Best Regard Or Best Regards? | Pick The Right Sign Off

If you searched best regard or best regards?, you’re not alone. You’ve seen both at the end of emails. One looks normal. The other looks close, but something feels odd.

That tiny “s” can change how careful you seem. It can also change the warmth of your message. So, let’s clear it up with plain rules, quick checks, and ready-to-paste sign-offs.

Sign-Off	When It Fits	How It Lands
Best regards,	Most work emails, first-time outreach, vendor messages	Polite, neutral, professional
Regards,	Short updates, internal notes, replies in a thread	Brief, businesslike
Kind regards,	Cross-team emails, clients you know, steady relationships	Softer, still formal
Warm regards,	People you’ve worked with closely, friendly follow-ups	Friendly, a bit personal
Sincerely,	Application letters, formal letters, serious topics	Traditional, formal
Thank you,	Requests, favors, scheduling, any ask that needs a response	Grateful, direct
Thanks,	Casual work chats, fast back-and-forth, teammates	Casual, brisk
Respectfully,	Complaints, official notes, sensitive disagreement	Courteous, firm

Best Regard Or Best Regards? Common Confusions And Fixes

Why “Regards” Shows Up As A Sign-Off

As a sign-off, regards works as a plural noun that means good wishes. That’s why “best regards” sounds natural: you’re sending your best wishes to the reader.

Dictionaries record this “good wishes” meaning for regards in the plural. You can see it in the Cambridge Dictionary entry that describes regard as a closing used to send good wishes.

Why “Best Regard” Usually Sounds Wrong

Regard in the singular is most often a general noun meaning attention, respect, or a type of care. In everyday email sign-offs, readers don’t expect that meaning. They expect the “good wishes” meaning, which is plural.

So when someone writes “best regard,” it can look like a typo, or it can read like a non-native phrasing. That doesn’t mean the writer lacks skill. It just means the phrase is not the standard sign-off in modern English.

When “Best Regard” Can Make Sense

There are rare cases where the singular can fit. It works when you truly mean one specific regard, such as “my highest regard” for someone’s work. That’s a different message than a sign-off that sends good wishes.

Even then, writers often choose a clearer line like “With high regard,” or they rewrite the sentence to avoid the tricky singular form.

Using Best Regards As An Email Sign-Off

If you want a safe, polished ending, “best regards” is hard to beat. It suits most workplaces, most readers, and most topics. It also works across industries, from education to business to customer service.

It pairs well with almost any email body. It doesn’t clash with a short note, and it doesn’t undercut a longer message.

How Formal Is “Best Regards”

Think of “best regards” as neutral-formal. It’s more formal than “thanks,” but less formal than “sincerely.” It signals respect without sounding distant.

If you’re writing to someone you don’t know well, or you’re writing on a first contact, “best regards” keeps you on the safe side.

When To Skip “Best Regards”

If you’re sending an application letter, a complaint, or a message tied to policy, “sincerely” or “respectfully” can fit better. If you’re chatting with a teammate all day, “thanks” or “best” may feel more natural than a formal sign-off.

Comma Or No Comma

In American business writing, a comma after the sign-off is common: “Best regards,” then your name on the next line. Many people also omit the comma in quick emails, especially inside fast threads.

Pick one style and stick with it. A mix of commas and no commas in the same thread can look messy.

What to avoid: extra punctuation like “Best regards!!” or “Best regards…” Those can feel careless.

Capitalization And Spacing

• Write it in sentence case, not all caps.
• Keep it as two words: “Best regards,” not “Bestregards.”
• Skip random line breaks that split the sign-off from your name.

Regional Tone Differences

In many UK and Commonwealth workplaces, “kind regards” shows up a lot. In many US workplaces, “best regards” is the default. Both are fine. The safer move is matching the tone you see from the person you’re emailing.

Also, plain “regards” can read brisk in some settings. If you’re asking for a favor, “thank you” may feel smoother.

Picking The Right Sign-Off In Three Quick Steps

Step 1: Match The Relationship

Ask one simple question: do you already know this person? If it’s a first email, pick a neutral sign-off like “best regards” or “sincerely.” If it’s someone you work with daily, “thanks” or “regards” might fit better.

Step 2: Match The Message Type

A request email often ends well with “thank you” or “thanks,” since it frames the ask politely. A status update can end with “regards” to keep it crisp. A formal request, like an admissions email or a job inquiry, can end with “sincerely” or “best regards.”

Step 3: Match The Tone You’ve Used

Your sign-off should echo the mood of your email. If your body is friendly and chatty, “warm regards” won’t surprise the reader. If your body is direct and short, “regards” or “best regards” keeps it aligned.

Try this quick check: read your last sentence, then read your sign-off. If they sound like two different people wrote them, swap the sign-off.

Common Mistakes With Best Regards And How To Fix Them

Mixing Singular And Plural

If you’re choosing between the two forms, default to the plural for sign-offs. If you type “best regard” by habit, add the “s” and move on. The plural is the standard sign-off in everyday email.

