Getting the closing of a formal letter right is a small but crucial detail that signals professionalism and attention to convention. The choice between “Yours sincerely” and “Yours faithfully” depends on one simple rule: whether you know the recipient’s name. This guide will explain the rule, provide clear examples, and offer essential tips for students and professionals to master this aspect of formal correspondence.

Yours Sincerely vs Yours Faithfully: The Core Rule: Name vs. No Name

The difference is straightforward and hinges entirely on your salutation. This rule is a cornerstone of British English formal writing and is often tested in examinations.

• Use “Yours sincerely” when you begin your letter with a personal salutation that includes the recipient’s name and title (e.g., Dear Mr. Sharma, Dear Dr. Kapoor, Dear Ms. Patel).
• Use “Yours faithfully” when you begin your letter with a generic, impersonal salutation (e.g., Dear Sir, Dear Madam, Dear Sir/Madam, To Whom It May Concern).

Why the Correct Closing Matters

Using the correct closing is not about old-fashioned etiquette; it’s a mark of linguistic precision and respect for formal conventions. In competitive exams, job applications, or official communication, an error here can create a negative impression of carelessness or a lack of professional knowledge. It demonstrates your ability to follow established formats, a skill valued in academic and professional settings.

Key Tips for Students and Exam Candidates

1. The Golden “S” Rule: A helpful mnemonic is the “Double S / Single S” rule. If your letter starts with Dear Sir (one ‘S’), it must end with **Yours faithfully (no ‘S’). If it starts with a name like **Dear Mr. *S***harma (an ‘S’ in the name), it should end with **Yours *sincerely* (an ‘S’ in the closing).
2. American vs. British English: Be aware of the variation. The rule above is standard for British English, which is commonly followed in India and Commonwealth countries. In American English, “Yours faithfully” is rarely used. For unknown recipients, “Yours truly” or “Sincerely yours” is preferred. For exams in India, adhere to the British convention.
3. Formatting Details: Always remember:
   • Capitalize only the first word of the closing (e.g., Yours sincerely, not Yours Sincerely).
   • Follow the closing with a comma.
   • Write your full name (and sometimes designation) on the next line.

100 Examples of Correct Usage: Yours Sincerely vs Yours Faithfully

Here are 50 scenarios for each closing to solidify your understanding.

50 Examples Using “Yours sincerely” (When you know the name)

1. Dear Principal Gupta, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
2. Dear Mrs. Iyer, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
3. Dear Professor Das, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
4. Dear Mr. Joshi, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
5. Dear Dr. Menon, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
6. Dear Ms. Choudhary, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
7. Dear Editor, The Daily Times, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
8. Dear Customer Service Manager, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (If the manager’s name is known, e.g., Mr. Roy)
9. Dear Hiring Manager, [Company Name], … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (If addressed to a specific person like “Dear Ms. Nair”)
10. Dear Chairperson, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
11. Dear Superintendent of Police, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (If using a specific name: Dear Mr. Singh)
12. Dear MLA Rao, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
13. Dear Director Mehta, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
14. Dear Headmaster Shah, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
15. Dear Coordinator Verma, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
16. Dear Sir David Attenborough, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
17. Dear Ms. Pandit, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
18. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Khan, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
19. Dear Selection Committee Chair, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (If the chairperson’s name is used)
20. Dear Author R.K. Narayan, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (A fan letter)
21. Dear Coach Sharma, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
22. Dear Librarian Ms. Basu, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
23. Dear Treasurer Mr. Reddy, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
24. Dear Architect Patel, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
25. Dear Consultant Dr. Kumar, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
26. Dear Supplier Contact, Mr. Agarwal, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
27. Dear Publisher Ms. Sen, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
28. Dear Curator Mr. Kapoor, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
29. Dear Counselor Ms. Desai, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
30. Dear Investor Relations Manager, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (If name is known)
31. Dear Landlord Mr. Ghosh, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
32. Dear Tenant Ms. Banerjee, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
33. Dear Client Ms. Srinivasan, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
34. Dear Colleague Mr. Pillai, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
35. Dear Mentor Dr. Chaturvedi, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
36. Dear Advisor Ms. Bhave, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
37. Dear Examiner, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (If writing to a known examination board official by name)
38. Dear Scholarship Head, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (With name)
39. Dear Festival Organizer Ms. Thakur, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
40. Dear Conference Chair Dr. Mishra, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
41. Dear Mayor Ms. Tiwari, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
42. Dear Councillor Mr. Nair, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
43. Dear Ambassador, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (With name, e.g., Dear Ambassador Shankar)
44. Dear Consul General, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (With name)
45. Dear Board Member Mr. Saxena, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
46. Dear Shareholder Ms. Mehta, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (In a direct, named communication)
47. Dear Audit Partner, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (With name)
48. Dear Legal Counsel Ms. Joshi, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
49. Dear Doctor (in a practice), … Yours sincerely, [Your Name] (If writing to your specific GP, Dr. Roy)
50. Dear Teacher Ms. Pereira, … Yours sincerely, [Your Name]

