Should you use a comma/period after "Thanks"/"Regards" in email signatures?

Question

Normal practice is to end emails with a Thanks or Regards. My question is should there be a comma or a period or nothing after Thanks/Regards?

Thanks,
John Doe

Or

Thanks.
John Doe

Or

Thanks
John Doe

I have seen all three versions as part of email signatures. Which among these three is correct? Why?

score 31 · Accepted Answer · edited May 22 '12 at 19:57

31

If you consider it to be a phrase that simply spans two lines, I'd say:

Thanks,
John Doe

is correct. Without the comma it would imply that you're thanking John Doe. It's certainly the one I use personally, not that that's a particularly good back-up for this answer. I can't say I've ever seen anyone use it with a ".", that just looks wrong to me.

edited May 22 '12 at 19:57

RegDwigнt

97,231

answered Sep 01 '10 at 09:44

bcmcfc

434
4
9

2

I would add that the version without the comma would most likely be viewed as casualness/sloppiness, while the version with the period would probably be viewed as a stylistic thing — it's something I would have done when I was 14. – Kosmonaut Sep 01 '10 at 11:21

score 10 · Answer 2 · edited May 22 '12 at 19:56

10

The

Thanks.

form tends to seem vaguely abrupt, clipped, perfunctory, and rude to me.

edited May 22 '12 at 19:56

RegDwigнt

97,231

answered Sep 01 '10 at 11:39

mskfisher

2,155

1

Excuse me, but what's rude about it? – Dia Sep 01 '10 at 17:48
3

@Dia: because of the short, clipped nature of that sentence, it might be read with a sarcastic tone. – Mr. Shiny and New 安宇 Sep 03 '10 at 14:28
2

Agree, but not extremely. I see it as 10% rude, but I always give the sender the benefit of that doubt :P Still, comma is better. – tenfour Mar 26 '11 at 22:54

Should you use a comma/period after "Thanks"/"Regards" in email signatures?

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