Mir scheint, das wird einfach abwechselnd verwendet.

I typically sign my personal letters to friends (and some e-mails) with "best regards." "Kind regards" is just a variation. Personally, I would see "best regards" as being slightly more masculine sounding, and "kind regards" slightly more feminine sounding. But I am sure that both men and women use both phrases. Because they are both 'stock' phrases, I suspect that people use one or the other just because they like the sound of one better than the other.

I agree in principle with Sharper, although I too (female!) would be more likely to use "Best regards". "Kind regards" sounds IMO a bit old-fashioned, but I emphasise that that's probably a matter of taste

IMO "best regards" is a bit more formal and "kind regards" is a bit more personal.

I always write 'Kind regards' in emails to people I am writing to the first time and 'Best regards' to people I actually know, either personally or through email.

some of our business partners (US) use "warm regards", which strikes me as slightly strange...

Interesting topic.
I usually use "Best regards" in cases I would use "Mit freundlichen Grüssen" in german.
Sometimes I shorten it to just "Regards" in follow-ups.

But what do you use for informal letters? In german, I use "Gruss, ..." a lot, but never really know what to write in english.

The answer to the question is as follows: By and by, two standardised complimentary closes got confused: "best wishes" (personal contexts) and "kind regards" (personal contexts and informal business contexts). "Best regards" is the typical modern businessese commplimentary close which is used to end e-mails a little more informal than letters - where you still absolutely have to use "Yours sincerely" - but still formal enough.

By now, the language can be said to have evolved, so that "best regards" can be seen as a new standardised complimentary close which is especially used in e-mail correspondence.

It is not a question of Gender or soft factors. - Believe me, I am a linguist and have been working in a big international law firm for years.

Rule #723: "Never, ever believe anyone who starts a sentence with the words 'Believe me ...'" ;-)

Ist "Best regards" BE, richtig.?

danke=)

I wouldn't say "Best Regards" is typical British, it is used in the USA as well.

Just "Regards" by itself it usually sufficient.

*Kind* regards is more personal than *best* regards (which is more formal).

Is "Best" by itself sufficient, too?

In American formal correspondence one usually uses Sincerely...

Just to confuse some more....

Oben wurde behauptet, man könne im Deutschen einfach "Gruss" (allenfalls: "Gruß") schreiben. Das würde ich einem sehr guten Freund hinklatschen, nie auch nur einem Kollegen, eher schon "Grüße", aber auch das finde ich unhöflich. In Deutschen E-Mails schreibt man fast immer "Beste Grüße" oder, wenn es sehr formell zugehen muss, "Mit freundlichen Grüßen", etwa, wenn man einem Unbekannten oder einem Geschäftspartner schreibt.

@16: Das ist doch Quatsch. Ich kann mich nicht erinnern jemals eine Mail bekommen zu haben die mit Beste Grüsse unterzeichnet war und mehr oder weniger formal als mit freundlichen Grüssen ist das auch nicht.

@16: ich schreibe sehr oft einfach 'Gruß', besonders bei (männlichen) Kollegen.

'Beste Grüße' kenne ich zwar, würde ich aber persönlich nicht verwenden.

In englischer Korrespondenz verwende ich 'Kind regards', das war zumindest in meiner letzten Firma der Standard (der auch von den Muttersprachlern verwendet wurde).

Gibt es eigentlich im Englischen eine Abkürzungsgrußformel für persönliche E-Mails, so wie im Deutschen 'LG'?

Abkürzungen für Grüße find ich ja sowas von unhöflich, und "Gruß" kommt mir auch immer recht rüde vor... :)

I normally use "Kind regards", and "Regards" when I'm grumpy with the recipient (e.g. a translator who hasn't delivered on time). :)

die 3 besten und am haeufigsten benutzen Formen sind (egal, ob USA oder UK)

Best Regards,
Regards,
Sincerely,

to sound professional use either one these. Avoid kind, warm etc. They make you sound like a little girl. Thus not to your advantage in business

As a matter of fact, in North America a lot my clients just write "Best", "Take care" or "Thanks" (very common) if the correspondence has gone on for a while or you know your correspondence partner a bit.

In new or formal correspondence "Warm regards", "Best regards", "Kind regards", "All the best", "Sincerely", "Yours faithfully" (more British), "Yours truly" or "Truly" is used.

Originally the rule was as follows:

Use "Sincerely" or "Yours sincerely" for formal letters and if your letter is not addressed to a certain recipient. E.g. if the letter starts "Sir,", "Gentlemen,", "Dear Sirs,", "Sir or Madam,", "To Whom It May Concern:"...

If you address your letter to a name, use one of the above.

I can only agree that shortenings are very poor style. As if the recipient is not worth the time it takes to type 2 characters more.

Or the super cool shortening of names at the end, for example r (for Robert) uurrrgh!

The last three posts, by unfamiliar, unregistered users, include a mix of misinformation.

Only in BE is a distinction made between 'Yours sincerely' (if you know their name) and 'Yours faithfully' (if you don't).

In AE, 'Sincerely,' 'Sincerely yours,' and 'Yours sincerely' are used interchangeably. Formulaic salutations such as 'Sir or Madam' are avoided in favor of a real name, or a functional title such as 'Dear Admissions Director.'

'Yours truly' is not often used nowadays, except to mean 'meine Wenigkeit.' 'Truly' is not an English closing.

'Regards' as a closing is probably more common in BE, but not wrong in AE, and there's also nothing wrong with 'Kind regards,' 'Best regards,' etc.

Shortenings are substances like lard or Crisco. E-mails without formal salutations or closings, or signed with initials instead of names, actually show that the writer values a friendly relationship with the recipient, which is a good thing.

@Richtisch: In meiner alten Firma war 'Kind regards' wie schon geschrieben eine übliche Grußformel, die auch von den Muttersprachlern (AE und BE) verwendet wurde, in interner sowie externer Korrespondenz. Es wundert mich daher etwas, dass dies "unprofessionell" klingen soll?

Über Abkürzungen von Grußformeln kann man sich sicherlich lange streiten, für mich persönlich drückt das ein gewisses Maß an Vertrautheit aus und keine Respektlosigkeit.

Allerdings ist meiner Meinung nach 'Gruß' keine Abkürzung. Es ist durchaus üblich zu sagen "bestell xy einen Gruß von mir" u.ä., der Gruß ist ganz einfach die Singularform. Und man könnte sich fragen, was der Empfänger eigentlich mit mehreren Grüßen anfangen soll ;-), aber das gehört vermutlich nicht in diesen Strang.

To hm -- us:
As a matter of fact, the distinction was originally also made in Canada (where I live), and quite some Canadians I have met said exactly that.

Your last sentence is not logical to me. By the way, I have been working with intercultural matters and communication for 18 years. It is a commonly known fact in our business that with e-mail people have become lazy with their etiquette, as they think in e-mail correspondence it is not quite that important. Wrong. It is.