50 Examples Using “Yours faithfully” (When you do NOT know the name)

1. Dear Sir, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
2. Dear Madam, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
3. Dear Sir/Madam, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
4. To Whom It May Concern, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
5. Dear Manager, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
6. Dear Customer Service Team, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
7. Dear Hiring Department, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
8. Dear Admissions Committee, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
9. Dear Selection Board, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
10. Dear Editor, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name] (If writing to “The Editor” generically)
11. Dear Principal, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name] (If the principal’s name is unknown)
12. Dear Head of Department, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
13. Dear Complaints Department, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
14. Dear Accounts Department, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
15. Dear Human Resources, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
16. Dear IT Support, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
17. Dear Marketing Team, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
18. Dear Sales Team, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
19. Dear Public Relations Office, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
20. Dear Sirs, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name] (Traditional, for a company)
21. Dear Mesdames, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
22. Dear Committee Members, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
23. Dear Governing Body, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
24. Dear Scholarship Committee, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
25. Dear Review Panel, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
26. Dear University Registrar, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name] (If the name is not known)
27. Dear Municipal Commissioner, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name] (Without a specific name)
28. Dear Police Commissioner, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name] (Without a specific name)
29. Dear Electricity Board, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
30. Dear Water Authority, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
31. Dear Telecommunications Company, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
32. Dear Insurance Company, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
33. Dear Bank Manager, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name] (If the manager’s name is unknown)
34. Dear Loan Officer, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
35. Dear Landlord, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name] (If the landlord’s name is unknown)
36. Dear Tenant, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name] (If the tenant’s name is unknown)
37. Dear Property Management, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
38. Dear Travel Agency, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
39. Dear Airlines Customer Care, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
40. Dear Hotel Reservations, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
41. Dear Conference Organizers, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
42. Dear Event Planning Team, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
43. Dear Publication House, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
44. Dear Licensing Authority, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
45. Dear Standards Board, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
46. Dear Ombudsman, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name] (If the name is not used)
47. Dear Ethics Committee, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
48. Dear Feedback Team, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
49. Dear Webmaster, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
50. Dear Support, … Yours faithfully, [Your Name] (For generic online support)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Yours Sincerely vs Yours Faithfully

1. In an email, is it still necessary to use “Yours sincerely” or “Yours faithfully”?
While emails are generally less formal, these closings are still appropriate and recommended for formal email communication, such as job applications, official complaints, or correspondence with senior officials or institutions. For routine work emails, “Kind regards” or “Best regards” are often sufficient.

2. What if I start with “Dear Sir/Madam” but later find out the name in the letter body?
You should still close with “Yours faithfully.” The rule is based on the salutation you used to address the recipient. Changing the closing based on information within the letter is inconsistent.

3. Are there alternatives to these two closings?
Yes. “Yours truly” is a common formal alternative in American English or a slightly less formal option in British English. Other acceptable formal or semi-formal options include “Kind regards,” “Best regards,” and “Respectfully yours.” The key is to match the level of formality to your salutation and purpose.

Conclusion: Yours Sincerely vs Yours Faithfully

Mastering the distinction between Yours sincerely vs Yours faithfully is a simple yet powerful way to demonstrate professionalism in written communication. By remembering the fundamental link between the salutation and the closing, you can ensure your letters and formal emails always make the right final impression. Whether you’re sitting for a competitive exam or drafting an important application, this knowledge is an essential tool for success.

Disclaimer: This article provides general guidelines based on standard British English formal writing conventions. Specific organizations or examination boards may have their own prescribed styles. Always check for any specific format instructions provided.

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