Letter: Closing - "Kisses" at the end of an informal letter (2025)

kuleshov said:

I've been told that English people never use the expression "Kisses" to end an informal letter.
Do you agree?
You can write XXXXXX meaning kisses, though.

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Actually it is XXX (which also means something else in the web )
It is due to the fact that the 22nd letter of the greek alfabet ("c") is "pronounced" khi (also chi) in English, so its graphical latin counterpart XXX = X's sounds like khi's -> khises -> kisses

Uinni

Yes, I agree. It's not usual to write "Kisses". An expression such as "Love" or "Lots of love" would be the most common option, at least in British English.

I tend to sign off letters and e-mails to my loved ones with "xx" - either just after my name, or underneath it.

uinni said:

Actually it is XXX (which also means something else in the web )
It is due to the fact that the 22nd letter of the greek alfabet ("c") is "pronounced" khi (also chi) in English, so its graphical latin counterpart XXX = X's sounds like khi's -> khises -> kisses

Uinni

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WOW I never knew that!
Thanks uinni.

By the way, you can have as many XXXXXXs as you wish.
And you can also have as many OOOOOOOs (hugs).
Often these are written as XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

I have seen "hugs and kisses" written out at the end of a very casual letter, and have another friend who closes her correspondence with simply "hugs (written out)."

The xoxoxoxo is more common, however.

For more on the subject, you are welcome to go here.

Kisses would never be used for a formal letter, and often (in AE at least), it may imply EITHER an intimate OR a parental (familial) tone.

But that said, Kisses is perfectly acceptable in the right circumstances.

nycphotography said:

But that said, Kisses is perfectly acceptable in the right circumstances.

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You're absolutely right, or course, that it's acceptable in a letter to someone you're intimate with; nevertheless, a learner of English should be aware that it's not a standard way of signing off.

Some languages routinely use the equivalent of "Kisses" to end a letter ("Bisous" in French, "Besos" in Spanish, etc.) but in English, we don't have a tradition of doing so.

Of course, in reality we're perfectly free to choose to end a letter in this way, and in fact I'm sure most people are usually much more creative and original in the way they sign off

Hi, Happy new year!

I just received an e-mail from my male friend in the UK. He finished his lettre with "Love, (his first name)". Does-it mean he has some sort of affection to me? Or, just as friend? He has many affections to me but he says indirectly all the time.

Thanks for your reply beforehands.

Y 007

E-J said:

Yes, I agree. It's not usual to write "Kisses". An expression such as "Love" or "Lots of love" would be the most common option, at least in British English.

I tend to sign off letters and e-mails to my loved ones with "xx" - either just after my name, or underneath it.

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In the UK it is quite normal to end letters informally (to Mum & Dad, brothers & sisters, aunties & uncles, grandma & granddad, cousins and good friends etc) with.....

Love from Tresley

XXX

Yaya7777 - you may/might/could be regarded as a 'good friend'. Don't read too much into it! It's just being friendly.

I would only write 'lots of love and kisses' to someone that I was in love with (i.e. wife, fiancée, girlfriend).

XXXXXX - Is quite normal at the end of informal letters to loved ones in the UK

XOXOX - I never use this and my family/friends never do this to me either. OXO = gravy in the UK

Thanks. He is my ex fiancé and he is now merried. He loves me actually. He regrets that he got merried with her present wife.
Just wanted know what it means in your language.

Bye.

Tresley said:

In the UK it is quite normal to end letters informally (to Mum & Dad, brothers & sisters, aunties & uncles, grandma & granddad, cousins and good friends etc) with.....

Love from Tresley

XXX

Yaya7777 - you may/might/could be regarded as a 'good friend'. Don't read too much into it! It's just being friendly.

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Yaya7777 said:

Thanks. He is my ex fiancé and he is now merried. He loves me actually. He regrets that he got merried with her present wife.
Just wanted know what it means in your language.

Bye.

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In this case, yes, he does still think of you fondly. If there were NO KISSES (XXX) then it is definitely THE END!