best wishes”, which comes off more formal. By ending your email with the word “best”, you will sound fun and playful. However, this ending is only for addressing those that you are familiar with.

8 Additional Examples to End A Casual Business Email

There are so many ways in which you can end a casual business email as you are familiar with the recipient. Some other commonly used ways to end a casual business email are:

1. Have a great [Weekend/Holiday/vacation]
2. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need any help
3. Good luck with [Meeting/Presentation/Project]
4. Thanks
5. Warm Regards
6. Happy [Day]
7. See you around
8. Many thanks

The Bad

How Not To End An Email

Here are a few email closings to avoid for both formal and friendly emails:

• “Thnxs”, “Ty” or “Rgrds” —
  Need we say more? Honestly, if you cannot spell out the word “thanks” and “regards” in full, then you are better off not sending the email altogether. Remember, an email is not a conversation app. Always write your words in full.

• Jeff (- [your name]) —
  The idea to end a business email with your first name or initials may seem innocent, but it is often associated with being detached and cold.

• Looking forward to hearing from you —
  Well, this email closing is for both formal and casual emails. While it may sound nice to read, the reality is that it is passive-aggressive. It lets the email recipient know that they must write back and they have no other option.

• Yours truly —
  For hopeless romantics, this may sound like a natural thing to say at the end of an email. But imagine how absurd it sounds when used in a business email or a casual email to your friend. Actually, you do not belong to anyone, let alone your email recipient. So it’s best to avoid this one altogether.

The Ugly

Onto the last picks…These are the worst email endings that you could ever come across:

• Writing nothing at all —
  Excluding an email signature conveys that you do not consider the email as important, or you were too busy or rather lazy to include a closing statement. By choosing not to end an email, you are leaving it open to interpretation, something that you do not want to do.

• An initial —
  Although an initial represents your name, it comes off as detached and unconcerned, especially when you are corresponding for the first time.

• Sent from my {name of device} —
  You may want to show off your type of device but it is not advisable to do so when ending an email. In fact, using a default email signature shows that you could care less about the reader since you could not even take time to amend the signature.

5 Additional Bad Examples of How to End An Email

Adding to the list of bad examples of how to end an email, we have:

1. See ya later
2. XOXO
3. Using any emoji
4. Peace out!
5. Closings with religious overtones

The Bottom Line

Regardless of the person receiving your email; your boss, colleague, friend, parents, or spouse, we all want to showcase ourselves in the best possible way. Knowing how to end an email in the right way will always set you apart.

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This is a list of the most important phrases for closing a wide range of different formal and informal emails. Each section is organised in approximate order of usefulness, with the most useful phrases of all underlined.

A big list of useful phrases for the whole of emails and intensive practice are available in the e-book Teaching Emailing: Interactive Classroom Activities.

This article is part of a series on useful emailing phrases:

1. The 100 most useful phrases for starting emails
2. The 100 most useful emailing phrases
3. The 100 most useful phrases for ending emails
4. 100 common mistakes with starting and ending emails
5. Differences between British and American emails
6. Cultural differences in emailing 

The most useful email closing lines

Closing lines talking about the next contact between you

Closing lines when you need a reply

1. I’m looking forward to hearing from you (soon).
2. I look forward to hearing from you (soon).
3. Looking forward to hearing from you (soon).
4. Please let me know if that’s okay/ if that is acceptable with you/ if that sounds okay/ if you can/ if you can help/ if you need an extension/ if you need to reschedule/ if…
5. Please let me know what you think/ when might be a good time/…
6. Look forward to hearing what you think/ getting your input/…ing…
7. We look forward to receiving your documents/ application/ permission/…

Closing lines offering more communication/ more help (if needed)

1. If you need any more information, please contact me.
2. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me (at any time).
3. If you have any questions, please let me know.
4. If you have any more questions, just let me know.
5. (In the meantime) if you need any more information, please feel free to email me.
6. If you need any more info, just drop me a line.
7. Please phone my mobile if you get lost/ if you have any trouble with…/ if…
8. Please phone at any time if you need/ if you have any questions about…/ if…
9. Please get in touch if you need any (more) help with this.
10. Please let me know if there’s anything (else) that I can do to help.
11. If anything about that isn’t clear, please drop me a line.
12. If you have any further problems, please do not hesitate to contact me.
13. If anything isn’t clear, just let me know.

