How to end a letter: 60+ letter closings and when to use each

What are the parts of a letter ending?

A letter ending is more than the sign-off. Merriam-Webster defines the complimentary close as the words, such as “sincerely yours,” that conventionally come immediately before the signature and express the sender’s regard for the receiver. Around it sit a closing sentence, your signature and name, and, in business letters, a few notations. Here they are in order, top to bottom:

• Merriam-Webster: complimentary close

What is a closing sentence in a letter?

It’s the last line of the body, just above the sign-off, and it does the real work of ending the letter. Purdue OWL says the closing paragraph of a business letter should restate the purpose and, in some cases, request some type of action. MIT’s Mayfield Handbook says to finish with a brief paragraph that both establishes goodwill and says what needs to be done next. The University of Iowa’s template offers three common examples: “Thank you for your time,” “I look forward to hearing from you,” and “Please reach out with questions or concerns.”

The Emily Post Institute adds two tips: stay friendly and brief, and don’t write “Thank you in advance,” which it calls presumptuous because it thanks someone for something they haven’t done yet. In a personal letter, Emily Post suggests ending on something positive your reader can relate to. Some closing sentences to adapt:

• Asking for action: “Please send the corrected statement by November 13, 2026.”
• Asking for a reply: “I look forward to hearing from you.”
• Offering help: “If you need anything else, you can reach me at (555) 010-0142.”
• Thanking for time: “Thank you for considering my application.”
• Thanking for something done: “Thank you again for driving Mom to her appointments this fall.”
• Looking forward with a friend: “Write back and tell me how the new job is going.”
• Making a plan: “Let’s pick a weekend in December when you’re back in town.”
• Offering comfort: “I’ll call on Sunday afternoon, and it’s fine if you don’t pick up.”

• Purdue OWL: Writing the basic business letter
• Emily Post Institute: Effective business letters

How do you punctuate and capitalize a letter closing?

Capitalize only the first word and put a comma after the closing. Purdue OWL gives “Thank you” as its example, and MIT says to capitalize the first letter of the first word and end the closing with a comma. So write “Best regards” rather than “Best Regards,” and “Sincerely yours” rather than “Sincerely Yours.”

The one exception is open punctuation, a less common business style. Purdue OWL says that if a colon follows the salutation, a comma follows the closing; with open punctuation you leave out both marks, so “Dear Ms. Patel” pairs with a bare “Sincerely” and no comma.

Spacing depends on the guide. Purdue puts the closing one line after the last paragraph and leaves four lines for your signature; MIT also leaves four lines between the closing and your typed name, while the University of Iowa template leaves three. In block format the closing starts at the left margin; in modified block it starts at the center of the page, lined up with the date.

• MIT Mayfield Handbook: Letters
• Business letter format

Formal letter closings

Use these for letters to people you don’t know, officials, and anything that may end up in a file. The Emily Post Institute calls “Sincerely,” “Sincerely yours,” “Very sincerely,” and “Very sincerely yours” the preferred endings for formal, social, or business correspondence, and MIT lists “Yours truly,” “Sincerely,” and “Sincerely yours” as common professional closings.

• Emily Post Institute: How to write and end a personal letter
• Cambridge Dictionary: (Yours) sincerely

Professional and business letter closings

These sit between formal and personal. The Emily Post Institute says “Kind(est) regards” and “Warm(est) regards” fill a nice gap between formal and more intimate closings, and that “Cordially” and its variations suit general business letters, especially when the writer and reader know each other. Purdue OWL notes that a plain “Regards” keeps more distance between you and the reader.

• Purdue OWL: Personal letters

Best regards vs. kind regards: what’s the difference?

Very little. Both are polite, semi-formal closings, and none of the style guides cited here ranks one above the other. The University of Iowa and UC Davis both list “Best regards” among standard closings, and the Emily Post Institute groups “Kind(est) regards” with “Warm(est) regards” as the bridge between formal and intimate closings.

In practice, “Kind regards” reads a shade warmer, because kind describes your feeling toward the reader, while “Best regards” reads more neutral. Plain “Regards” is the coolest of the three; Purdue OWL says it maintains a greater distance. If you’re unsure, use “Best regards” for someone new and “Kind regards” or “Warm regards” for someone you’ve already worked with. In a letter of complaint or a formal request, “Sincerely” is safer than any of them.

