Looking at Closures to Letters, or “How Do I End a Letter?”

Have you ever finished writing a letter to someone—whether for personal, professional, or academic reasons—and found yourself stumped at the right way to finish it? If so, you certainly aren’t alone. Selecting the right closure can sometimes be an uncertainty.

That’s because how you conclude a letter says something about yourself, your relationship to the other person, and even your command of American English grammar. In today’s post, we’ll explore some of the most popular ways to end a letter, along with some tips on when they may be appropriate.

The Best Ways to End a Letter

Here are some of the leading letter closures (or closings) you might apply:

Sincerely
While being somewhat generic, this closure reinforces that you’ve meant what you’ve written. It’s warm and familiar without being overly personal, making it a good everyday choice.

Yours Truly
As with sincerely, a yours truly sign-off is polite without being personal. It also can be appropriate for a wide range of recipients.

Respectfully
This closing carries a tone of formality to it. The literary equivalent of a slight nod, it can be a great fit when delivering bad news or following up with someone who is considered a bit higher on the social or corporate ladder (or sees themselves as such).

Best Wishes
This is a simple and friendly way to end a letter that doesn’t give away too much. It simply suggests that you want nothing but good things for the recipient, which can make it a nice choice for both personal and professional correspondence.

Kind Regards
This letter ending is very similar to best wishes but perhaps a bit more formal and distanced. Because it doesn’t suggest any sort of closeness or affection, it is appropriate for a wide range of recipients and situations.

I Look Forward to Hearing from You
This closure is typically used in business settings because it indicates that a response will be expected if not required. If you’re writing to a colleague, partner, or vendor and you need an answer, this is a good way to end your letter.

Thank You for Your Time and Consideration
This is another popular closure for business letters. It politely recognizes that the other person (or party) has devoted their time and attention to your issue or suggests that they will.

Thanks Again
This is the much less formal version of “thank you for your time and consideration.” It is appropriate for expressing your gratitude to those you know personally.

Love
You obviously wouldn’t want to end a business or academic letter with an expression of love, but this can be a quick, personal, and touching way to finish a note to someone you have affection for.

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