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.