• University of Iowa Tippie College: Business letter template (PDF)

Warm and friendly letter closings

For friends, neighbors, and relatives you’re fond of but not effusive with. The Emily Post Institute names “Cordially,” “Affectionately,” “Fondly,” and “Love” as the most frequently used friendly closings, and suggests “As always” or “As ever” for someone you may not be close to or haven’t seen in a while. Purdue OWL adds that an occasion closing such as “Get well soon” or “Happy holidays” can create a sense of closeness.

• How to write a letter to a friend
• Holiday card messages

How do you end a letter with love?

For a partner, a child, a parent, or a best friend, choose the closing you’d say out loud. “Love,” works for nearly anyone you love; the longer forms add weight. Then sign with the name they call you.

• Open when letters

Sympathy and condolence closings

A condolence letter ends with comfort, not business. The Emily Post Institute’s sample sympathy note offers practical help and then closes “With deepest sympathy,” while its sample reply from a grieving family member closes with a plain “Sincerely.” Choose a close that carries your sympathy, and if you offered help in the letter, make the last sentence the specific offer.

• Condolence letter: how to write one
• What to write in a sympathy card
• Emily Post Institute: Sympathy notes and letters

How do you end a thank-you note?

Repeat your thanks or add a concluding thought, then close. That’s the fourth sentence in the Emily Post Institute’s four-sentence thank-you note, followed by a closing that matches the relationship: “Sincerely” for formal notes; “Best regards,” “Regards,” “All the best,” “Best,” “Respectfully yours,” or “Cordially” for professional and social ones; and “Yours truly,” “Warmly,” “Affectionately yours,” “With great affection,” or “With love” for personal ones. The Institute also says “Gratefully” is used only when a benefit has been received, such as a favor from a friend.

• Thank-you letter examples
• Emily Post Institute: Complete guide to writing thank-you notes

What can you write instead of “Sincerely”?

Pick by relationship, not by novelty. For a formal letter where “Sincerely” feels stiff, “Yours truly,” “Very truly yours,” or “Respectfully” keep the same register. For a business contact you know, “Best regards,” “Kind regards,” “Warm regards,” or “Cordially” sound friendlier. When you’ve asked for something, “Thank you,” or “With appreciation,” ties the close to the request. For people you’re close to, “Warmly,” “Fondly,” or “Love” say more than “Sincerely” ever could.

Whatever you choose, keep it to a word or a short phrase; the closing sentence above it is where personality belongs.

Which letter closings should you avoid?

These closings either send the wrong signal or look careless:

• “Thank you in advance,” which the Emily Post Institute calls presumptuous because it thanks the reader for something they haven’t done yet.
• “Best wishes” or “Cheers” on a complaint letter. Purdue OWL warns that these suggest a closeness that can undercut your message.
• “Love,” “Hugs,” or “XOXO” on anything that goes to an employer, a company, or an office, even if you know the person.
• “Yours faithfully” on an American letter to a named person. Cambridge Dictionary defines it as the mainly British close for letters beginning “Dear Sir” or “Dear Madam.”
• “Respectfully” on routine business letters. The Emily Post Institute says it signals subservience as well as respect, so save it for judges, officials, and clergy.
• Abbreviations such as “Rgds,” “Thx,” or “BR.” They read as a text message, not a letter.
• Two closings stacked together, such as “Thanks” on one line and “Sincerely,” on the next. Pick one.
• A closing that clashes with the letter, such as “Warmly,” at the end of a final payment demand.

How should you end different kinds of letters?

The right ending depends on what the letter is for. These are the usual choices; the linked guides cover each letter in full.

• How to write a complaint letter
• How to write a resignation letter
• Apology letter
• Condolence letter
• Thank-you letter
• How to write a letter to a friend
• How to write a letter to a judge
• How to write a letter to the President
• Demand letter
• To whom it may concern: when to use it

How do you sign off a letter: handwritten or typed signature?

In a formal letter, do both: the Emily Post Institute puts your handwritten signature below the complimentary close, followed by your typed name, and MIT places the signature above the typed name with four lines of space for it. Type your name exactly as you sign it, and add your title and company on the next lines only if they aren’t already in the letterhead.

