When signing off letters and emails, “best regards” is one of the most common choices. However, bother using it correctly yourself; you’re going to want to learn about capitalization. This article will explain whether “Best regards” or “Best Regards” is correct.
Is “Best Regards” Capitalized?
“Best Regards” does not need to be capitalized. Formally, “Best regards” is more suitable because formal letter rules mean that only the first word is a capitalized form. “Best Regards” is more common to appear in emails where formal rules are relaxed.
So, if you were writing a letter, you’re much better off using “Best regards” without the capitalized “R.” It makes more sense because we only capitalize the first word, just like if we were starting a sentence with it.
Emails are much less formal in many cases. Therefore, rules can be relaxed. It’s just like how spoken English isn’t as strict with language rules as written English, and a few things can slip through the cracks.
Is “Best regards” Or “Best Regards” Most Formal?
So, it should be quite clear which is the most formal of the two forms already.Still, we’ll help you to understand it fully.
“Best regards” is more formal. Remember, we need to treat formal letters as if we’re starting new sentences. Even though “Best regards” is a way to sign off a letter, we must still treat it as a sentence in itself.
“Best Regards” is much less formal because it doesn’t stick to the original letter rules that we are supposed to use. You’re better off avoiding this (even in emails) so nobody calls you out for misusing your formal writing rules.
Is “Best regards” Or “Best Regards” Used The Most?
Perhaps it would help even more to learn which is the most popular choice. We can refer to some statistics that will show you how capitalization varies in popularity.
According to Google Ngram Viewer, “Best regards” is the most popular choice. This makes sense, considering it’s the more formal option. This graph takes into account all written cases, and it’s more likely that you’ll see formal written pieces in these examples.
“Best Regards” is hardly used in comparison. It shows that it’s still not that common, even when you are writing informally.
There is simply no reason to capitalize both words. If anything, it takes away from the overall meaning of the sign-off and makes it look much less professional.
Are “Best regards” And “Best Regards” Used Differently In The UK And The US?
We could go even further with the statistics and look into the differences between the UK and the US. While the overall trends are similar, there are a few things to note.
According to Google Ngram Viewer, “Best regards” is still the most popular choice in American English. Again, this makes sense since it’s related to more formal rules, which are much more likely to appear in written English.
According to Google Ngram Viewer, “Best regards” is also the most popular choice in British English. So, it’s clear that only capitalizing the first word makes the most sense in every case.
However, what is made clear from the graphs is that “Best Regards” is more likely to appear in American English. You can see from the trendlines that American English users value it more.
British English users like to stick closer to formal writing rules when they can. Therefore, it makes more sense for them to avoid using “Best Regards” with two capitals. American English users don’t mind as much, so both forms can work.
Are “Best regards” And “Best Regards” Interchangeable?
Finally, it would help to know whether the two forms are interchangeable. We’ve pretty much already covered this, but it would help to make sure you know about it.
“Best regards” and “Best Regards” are interchangeable in meaning, but they are not interchangeable in usage.
They both use the same words, so they obviously mean the same thing. However, “Best regards” only apply formally, while “Best Regards” is better when the formal writing rules are overlooked.
You’re much better off avoiding “Best Regards” completely since you’re less likely to come across it. Just get used to only capitalizing “best,” and you’ll have a much better time with it.
You may also like:
12 Better Ways To Say “Best Regards” (Professional Email)
Is “Sincerely Yours” Capitalized? UK/US Best Practice
Comma after “Regards” in Emails (Best Practice)
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
