sincerely yours

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phraseformal

   a polite, formal way to end a letter or email, used before your name when you know the person you are writing to.

   Grammar: It stands alone on its own line, followed by a comma in American style, and then your name on the next line.

   Patterns

   • Sincerely yours,
   • Yours sincerely,

   Thank you for considering my application. Sincerely yours, Maria Lopez.

   I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely yours, Dr. Chen.

   Please find my report attached. Sincerely yours, James Okafor.

2. 2phrasefixed phraseformal

   used in a formal letter when the writer wants to sound respectful but not overly friendly.

   Grammar: This is the same closing; the choice between 'Sincerely yours' and 'Yours sincerely' depends on region and house style, not meaning.

   We appreciate your business. Sincerely yours, The Customer Service Team.

   Thank you for your time. Sincerely yours, A. Patel.

Common combinations

Sincerely yours,

Sincerely yours, Karen White

Yours sincerely,

Yours sincerely, Tom Baker

Sincerely,

Sincerely, Alex Morgan

Synonyms and how they differ

Yours sincerely

The usual British order; it means the same as 'Sincerely yours' and is used when you know the reader's name.

Yours faithfully

British and more formal; use it when you do not know the reader's name and have started with 'Dear Sir or Madam'.

Best regards

Less formal and warmer; suitable for business contacts you have met or emailed before.

Word family

sincere adjective

honest and truly meaning what you say.

sincerely adverb

in a genuine and honest way; also used alone as a letter closing.

sincerity noun

the quality of being honest and genuine.

Commonly confused: sincerely yours or Yours faithfully? sincerely yours or Sincerely?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “sincerely yours”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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