The English Oracle

How to end a letter beginning with "To whom it may concern"

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Chapters
00:00 How To End A Letter Beginning With &Quot;To Whom It May Concern&Quot;
00:14 Answer 1 Score 3
00:23 Accepted Answer Score 6
00:45 Answer 3 Score 3
01:31 Answer 4 Score 13
01:38 Thank you

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Tags
#letterwriting

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ANSWER 1

Score 13


According to Miss Manners, the answer is "Yours faithfully". That is what I use.




ACCEPTED ANSWER

Score 6


If you are referring to the "Complimentary Close" (the word above your signature), it depends on the tone and formality of the letter. If you do not have a specific person to address the letter to, I would use either of these:

Respectfully yours,

or

Sincerely,




ANSWER 3

Score 3


"Sincerely" is a fairly common formal sign off.




ANSWER 4

Score 3


It partly depends on the contents of the letter. If I'm submitting, say, a letter of reference, that might warrant something a little different than a general inquiry, a request for a favor, or a formal complaint.

As was stated previously, Sincerely is perfectly acceptable, and almost always a safe option. But if you wanted to soften a complaint, then Respectfully might be a better choice.

By default, in the To-Whom-It-May-Concern situation, I don't know who will be reading the letter (otherwise, I would have begun with something less generic). With that in mind, I'll sometimes want to end with my contact information, in case the matter needs further discussion to resolve:

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you,                     

John R. Doe
(555) 867-5309
jrdoe18220@ELU.com