With kind regards and best wishes for a pleasant day. Which sign-off and email ending do you use most often? Have you ever thought about how much this formality says about you and your relationship with the person you are writing to?
Using the wrong one could put you in an awkward situation. In this article, we therefore offer several tips for ending a professional email that you cannot go wrong with.
Short answer. End a professional email with a short closing sentence, write the sign-off on a separate line below it, and put your full name and contact details underneath. The most universal sign-off is S pozdravem (Kind regards), a more formal one is S úctou (Respectfully), and for a colleague Hezký den (Have a nice day) is enough. According to the Internet Language Reference Book (Internetová jazyková příručka), no comma is written after S pozdravem, whereas in English a comma does follow Kind regards.
Tip: Have you heard of the information diet? Read about what it is good for and how to make it part of your life.
Table of contents
Do not underestimate how you end an email
Of course, when you are writing an email to a friend or your grandmother, you do not need to worry much about formalities. In that case there are almost no rules, and nobody will be annoyed if you forget to fill in the subject line or simply sign off with “bye”.
The situation is different, however, when you are writing a work or official email. In that situation you are expected to follow certain rules of good manners. After all, you would not wear flip-flops and a sleeveless top to a job interview either.
So give your email writing proper care. If you are writing to someone you have not met yet, they may form an opinion of you from just a few lines of your text, and it will then be hard to change their mind.
Tip: Do you know what to bring to a job interview? Read our article so you do not embarrass yourself.
Tip, set up an email footer
You can set up a footer template in your email and include your sign-off in it. If you write dozens of emails a week, this can save you some time and energy.
How does it help?
- you save time
- you come across as more professional
- you pass on more information
- you can link yourself to a particular category.
For example, if you are a creative woodcarver, you can put “The best creative woodcarver” in your footer. When people communicate with you, they will remember it and associate it with you.
You can also use your email footer to share news or anything else you want to communicate.
Tip: It is currently also a trend to add a signature footer to social media posts (especially on LinkedIn and X, formerly Twitter).
Writing a formal email
It probably goes without saying that you should avoid grammatical errors and typos when writing a formal email. It is therefore better to read the message through twice before you send it.
Do not forget the subject line, which tells the recipient what the message is about. The subject should be short but to the point. For example, if you are writing about a purchase from an online shop or want to make a complaint about goods, you can also include the order number in the subject line.
Then continue with the correct form of address for the recipients. If you know them, address them by name. If you do not, or if there are several of them, simply use “Vážení” (Dear Sir or Madam). In an academic setting, be sure to include the recipient’s highest academic title.
In the text, use the formal form of address (vykání) and avoid colloquial or vulgar expressions. You can also write vy (you) with a capital V, but make sure you keep to this standard throughout the whole email. Also avoid long, complex sentences and unnecessary filler phrases that only make the email longer.
Divide the text into paragraphs with spaces between them. This makes it easier for the recipient to read and find their way around the text. The final point is the right sign-off and your signature. This seemingly small detail, if used incorrectly, can easily spoil the whole impression your email makes.
The right way to end an email
As we mentioned in the previous paragraph, the end of an email consists of three parts. First a short closing sentence, then you say goodbye to the recipient, and finally you sign. Always write the sign-off and signature directly below the email, each in a separate paragraph.
Sign off politely
It should be said first that there is no single correct sign-off. It always depends on the specific situation. For example, if you are writing a complaint, wishing someone a lovely day is not very appropriate.
Probably the most universal sign-off, suitable for every occasion, is the simple “S pozdravem” (Kind regards). “S pozdravem a přáním pěkného (or krásného) dne” (Kind regards and best wishes for a pleasant day) or S úctou (Respectfully) also work well.
Is there a comma after S pozdravem?
No. The Internet Language Reference Book (Internetová jazyková příručka) of the Czech Language Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Ústav pro jazyk český AV ČR) states explicitly that no comma is written after the closing greeting in a letter or an email. The greeting is separated from the signature by a new line, not by punctuation. The same applies to other greetings without a verb that the reference book mentions, such as S přátelským pozdravem (With friendly regards) or Se srdečnými pozdravy (With warm regards).
It is different with a greeting that forms a complete sentence. If you write Děkujeme za spolupráci a přejeme mnoho úspěchů (Thank you for your cooperation and we wish you every success), it ends with a full stop. If the sentence continues into the signature, as in the reference book’s example Zdraví (Greetings) with Miroslav Koštíř below it, you use no punctuation at all. In our view, the same goes for Děkuji a jsem s pozdravem (Thank you, and I remain, with regards), so no punctuation.
A comma does, however, belong after the greeting at the start of an email, and according to the reference book the text below it continues with a lower-case letter. We discuss how to correctly address a man, a woman, an authority or someone with a title in the article how to address someone correctly in an email or letter.
S pozdravem or Z pozdravem?
Only S pozdravem is correct. According to the Internet Language Reference Book, the preposition s is followed by the 7th (instrumental) case (with whom, with what), whereas the preposition z is followed by the 2nd (genitive) case (from what, from where). The greeting here is in the 7th case, which is why it is S pozdravem, S úctou or Se srdečným pozdravem.
The mistake arises because the two prepositions sound almost the same when spoken. The reference book reminds us, however, that the choice depends on the case, not the pronunciation. Z pozdravem at the end of a work email looks as careless as a typo in the recipient’s name.
You cannot do without a signature
As for the signature, you do not need to be very creative. Sign with your full name. If you are writing as an employee or owner of a company, do not forget to add the company name, contact details, a link to the website, social media or perhaps the company logo.