Which name to sign depends on how well you know the reader. Emily Post suggests your first and last name for someone you’ve never met face to face and your first name or nickname for friends and business associates who know you, and it suggests adding your last name in parentheses if you’ve only spoken with the person by phone. In a personal letter, a handwritten first name with no typed name is normal.

For a letter you type and send as a file, you have three options: print it, sign in ink, and scan it; place an image of your signature above your typed name; or use your typed name alone. UC Davis’s Career Center says a handwritten signature is best on a cover letter, but a script-like font is acceptable if you can’t scan. If the recipient requires an original ink signature, as some legal and financial paperwork does, print it, sign it, and mail it yourself.

If you mail through IRIS, what you see in your PDF is what prints. A scanned signature or signature image prints as part of the page, and a typed name prints as typed; IRIS doesn’t add or hand-sign anything, and the result isn’t a wet-ink signature.

• UC Davis Career Center: Cover letters

When should you add a P.S.?

A P.S. is short for postscript, which Merriam-Webster defines as a note or series of notes appended to a completed letter. It goes below everything else, including the enclosure and copy lines, and starts with “P.S.”

In a personal letter it’s a pleasure: Purdue OWL lists it as part of a personal letter’s closing, and it’s a good spot for an inside joke, a recipe you promised, or “The photos are on the back.” In business letters, use it sparingly. The Emily Post Institute says a postscript should be initialed by the writer, notes it’s a common direct-mail sales tactic, and warns that with word processing it may signal that you didn’t organize your thoughts. If the point matters, move it into the body.

• Merriam-Webster: postscript

How do you add enclosure and cc lines?

Put them at the bottom of the last page, below your typed name and title, each on its own line. Purdue OWL says to type “Enclosures” below the closing, optionally listing each document by name. MIT gives three short forms, “Enclosure:”, “Encl.”, or “Enc.”, followed by the document’s name or the number of items, as in “Encl. (2)”, and says to mention each enclosure in the body of the letter too.

For copies, type “cc:” and each person’s name on a separate line, as MIT shows. The Emily Post Institute says “Copies to” works as well, lists the names alphabetically, and uses “Under separate cover” or “Separate mailing” for materials sent in another envelope. If someone typed the letter for you, their initials go above the enclosure line; Purdue says to leave them out if you typed it yourself.

With IRIS, every enclosure has to be a page in the same PDF, because IRIS can’t add physical items such as original documents or photos. Each order goes to one recipient, so a cc copy is a separate order to that person’s address.

• Purdue OWL: Writing the basic business letter
• MIT Mayfield Handbook: Letters

Letter closing examples

Three complete endings, each starting at the last paragraph. The names, addresses, and phone numbers are fictional.

Business letter ending:

Please confirm by November 13, 2026, whether the replacement unit can ship from your Columbus warehouse. If anything in the enclosed order history is unclear, you can reach me at (555) 010-0142.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

Dana Whitfield

Office Manager, Harbor Dental Group

Enclosures (2): Order history; Service report dated October 21, 2026

cc: Marcus Lee, Harbor Dental Group

Letter to a friend ending:

I’ll be home the week of December 21. Save me a Saturday for the farmers market and that terrible coffee you love.

Love,

Tess

P.S. I finally finished the scarf. It’s on its way in a separate box.

Condolence letter ending:

I’ll bring dinner over on Thursday around six and leave it on the porch unless you’d like company.

With deepest sympathy,

Rosa

Can IRIS mail the letter once it’s signed?

Yes, to a US address. IRIS Postal Forms is an independent print-and-mail service, not USPS. Save the finished letter, closing and signature included, as a US Letter-size PDF, upload it, enter your return address and the recipient’s address, and review the document, addresses, options, and total before paying. A one-page black-and-white letter is $3.20 with First-Class postage included; each added page is $0.20 in black and white or $0.40 in color, and no account or subscription is needed.

IRIS prints the letter rather than handwriting it, mails one recipient per order, and can’t enclose physical items. For letters you may need to prove you sent, such as a complaint or a demand, Certified Mail adds $6.95, for $10.15 on a one-page letter, with the USPS tracking number on your order page when it’s available.

• Mail a letter online
• Send a letter with Certified Mail
• How to fold a letter