Difference between Best Regards and Yours Faithfully

Key Difference: ‘Yours faithfully’ is a term is used in a formal letter where the recipient is not acknowledged by name. ‘Best regards’ is a term that is often used for informal letters that are written to friends or close business partners.

E-mails and letters are the most common form of communication between people. In today’s world emails have become a primary form of communication between many people, as it reduces the geographical boundaries.

All letters and emails follow a pattern or a format that is used for writing them. Salutations, Body and Valediction are three that a common in all forms of writing, be it formal or informal. The salutation is a greeting, where the recipient is mentioned, such as Dear XYZ or To XYZ Department at XYZ Company, etc. The recipient can be mentioned by name or can also be written as Dear Sir or Dear Madam, if the author does not know the name.

The body has the reason for writing the letter or what the letter is about. The valediction or the complimentary closing is a phrase or an expression that is used to bid the reader farewell. The word or words used express respect, esteem, or regard for the person to whom the correspondence is directed. The valediction is followed by the name of the author of the letter.

Best regards and Yours faithfully are two of the many different closings that can be used in order to end a letter or an email. These are often used interchangeably and are believed to be mean the same thing. However, one must remember that usage of the phrase changes depending on the relationship of the author to the recipient of the letter.

 ‘Yours faithfully’ is a shortened term for "I remain, Sir, your faithful and obedient servant". Today, the term is used in a formal letter where the recipient is not acknowledged by name, or if the author does not know the recipient by name. For example, a letter that start with Dear Sir or Dear Madam, would conclude with Yours faithfully, which can also be written as Faithfully yours.

On the other hand, ‘Best regards’ is a term that is often used for informal letters that are written to friends or close business partners. If an author is quite familiar with their business partner, best regards can be used. An easier way to look at it is, best regards can be most commonly used to refer to family members that are distantly related, such as aunts, uncles and cousins, with whom correspondence is limited.

Best regards is not a part of the original set of closings that were used to end a letter, but these days it has been gaining a lot of popularity in the age of emails. Many ema

Comparison between Best Regards and Yours Faithfully:

 

Yours Faithfully

Best Regards

Contraction of

I remain, Sir, your faithful and obedient servant

N/A

Definition

Valediction or complimentary close

Valediction or complimentary close

Use when

When the author does not know the name of the recipient

Is an informal closing used to address friends or close business relations

Usage

British

British and American

Image Courtesy: ozzihomedesign.tk, liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

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