Key takeaways
The best email sign off depends on who you are writing to and what you want from them, not on a single "safest" phrase.
"Best regards," "Kind regards," and "Thanks" cover most professional emails. Save "Sincerely" for formal letters and "Cheers" for people you already know.
Match the sign off to your closing line. A line that asks for something pairs naturally with "Thanks in advance" or "Thank you."
Skip abbreviations like "Thx," skip sign offs that sound pushy, and do not send a professional email with no sign off at all.
Most people think about the first line of an email and the subject line. The sign off gets about two seconds of thought, and then it is whatever you always type.
That is a missed chance. The last words are what the reader sees right before they decide to reply, and the closing sets the tone of the whole message. A warm sign off can soften a hard request. A cold one can make a friendly email feel curt.
This guide sorts email sign offs by situation, explains what the common ones signal, gives you funny options for friendly colleagues, and covers the mistakes to avoid. It ends with a full signature block you can copy.
How to End an Email: The Structure
A good email ending has three small parts, in this order:
- A closing line. One sentence that says what happens next or thanks the reader. "Let me know if Thursday works," or "Thanks for taking a look."
- The sign off. The short phrase before your name, such as "Best regards,".
- Your name and signature. Your name, then the details someone would need to reach you.
The closing line does more work than most people realize. If you ask for something, say so plainly and then let the sign off carry the tone. If you are writing the whole message from scratch and want help with the structure, the free email generator can draft the full email, closing included.
Email Sign Offs by Situation
Use this table when you do not want to think. Find the situation, take the sign off, and read the reason.
| Situation | Sign off | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Formal first contact | Kind regards, | Polite without sounding stiff or pushy |
| Cold email to a stranger | Best, / Thanks, | Short and low pressure, which suits an email they did not ask for |
| Follow-up after no reply | Thanks again, / Best, | Keeps the tone light so the nudge does not feel like a complaint |
| Thanking someone | With thanks, / Thank you, | Repeats the gratitude instead of burying it |
| Delivering bad news | Sincerely, / Regards, | Plain and respectful, no cheerful words after a disappointing message |
| Writing to your boss | Best regards, / Thanks, | Professional, with no fuss |
| Writing to a client | Best regards, / Warm regards, | Confident and friendly, which is what clients want |
| Writing to a professor | Sincerely, / Thank you, | Respectful and traditional, so safe in academic settings |
| Writing to a recruiter | Best regards, / Thank you for your time, | Courteous and shows you value their time |
| Coworker you know well | Thanks, / Cheers, / Talk soon, | Casual and natural between people who already talk |
| Asking for a favor | Thanks in advance, / Many thanks, | Signals appreciation before the favor is done (use it sparingly, see below) |
If you want deeper coverage of how to open the same email, see our guide on how to start an email.
Professional Email Sign Offs
These are the workhorses. You can use any of them in most work emails without a second thought.
- Best regards, The standard choice for work. Friendly, professional, and never wrong.
- Kind regards, Slightly warmer and a little more common in British English.
- Regards, Neutral and brisk. Fine for a quick exchange, but it can feel cold in a first message.
- Sincerely, Formal and traditional. Best for cover letters, formal requests, and letters of any kind.
- Thank you, A good fit when the whole email asks for something or follows a favor.
- Thanks, Short and friendly. The default for most daily work email.
- Best, Short, polite, and flexible. Very common in business and in cold outreach.
- Respectfully, Formal. Common with senior officials, in legal contexts, and in some academic settings.
- With appreciation, Warm and sincere after someone has helped you.
- Looking forward to hearing from you, A closing line that works well as a sign off when you want a reply.
Best Regards vs Kind Regards vs Sincerely vs Thanks
These four make up most of the real decisions. Here is what each one signals.
Best regards is the safe middle. It sounds friendly, it sounds professional, and it fits almost every work situation. If you only ever use one, use this.
Kind regards is a notch warmer. It reads as polite and considerate. In British English in particular it is a very common everyday choice.
Sincerely carries formality. It belongs in a letter, a cover letter, or an email to someone you want to treat with real respect. In a quick back and forth with a colleague it can feel stiff, like putting on a suit to go to the kitchen.
Thanks is casual and efficient. It tells the reader you appreciate their time and that you are not going to make them read a flourish. It is the right choice for the dozens of ordinary emails you send each week. It works best when you are actually thanking someone for something, so do not tack it onto an email where there is nothing to thank them for.
