Other Ways to Say "Best Regards": Email Sign-Offs That Fit

The most common alternatives to "Best regards" are "Kind regards," "Best wishes," "Many thanks," "Warm regards," and, for close colleagues, "Cheers" or simply "Thanks." Choose based on two things: how formal the relationship is, and what the email is doing (thanking, requesting, or closing a deal).

A sign-off is a small detail that readers notice more than you might expect. It's the last thing they see before your name, and it subtly sets the temperature of the whole message. "Regards" alone can feel chilly after a tense thread; "Love" would be startling from a supplier. The list below ranks options from formal to casual so you can pick one that matches the email you've just written.

Quick answer: Safe for almost anyone: "Kind regards" or "Best regards." Warmer: "Warm regards" or "Best wishes." When you've asked for something: "Many thanks" or "Thanks in advance" (sparingly). Casual and internal: "Thanks," "Cheers," or "Talk soon." Formal letters: "Sincerely" (US) or "Yours sincerely" (UK/AU).

On this page

1. What "regards" means here
2. The sign-off ladder: from formal to casual
3. Example emails with matching sign-offs
4. More example lines
5. Mistakes to avoid
6. Sign-off vs signature block
7. Mirroring the other person
8. US vs UK vs Australia
9. Memory trick: "Temperature check"
10. Practice quiz
11. Related email phrasing
12. Pick one and stay consistent

What "regards" means here

In a sign-off, regards means "good wishes" or "respectful feelings," a sense that dates back to formal letter writing ("Give my regards to your mother"). "Best regards" therefore means "my best good wishes." It's a polite, neutral formula with no deep emotion behind it, which is exactly why it works in business.

Pronunciation is simple: "ri-GARDZ." The word is plural in this use. "Best regard" (singular) is a mistake.

Punctuation and capitalization

• Capitalize only the first word: "Best regards," "Kind regards," "With best wishes."
• Comma or no comma: Traditional style puts a comma after the sign-off ("Kind regards,"), then your name on a new line. Many British and Australian writers now leave the comma out in email. Both are fine; consistency matters more.
• Don't add a period after the sign-off: "Best regards." with a full stop looks odd.

The sign-off ladder: from formal to casual

Formal (letters, first contact, official correspondence)

The "Yours sincerely / Yours faithfully" rule is taught widely in the UK and Australia: use sincerely when you've named the recipient, faithfully when you haven't. In US usage the distinction isn't observed, and "Sincerely" covers both.

Professional and neutral (most work email)

Warm (people you know and like)

Casual (colleagues, friends, quick replies)

Context-specific sign-offs

When you close with a full sentence such as "I look forward to working with you," you can follow it with a short sign-off ("Best,") or just your name. For variations, see other ways to say "I look forward to working with you".

Sign-offs to use with caution

Example emails with matching sign-offs

A formal UK cover letter

Dear Ms. Harrington,

Please find attached my application for the role of Communications Officer at Leeds City Council...

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours sincerely, James Whitfield

A US client email

Hi Karen,

Attached is the revised proposal for the Columbus project, including the updated timeline we discussed. I've highlighted the changes on pages 3 and 7.

Happy to walk through it on a call this week.

Best regards, Michael Torres

An Australian internal email

Hi team,

Quick reminder that the office will close at 3 p.m. on Friday for the end-of-year barbecue. Please make sure your timesheets are in by Thursday.

Cheers, Kylie

A thank-you to a supplier

Hi Tom,

Thanks so much for rushing the order through. Everything arrived this morning in perfect condition.

Many thanks, Fiona

For more ways to express that gratitude in the body of the email, see other ways to say "Thank you for your help".

A sympathetic note

Dear Richard,

I was so sorry to hear about your father. Please take all the time you need; the team has your projects covered.

With sympathy, Laura

More example lines

1. "Kind regards, Siobhan" (a polite reply to an enquiry from a customer in Dublin)
2. "Many thanks, Ravi" (after asking IT for a password reset)
3. "Warm regards, Elena" (to a long-standing partner in Toronto)
4. "Have a lovely weekend, Gemma" (Friday catch-up with a colleague)
5. "All the best with the move, Pete" (to a contact relocating to Adelaide)
6. "Thanks again, Marcus" (follow-up after a helpful call)
7. "Best wishes for the new year, Hannah" (early January)
8. "Speak soon, Liam" (ongoing project with a regular contact)
9. "Respectfully, Major K. Lewis" (formal military correspondence)
10. "Take care, Ana" (to a colleague recovering from surgery)

Mistakes to avoid

• ❌ "Best Regards," (both words capitalized) ✅ "Best regards,"
• ❌ "Best regard," ✅ "Best regards,"
• ❌ "Kind regards." (with a period) ✅ "Kind regards" or "Kind regards,"
• ❌ "Yours faithfully" after "Dear Mr. Singh" ✅ "Yours sincerely" after a named recipient (UK/AU convention)
• ❌ Stacking: "Thanks, Best regards, Kind regards, Sarah" ✅ Pick one: "Many thanks, Sarah"
• ❌ Switching from "Kind regards" to "Regards" mid-thread for no reason. Readers may think you're annoyed. ✅ Keep your sign-off consistent unless you mean to shift tone.
• ❌ "Cheers" in a formal complaint. ✅ "Regards" or "Kind regards."

