Best Regards vs Yours Faithfully: When to Use Each Email Sign-Off

“Best Regards” signals warmth and is used when you know the recipient’s name. “Yours Faithfully” is formal, reserved for letters starting with “Dear Sir/Madam.”

People swap them because both feel polite, yet one fits a WhatsApp to your CEO and the other a blind job application. Mixing them up can make you look either stiff or oddly chummy.

Key Differences

Best Regards = personal contact, flexible. Yours Faithfully = impersonal, rule-bound. One greets by name, the other never does.

Which One Should You Choose?

If you addressed the person by name, end with Best Regards. If you began with “Dear Sir/Madam,” close Yours Faithfully—no exceptions.

Examples and Daily Life

Emailing a recruiter you met: “Dear Ms. Lopez, … Best Regards.” Cold cover letter: “Dear Sir/Madam, … Yours Faithfully.”

Can I use “Yours Faithfully” in the US?

Rare. Americans prefer “Yours Truly” or “Sincerely,” so reserve Faithfully for UK-style formalities.

Is “Kind Regards” safer than Best?

Slightly cooler, but still fine when you know the name. Stick to Faithfully for unknown recipients.

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