Sincerely Yours | Meaning, When to Use & Examples
Sincerely yours is a standard sign-off, used to end an email or letter, followed by your name on the next line. “Sincerely” is an adverb meaning “genuinely” and is used to emphasize your honest intentions toward the person addressed.
This sign-off is relatively formal, but according to some authorities it should only be used when writing to someone you already know, not a complete stranger. An alternative like “Yours truly” should be used with someone you’ve never written to before.
I am writing to inform you …
Sincerely yours,
Jack Caulfield
Yours sincerely or Sincerely yours?
The order in which you write the two words depends on whether you’re writing in US or UK English:
- In US English, Sincerely yours is the normal word order.
- In UK English, Yours sincerely is used instead.
Sincerely yours,/Yours sincerely,
Johannes Meier
Sincerely on its own
A popular alternative, particularly in the US, is to write Sincerely on its own, without including “yours” at all. This usage is now more common than the version with “yours” in US business correspondence. It conveys a slightly less formal tone, although still not casual.
Use this sign-off in US correspondence if you want to tone down the formality slightly without becoming overly informal. In the UK, where it hasn’t gained as much popularity, it’s still safest to stick with Yours sincerely.
Sincerely,
Sander Horn
Sincerely, truly, or faithfully?
Sincerely can also be replaced with either faithfully or truly in formal correspondence. Both these alternatives are supposed to be used when writing to a person you haven’t interacted with before, especially if you addressed them as “Dear Sir or Madam.”
Their popularity again varies between US and UK English:
- Yours truly is more popular in US English.
- Yours faithfully is standard in UK English.
Note that the rules of when to use each one are followed less strictly in US correspondence. Yours truly is often used whether you know the person or not, and people are unlikely to object to it.
…
Yours truly,/Yours faithfully,
Saoirse Hannigan
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