Sign-off vs signature block

People often mix up the sign-off and the signature. The sign-off is the short closing phrase ("Kind regards"); the signature block is the information underneath: your name, job title, organization, phone number and perhaps pronouns or office hours.

A few practical points:

• Type your sign-off by hand rather than building it into an automatic signature. That way you can change "Kind regards" to "Thanks so much" or "Take care" when the email calls for it.
• Don't repeat yourself. If your automatic signature already includes your full name, a sign-off plus your first name is enough: "Best regards, / Hannah," followed by the block.
• Keep the block lean. Name, role, company and one or two contact details are plenty. Long quotes, multiple logos and legal text in every reply make threads harder to read.
• Use a shorter version for replies. Most email apps let you set a full signature for new messages and a brief one (or none) for replies and forwards.

Mirroring the other person

When you're unsure how formal to be, a reliable habit is to mirror the sign-off the other person used, or go one step more formal. If a new client in Boston signs off "Best," you can reply with "Best" or "Best regards." If a manager in Leeds writes "Cheers, Mark," replying "Cheers" is natural.

Mirroring also helps you notice shifts. If a contact who always writes "Kind regards" switches to "Regards" after a disagreement, the cooler sign-off may be deliberate, and a warm, constructive reply can help reset the tone.

Group emails are the exception to mirroring. When you write to a mixed audience, such as a client, their lawyer and your own team, pitch the sign-off to the most senior or least familiar reader. "Kind regards" or "Best regards" is safer there than the "Cheers" you'd use with your teammates alone.

As a thread speeds up, both sides usually drop sign-offs altogether. That's normal. Bring one back when the conversation closes ("Thanks again, all sorted") or when the topic changes.

US vs UK vs Australia

Sign-offs are one of the clearest places where regional email habits differ.

• United States: "Best," "Best regards," "Thanks," and "Sincerely" are the staples. "Cheers" is used by some Americans but can sound affected or British. "Warmly" is popular in nonprofits and creative industries.
• United Kingdom: "Kind regards" is probably the default professional sign-off, with "Best wishes" a close second. "Many thanks" and "Cheers" are common. Formal letters keep the "Yours sincerely / Yours faithfully" distinction. Some writers drop the comma after the sign-off.
• Australia: "Kind regards" and "Cheers" dominate. "Cheers" is acceptable in a surprising range of professional contexts, including with clients you know well. "Thanks heaps" or "Thanks" also close many emails. Formal letters follow British conventions.

If you're writing to an international audience, "Best regards" and "Kind regards" are understood and accepted everywhere.

Memory trick: "Temperature check"

Think of sign-offs as a thermometer:

• Cold/formal: Yours faithfully, Respectfully, Regards
• Room temperature: Best regards, Kind regards, Many thanks
• Warm: Warm regards, Best wishes, Take care
• Hot/personal: Love, Hugs, XOXO

Match the temperature of your sign-off to the temperature of your email. A warm email with a cold sign-off sends mixed signals, and so does the reverse.

For the British formal pair, remember "Named = Sincerely, Faceless = Faithfully." If you know their name, you're sincere; if you're writing to a faceless "Sir or Madam," you're faithful.

Practice quiz

1. You're writing a formal letter to "Dear Sir or Madam" in the UK. Best sign-off? a) Yours sincerely b) Yours faithfully c) Cheers
2. Which is correctly capitalized? a) Best Regards b) Best regards c) best regards
3. You're replying to a colleague you work with daily in Sydney. Best sign-off? a) Respectfully b) Cheers c) Yours faithfully
4. You've just asked a supplier to rush an order. Best sign-off? a) Many thanks b) Love c) Regards (after a tense call)
5. You're writing a cover letter to a named hiring manager in Chicago. Best sign-off? a) Sincerely b) Ta c) Catch you later
6. A colleague is recovering from an operation. Best sign-off? a) Best b) Take care c) Thanks in advance

Answers

1. b — UK convention: unnamed recipient takes "Yours faithfully."
2. b — Only the first word of a sign-off is capitalized.
3. b — "Cheers" is natural and friendly in Australian workplaces.
4. a — Shows gratitude for the favor you've requested.
5. a — "Sincerely" is the standard US formal close.
6. b — Caring and appropriate to the situation.

Related email phrasing

A sign-off works best when the sentence above it also fits. Pair it with a closing line from other ways to say "Looking forward to hearing from you", and check the spelling conventions of your reader's country with our British vs American vs Australian spelling guide.

Pick one and stay consistent

You don't need a different sign-off for every email. Most people do well with a default ("Kind regards" or "Best regards"), a warmer option for people they know, and a casual one for teammates. Stick to those, capitalize only the first word, and save tone shifts for when you really mean them. A consistent sign-off becomes part of your professional voice, and readers will notice when you change it.