Yours faithful vs Yours sincere

[thedaffodils]

Hi,

I learned if a letter starts with Dear Sir or Madam, the closing can be yours faithful, but not yours sincere. If a letter starts with Mr Smith, the closing can be yours sincere, but not yours faithful.

I often mixed them up. Is it explainable? or I have to memorise them by rote.


Thank you!

 

[emsr2d2]

Neither of your endings is correct. They can be "Yours faithfully" or "Yours sincerely".

Dear Sir/Madam = Yours faithfully
Dear [name] = Yours sincerely

You just need to memorise them.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Hi,

I learned if a letter starts with Dear Sir or Madam, the closing can be yours faithful, but not yours sincere. If a letter starts with Mr Smith, the closing can be yours sincere, but not yours faithful.

I often mixed them up. Is it explainable? or I have to memorise them by rote.


Thank you!

The closing "Yours faithfully" is not common in AmE. It sounds a bit stuffy over here. You will more commonly see Yours sincerely or Sincerely yours.

 

[thedaffodils]

Thank you both very much for your replies.


Mike, do you mean even if the addressing is Dear Sir instead of a specified name, and I can use Yours sincerely in AmE?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Thank you both very much for your replies.


Mike, do you mean even if the addressing is Dear Sir instead of a specified name, and I can use Yours sincerely in AmE?

Yes. I don't think people are very fussy about closings in AmE.

 

[Rover_KE]

The same goes for BrE.

Only a few purists would even notice the closing.

 

[SUDHKAMP]

Yours faithfully is written in business letters, where faith or trust is the basis of relations. Yours sincerely is written in personal relations or matters where sincerity is the basis of relations, like a student writing to a Dean/Principal or teacher. Alternatively Yours truly may be used in all places, where truthfulness is of utmost importance. Yours truly is universal and may be used in the end of all communique/letter. When friendship is there then you may write Your lovingly friend or
Your L.F.
SUDHKAMP

There are some other opinions too :

Yours faithfully (to unknown person on business)
Yours truly (to slight acquaintance)
Yours very truly (ceremonious but cordial)
Yours sincerely (in invitations and friendly but not intimate letters)

 

[5jj]

Yours faithfully is written in business letters, where faith or trust is the basis of relations...

Not really. It's a matter of convention and, as a couple of people have noted, we are becoming less fussy about the conventions.

 

[bhaisahab]

Not really. It's a matter of convention and, as a couple of people have noted, we are becoming less fussy about the conventions.

In defence of what SUDHKAMP wrote; he is right in what he said in relation to Indian/South Asian English.

 

[SUDHKAMP]

In defence of what SUDHAMP wrote; he is right in what he said in relation to Indian/South Asian English.

This is what our English teachers taught us at High School and also when I joined a typing institute, the coaches there were very strict about the usage of salutations, date, place and how to end the letter. In all the private and commercial conversations in India, the same thing is being followed today without fuss.

 

[MikeNewYork]

This is what our English teachers taught us at High School and also when I joined a typing institute, the coaches there were very strict about the usage of salutations, date, place and how to end the letter. In all the private and commercial conversations in India, the same thing is being followed today without fuss.

Then follow the conventions of your culture.

 

[SUDHKAMP]

Indians are being recognized for their writing skills in English literature and admired world over for quality English.

 

[Tdol]

Not really. It's a matter of convention and, as a couple of people have noted, we are becoming less fussy about the conventions.

We are,though I still use them as they were drummed into me.

 

[5jj]

Indians are being recognized for their writing skills in English literature and admired world over for quality English.

A number of Indian writers are indeed internationally recognised. The language of Indian newspapers and business correspondence is not considered 'quality English' outside the world of speakers of Indian English.

Unforunately, apart from bhai, who has worked within this culture, we have few teachers or linguists in this forum with any real knowledge of Indian English, so it tends to be overlooked here.

ps. Like Tdol, I still follow the conventions - for the same reason.