You do not have to include a phone number if you want people to contact you mainly by email or on LinkedIn.
Some people also add their own photo to their signature. However, it should be fully professional, including your clothes, the background and any make-up. It should all fit together well.
Your signature should not, however, be longer than the rest of the email. So remember that here, too, the rule applies that sometimes less is more.
In Gmail you can set up mail forwarding into one inbox where you can have, for example, 4 email addresses, each with a different automatic signature. Automatic signatures with a photo and contact details save time and also make your emails look more professional.
You can even use your email signature as a marketing tool by adding a link to your service or the latest article you have written below your automatic signature.
Tip: There are also apps that will help you format your signature correctly. For example, the Builder tool.
What an email signature should look like
A work signature fits into four or five lines: first name and surname, job title, company name and one or two contacts, typically a phone number and website. Quotes, long legal disclaimers or several advertising banners stacked on top of each other only hold the recipient up. A logo, photo or link to your latest article is an optional extra beyond these lines, so choose no more than one of them.
A simple template might look like this.
Jana Nováková
Customer Support Manager
Company Name s.r.o.
phone | website address
Write your contact details as text, not just in an image. Some email programs do not load images by default, and the recipient will then see an empty box instead of your phone number. Text can also be copied, which anyone who wants to call you from their mobile will appreciate.
A thank-you is not essential, but it is appreciated
Sometimes this part also includes thanks, for example for any help, for reviewing a request or for information you will receive from the recipient in a follow-up email. It is usually a short phrase placed in a separate paragraph below the main part of the email.
Finally, check the whole email once more, especially that you have filled in the subject line and attached all the files, and then you can send it.
Email ending templates by situation
An email ending consists of a closing sentence, a sign-off and a signature. The closing sentence says what you expect from the recipient, and the sign-off sets the level of formality. The table gives templates for the most common situations. Add your signature below them as described in the previous section.
| Situation | Closing sentence | Sign-off |
|---|---|---|
| Authority or unknown recipient | Thank you in advance for dealing with my request. | Respectfully or Kind regards |
| Business email to a client | Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. | Kind regards and best wishes for a pleasant day |
| Colleague or long-standing client, formal address | Thank you for your quick reply. | All the best or Have a nice day |
| Colleague you are on first-name terms with | Thanks for the quick reply. | Take care or Have a nice day |
| Thank-you after an interview | Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing your decision. | Kind regards |
| Complaint | Please send me a written response and a proposed solution. | Kind regards, without wishing them a nice day |
| Request for information or a favour | Thank you in advance for your reply. | Kind regards |
| In English, formal | I look forward to hearing from you. | Kind regards or Yours sincerely |
| In English, informal | Thanks again for your help. | Best or Cheers |
When complaining, watch your tone. The sign-off should be matter-of-fact. An ironic Have a lovely day is more likely to turn the recipient against you. When you send the same message to several people at once, also read how to use group emails, so that addresses do not end up with strangers.
As a general rule, the less well you know the recipient, the more formal your sign-off should be. Only switch to informal address and a casual Take care once it has been offered. More tips on polite communication are summarised in the article 20 rules of good manners and etiquette.
Which email sign-off gets the most replies
In January 2017, the American company Baydin, maker of the Boomerang add-on for Gmail, published an analysis of more than 350,000 email threads from the public archives of over twenty online communities. On average, 47.5% of messages received a reply. For emails ending with the phrase Thanks in advance, the figure was 65.7%, for Thanks 63% and for Thank you 57.9%. Messages with some form of thanks at the end received a reply in 62% of cases, the others in 46%.
Neutral sign-offs performed better than average, but worse than expressions of thanks. Cheers brought a reply in 54.4% of cases, Kind regards in 53.9%, Regards in 53.5%, Best regards in 52.9% and Best on its own in 51.2%. These were messages written in English, mostly from discussion groups and technical support, and the study did not take into account the relationship between sender and recipient. Treat it as a guide, not a rule.
In our view, it offers a simple tip for emails in Czech. When you need something from the recipient, thank them in advance in a sentence of your own and only then write Kind regards (S pozdravem) below it. Thank you in advance for your reply is polite and at the same time makes it clear that you are expecting an answer.
Informal email sign-offs
- Have a nice day! A simple, friendly way to sign off that shows politeness.
- Take care or Have a good one. An informal way to sign off that shows you wish the person well.
- Bye! A more relaxed, less formal sign-off, common between friends and people close to you.
- Wishing you a nice day! More formal than the previous options, but still acceptable for informal email communication.
How to end an email in English
In British English, you traditionally write Yours sincerely when you address the recipient by name (Dear Mr Smith), and Yours faithfully when you do not know them (Dear Sir or Madam). The linguist Larry Trask adds in the University of Sussex punctuation guide that American English does not make this distinction and uses Sincerely yours or Yours sincerely in all business letters.
Note the difference from Czech. In English, you put a comma after the closing phrase, for example Kind regards, and your name goes on the next line. Only the first word is capitalised, so Best regards, not Best Regards.
For everyday work emails, a few phrases are all you need.
- Kind regards or Best regards, a universal work sign-off, the equivalent of the Czech S pozdravem.
- Regards, shorter and neutral, suitable for brief routine messages.
- Thanks in advance, when you are asking for something and expect a reply.
- Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully, formal letters, applications and official correspondence.
- Best or Cheers, informal, for colleagues and people you are on first-name terms with.
Also read what a chargeback is and how to use it in practice. Or why a financial reserve is so important.