Adding An Apostrophe

Don’t write “best regard’s” or “best regards’.” An apostrophe suggests ownership, and that’s not what the phrase means at the end of a message.

Stacking Sign-Offs

One sign-off is enough. “Thanks and best regards” can feel like you’re trying to tick every box. Pick one that matches your message and let it do its job.

Using A Sign-Off That Conflicts With Your Ask

If your email contains a request, “regards” can sound a bit dry. “Thank you” can soften the request while staying professional. If you’re turning down a request, “best regards” often lands better than “thanks,” which can sound odd in that context.

Regards Alternatives That Still Read Natural

Sometimes you want the same polite vibe but with a slightly different feel. These options keep the message clean while shifting warmth or formality.

Kind Regards

“Kind regards” adds a gentler tone than “best regards.” It works well with clients, staff at other schools, and people you respect but don’t know closely.

Warm Regards

“Warm regards” feels friendly. Use it with people you have real rapport with. If you’ve only emailed once, it can feel too personal.

Regards

Plain “regards” is short and clean. It’s useful when you want to keep the email tight, or when the thread already has a friendly tone and you don’t need extra warmth.

Best

“Best” is common in modern work email. It’s brief and friendly. It can look too casual in formal outreach, so reserve it for coworkers, classmates, or people you already know.

Sign-Off Templates You Can Copy

Below are ready-to-paste endings. Swap the bracketed parts, then send.

Neutral Professional

Best regards,
[[Your Name]]

Formal

Sincerely,
[[Your Name]]
[[Role]]

Request Or Favor

Thank you,
[[Your Name]]

Quick Reply In A Thread

Regards,
[[Your Name]]

Friendly But Still Work-Safe

Kind regards,
[[Your Name]]

Short Sign-Off With A Deadline

Thanks,
[[Your Name]]
[[Optional: “Sent before [[Date]]”]]

Small Details That Make Your Sign-Off Look Polished

Use A Simple Signature Block

A clean signature saves your reader time. In many professional emails, your name is enough. If you’re writing on behalf of an organization, add your role and one contact line.

• [[Your Name]]
• [[Title or Department]]
• [[Phone or Website]]

Align The Sign-Off With Your Greeting

If your greeting is formal (“Dear Dr. Rahman”), a casual sign-off (“Cheers,”) can feel mismatched. If your greeting is casual (“Hi Sam”), a stiff sign-off (“Respectfully,”) can sound strange.

Match formal with formal, casual with casual. It’s a small thing, yet it stops your email from feeling patched together.

Skip Emoji And Slang In Formal Emails

In casual chats, emojis are common. In formal emails, they can look careless. If you’re writing to a professor, a hiring manager, or a new client, stick to words and clear punctuation.

Use One Clear Subject Line

A good sign-off won’t save a confusing email. A clear subject line and a clear ask are what get replies. Purdue’s email etiquette checklist is a handy reminder of basic formatting and tone.

Keep The Sign-Off Short

A long sign-off can feel stiff. If you’re tempted to add extra lines like “Wishing you a great week,” make sure it matches the tone of your email and your relationship with the reader.

Choosing Best Regards By Situation

If you want the simplest rule: use the plural for email sign-offs. The singular is rare, and it often reads like an error. The plural keeps you safe in nearly every scenario.

When you’re unsure, stick with “best regards,” or use another standard sign-off like “sincerely,” depending on the tone you need.

Situation	Safer Sign-Off	Why It Fits
First email to a professor	Sincerely,	Formal and respectful
First email to a recruiter	Best regards,	Professional without sounding stiff
Follow-up after an interview	Thank you,	Matches the gratitude in the message
Client update	Kind regards,	Warm but still formal
Short internal update	Regards,	Fast and businesslike
Team chat that stays casual	Thanks,	Friendly and brisk
Complaint or correction	Respectfully,	Courteous tone while staying firm
Friendly message to a colleague	Best,	Common and relaxed

One More Pitfall: With Regard To Vs A Regards Sign-Off

People often mix this topic with the phrase “with regard to,” which means “about.” That phrase belongs inside your message, not as a sign-off. A quick check: if you can replace it with “about,” it fits in the body.

If you’re ending an email, stick with “regards” or a related sign-off. If you’re introducing the topic of your email, use “with regard to” in a full sentence.

Final Check Before You Hit Send

Use this mini checklist when your sign-off feels uncertain:

• Is this a sign-off that sends good wishes? If yes, use “best regards,” “kind regards,” or “regards.”
• Is this a formal message? If yes, “sincerely” is safe.
• Is this an email with a request? If yes, “thank you” often fits.
• Does the sign-off match the tone of your last sentence? If not, swap it.

If you still feel stuck, use “best regards.” It’s the steady choice, and most readers won’t think twice.

And if you’re still typing best regard or best regards? into search, you can relax. Pick the plural for sign-offs, keep your formatting clean, and your message will read sharp and professional.