Kindly vs. Please in Email
Both “please” and “kindly” can make requests polite. In international professional email, “please” is usually the simpler neutral choice, while “kindly” can sound more formal and its tone varies by region and context.
Use “please” as a safe default for routine requests. Keep “kindly” when it suits your regional or organizational style, but avoid assuming it is automatically more polite.
Key details
Important caveats
Regional Boundary
Do not label “kindly” universally rude or wrong; its normality and tone vary across English varieties and workplace cultures.
Further guidance
International Tone
For broad professional audiences, concise wording with “please” is usually easier to interpret than stacking multiple politeness markers.
Meaning
VOA Learning English shows that both “kindly” and “please” can be used to make requests politely.
Practical Application
Use “please” as a neutral default for routine professional requests. Retain “kindly” where it fits the regional, organizational, or relationship style, without treating it as inherently more polite or inherently rude.
Reader Check
Does the politeness marker fit the audience’s normal English variety and the directness of the request?
Worked Example
For a broad international audience, “Please send the signed form by Tuesday” is a straightforward default; a workplace that routinely uses “kindly” may keep that established style.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Kindly and Please — VOA Learning English (opens in a new tab)Voice of America Learning English · Polite-request uses of kindly and please
- Business Email Phrases — Professional Alternatives (opens in a new tab)LanguageTool · Current professional-email phrasing and specificity guidance