These are the standard interpretations in business correspondence, and taught in business English: "Yours faithfully" - when the person is of a higher status than you, eg. you are writing to them for a job. A century or so ago, the full phrase was "Your faithful servant". "Yours sincerely" to someone of a higher status sounds arrogant. "Yours sincerely" - a standard close for business partners. Use it if you are both of equal status. "Yours truly" - This is quite friendly, and probably a bit too close for business correspondence. "Best wishes" / "Best regards" (also "Kind regards") - a fairly standard and polite close for a business email, without being too familiar. This is used quite often. "Best wishes" is probably the most friendly of the three. If you are writing to someone with animosity (eg. a letter of demand, or a serious complaint), none of the above options are any good. Simply use "Regards" to close the letter. For opening the letter, address them formally and curtly, eg. "Mr Peachey".

Hello, "Yours truly" – This is used to a close friend/partner. One can also use, "I am truly yours" "Best wishes" - This is usually used in business when you turn someone down for a job opportunity - you can use it to friends to show you care for them. "Best regards "– This is the formal ending of an email/letter. You never use this to people outside of work, unless you are corresponding to a professional which isn’t a friend. "Yours sincerely" - This is the formal ending of an email/letter. You never use this to people outside of work, unless you are corresponding to a professional which isn’t a friend.

"Yours faithfully" is very uncommon. You would use it to indicate that you are very committed to someone. I have seen newspaper columnists use this before, but I have never seen it used in a letter. "Yours truly", "Yours sincerely", and "sincerely yours" can be used in penpal letters, fan mail, thank you letters, etc. It would not be used for business. "Sincerely," by itself is appropriate for business or friendly letters. It is probably the most common way to end a letter. "Best wishes" and "Best regards" are okay to use in any situation, but "best regards" is rarely used and would seem a bit strange in a business setting. I hope this helps!

When the recipient's name is unknown to you: Dear Sir ... Yours faithfully Dear Madam ... Yours faithfully Dear Sir or Madam ... Yours faithfully When you know the recipient's name: Dear Mr Hanson ... Yours sincerely Dear Mrs Hanson ... Yours sincerely Dear Miss Hanson ... Yours sincerely When addressing a good friend or colleague: Dear Jack ... Best wishes/Best regards Addressing whole departments: Dear Sirs ... Yours faithfully Please see http://speakspeak.com/a/html/d2h_resources_letter_writing_phrases.htm.