Other closing lines mentioning the next contact between you

1. I’m looking forward to seeing you then.
2. I look forward to meeting you then.
3. See you on Monday/ next week/ on…/ next…/ then.
4. Hope we have the chance to meet again soon.
5. I hope we have the opportunity to meet again soon.
6. Speak to you soon/ then/ on Monday/ next…/ on…./ later.
7. I look forward to doing business with you again soon.
8. I hope you can come.
9. Hope you can come!
10. Can’t wait to see you again!
11. Keep in touch!
12. Write soon!
13. (I’ll phone you…/ Will write again…) Speak to you then.

Closing lines for (big) requests

1. Thanks (in advance).
2. Thank you (in advance).
4. Any help you can offer me with this would be greatly appreciated.
5. Any feedback you can give me on this would be gratefully accepted.
6. Any assistance you could give me in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
7. Any help at all would be much appreciated.
8. Thanks a lot.
9. Thanks a million.
10. Thank you in advance for your assistance (in this matter).

Closing lines for instructions/ commands/ orders

1. Thank you for your cooperation.
2. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Closing lines with apologies/ Closing lines when responding to complaints

1. I hope that is acceptable with you.
2. Hope that is okay (with you).
3. Once again, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused/ for the inconvenience caused/ for the delay/ for…
4. Thanks for your patience./ Thank you for your patience.
5. Thank you for your understanding.
6. Sorry about the complications.
7. Sorry this is taking so long to sort out.
8. Sorry for any trouble caused.
9. We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused.
10. Sorry for the delay (in arranging this/ in…).
11. As I said, really sorry about all that/ about….

Social closing lines/ Friendly closing lines

1. Have a good evening/ day/ weekend/ break/…
2. Hope you have a good vacation/ journey home/…
3. Hope you have the chance to enjoy the nice weather/ the cherry blossom/ the holiday/…
4. Good luck with….
5. All the best with…
6. Send my love to John./ Say “Hi” to John from me./ Please send my (best) regards to John.

Other useful closing lines

1. Thanks again (for bringing this matter to my attention/ for your interest in…/ for…).
2. Hope that helps.
3. I hope that is some kind of help.
4. Sorry I couldn’t be more help.
5. (I) hope that answers all your questions/ that’s clearer now/ that’s some help/ that meets with your approval/ that…
6. Does that sound okay?
7. Sound okay?

Useful closing greetings for emails

1. Best regards
2. Sincerely yours
3. Sincerely
4. Yours
5. Best wishes
6. Regards
7. All the best
8. Bye for now
9. Take care
10. Kind regards
11. Yours sincerely
12. Yours faithfully
13. Best
14. Hugs and kisses
15. Lots of love
16. XXX
17. ATB
18. BR
19. BW
20. See you
21. CU
22. XOXO
23. Yours truly
24. Cheers

Different ways of writing your name at the end of emails

1. Alex Case
2. Alex
3. Alex Case (Mr)
4. A.M.Case (Mr)
5. Al
6. A
7. (nothing)

Here are the basic rules for starting and ending correspondence:

START	END
Formal Dear Sir, Dear Madam, Dear Sir or Madam,	Formal Yours faithfully, (UK) Sincerely (yours), (US) Yours truly, (US)
Formal / Standard Dear Mr Smith, (UK) Dear Ms Smith, (UK) Dear Mr. Smith: (US) Dear Ms. Smith: (US)	Formal Yours sincerely, (UK) Sincerely (yours), (US) Yours truly, (US)
Informal Dear John, John	Standard / Informal In order of formality: Kind regards, Best regards, Best wishes, Regards, Best,

Note that in UK English, if you start with Dear Sir or Dear Madam, you should end with Yours faithfully. But if you use the person’s name, you should end with Yours sincerely. This rule may seem arbitrary, but it is one of the rules of formal letter writing that is widely known in the UK; therefore I recommend you stick to it. However, there is no such strict rule in the US.

Email writing is generally less formal than letter writing, but it is still a good idea to maintain a degree of formality in business correspondence, especially if you’re writing to someone you do not know. In such a case I would recommend starting an email with a phrase from the first two rows in the table above, but ending it with a phrase from the third row.  When you know the person you’re emailing — or have corresponded before — it is fine to use a starting phrase from the third row as well.

Here are some example closing sentences for emails:

I look forward to hearing from you.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

I look forward to receiving your reply.

I look forward to seeing you.

I look forward to meeting you.

I look forward to speaking to you on this matter.

I look forward to a successful working relationship in the future.

Please let me know a convenient time for us to meet / for me to call you.

If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I will let you know more details as soon as I have them.

Please feel free to call me any time on my mobile: 0099 999 999 999

I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.

As this matter is urgent, I would be grateful for a swift response.

For more information on writing emails see: How to start emails