A simple rule: formal letter, use "Sincerely." Work email, use "Best regards" or "Kind regards." Everyday colleague email, use "Thanks" or "Best."
Email Sign Offs for Friendly and Casual Emails
When you already know the person, you can loosen up. These suit coworkers, long term clients, and friends.
- Cheers, Light and friendly. Works well between peers.
- Talk soon, Warm, and it implies a next conversation.
- Take care, Kind and personal. A good fit after a difficult week or when someone has shared bad news.
- Have a great weekend, Natural on a Friday, and it ends on a pleasant note.
- Thanks a lot, More relaxed than "Thank you."
- All the best, Warm and slightly more personal than "Best regards."
- Warmly, Soft and personal. Fine for clients you have known a while.
- Until next time, Friendly and a little playful.
- Looking forward to it, Good after you have agreed to meet or work together.
- Catch you later, Informal. Use only with people you speak to casually.
Funny Email Sign Offs
Humor in email is a risk, so keep it for people who share your sense of humor and for messages that are not serious. A good rule is that the joke should never be at the reader's expense.
- Yours in procrastination,
- Fueled by coffee,
- Powered by caffeine and good intentions,
- Out of office in spirit,
- May your inbox be small and your coffee be strong,
- Sent from my desk, under many deadlines,
- Humbly yours (and slightly overcaffeinated),
- Have a day as smooth as an empty inbox,
- Typing this with one eye on my calendar,
- Until the next meeting that could have been an email,
Test the waters first. A funny sign off to a stranger, a new client, or someone you owe an apology comes across as careless. A funny sign off to a colleague who jokes with you daily tends to land well.
Sign Offs for Specific Emails
Cold emails
When someone does not know you, keep the sign off short and low pressure. "Best," and "Thanks," are the safest. Avoid "Cheers" (it assumes familiarity) and anything that sounds like a demand. If you are writing a sequence of cold emails, our guide to cold email follow ups covers how the tone should change from the first message to the last. You can also draft one with the free cold outreach generator.
Follow-ups
A follow-up should sound easy to answer. "Thanks again," and "Best," keep the tone light. Avoid "Per my last email" and sign offs that carry a hint of irritation, like "Regards," after a pointed line.
Thank-you emails
Repeat the thanks in the sign off: "With thanks," or "Thank you again,". If you are writing after an interview, see how to write a thank-you email after an interview.
Bad news
Skip cheerful sign offs after a message that disappoints someone. "Sincerely," or "Regards," keeps the tone steady and respectful.
Resignations and formal notices
Use "Sincerely," or "Respectfully,". See our guide to a resignation letter and two weeks' notice for full examples.
Sign Offs to Avoid
- "Thx" and other abbreviations. They look rushed in a professional email.
- "Cheers" to a stranger. It can read as too casual, especially in the US.
- "Thanks in advance" when you demand something. Some readers hear it as "I assume you will do this." It works when you are politely asking, but not as a way to pressure.
- "Sent from my iPhone" with no real sign off. Edit the default, or add your name properly for work emails.
- "Warmest regards" to someone you barely know. It can feel too intimate.
- "Yours faithfully" in modern US email. It is a traditional British form used when you do not know the recipient's name, and it is much less common now.
- No sign off at all. In a first message or a formal one, ending abruptly can feel cold. In a quick chain of replies it is fine, because the conversation already has its own rhythm.
How to Write Your Email Signature
After the sign off, your signature gives the reader what they need to reply or find you. Keep it short.
Best regards,
Maya Chen
Marketing Manager, Brightline Studio
[email protected] | +1 555 0100
brightline.example
Illustrative example only. Keep these details to what is useful: your name, your role, one way to contact you, and your website. Skip long quotes, many social icons, and large images, which can break in some email apps. If you want a clean, ready-made layout, try the free email signature generator.
What This Guide Cannot Tell You
Email norms vary by country, industry, and company culture. A sign off that sounds warm in one office can sound stiff or too casual in another. If you are writing to someone in a different country or a very formal field, read a few emails they have sent to others and match their style. When in doubt, "Best regards," will rarely cause a problem.
Where to Go Next
If you are choosing a sign off, you are probably writing the whole email. These guides cover the other parts:
- How to start an email: the greeting and opening line.
- Alternatives to "I hope this email finds you well": better first lines.
- Writing emails with AI: how Writingful helps you draft and polish them.
- The free email subject line generator for the line that decides whether the email gets opened.
