English greetings and sign-offs for your professional emails
The openings and closings to know for your emails in English, from formal to informal, with the British and American differences and the pitfalls to avoid.
- 1The opening and the closing are the two places where you sound natural or too textbook.
- 2'Best regards' is the safe all-purpose choice; 'Hi [first name]' has become the common professional norm.
- 3The British rule of 'sincerely' vs 'faithfully' depends on whether you know the recipient's name.
- 4You match the level of formality to the recipient, not to your own comfort.
It is often at the start and the end of an email that you give away your discomfort in English: an opening that is too stiff, a sign-off translated word for word from your own language. Yet these are two places you can settle once and for all. Here is the range, from most formal to most relaxed, and how to choose.
For full email bodies, see our 10 professional English email templates.
The openings
From most formal to most common:
- “Dear Mr / Ms [Name],” : formal, for a first official contact or a job application.
- “Dear [First name],” : formal yet warm, safe in a classic professional setting.
- “Hi [First name],” : the norm today in most professional exchanges. Neither cold nor casual.
- “Hello [First name],” : a touch more neutral than “Hi”, useful when you are unsure.
- “Hi all,” / “Hi team,” : for a group.
Avoid “Dear Sir or Madam,” except in a truly formal, anonymous case: it sounds dated.
The sign-offs
- “Best regards,” : the all-purpose choice. You will never go wrong with it.
- “Kind regards,” : a notch warmer, very common in the UK.
- “Best,” : common, slightly more relaxed, perfect for an ongoing exchange.
- “Thanks,” / “Thanks again,” : when your email is a request.
- “Cheers,” : friendly, mostly British. Keep it for someone you know.
When in doubt, “Best regards”. It is the navy-blue tie of the English email: never out of place.
Formal or informal: how to choose
Set the dial on the recipient, not on your comfort zone. A client you do not know, a senior executive, a public body: stay formal. A colleague, someone you already have a thread going with: “Hi [first name]” and “Best” are enough. And match the other person: if they sign off with “Best”, do not reply with “Yours faithfully”.
British or American: the differences that matter
The classic British convention distinguishes two very formal closings, depending on whether you know your recipient’s name:
- “Yours sincerely,” when you wrote “Dear Mr Smith,” (you know the name).
- “Yours faithfully,” when you wrote “Dear Sir or Madam,” (you do not).
On the American side, these two are rare in an everyday email: “Best regards” or plain “Sincerely” are preferred. If you are writing to American counterparts, “Best regards” remains the safest and most natural choice.
The pitfalls to avoid
- Translating a formal closing literally. The word-for-word version of a Romance-language sign-off (for example “Cordially”) sounds stiff and dated in English. Say “Best regards”.
- “Yours faithfully” to a colleague. Far too formal, almost comical in a relaxed exchange.
- No closing at all. An email that ends abruptly, with no sign-off, comes across as curt. One line is enough.
On the calls that often follow your emails, Soufflia prompts the right phrasing live, so the courtesy stays natural out loud too.
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About Claire Dubois
For ten years I've coached French executives and salespeople who have to perform in English. Their level is almost never the real problem: it's the live mental load. I write concrete methods, ready-to-use phrasings and ways to keep your cool when an objection lands in English.
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