Regard vs. Regards

The word “regard” can be used as a verb or a noun.

As a noun, the word expresses "an aspect or thought":

In regard to your question, no, I do not prefer sugar in my coffee.

The noun also references “a point or aspect”:

In this regard, I like bitter coffee.

“Regard” can also be utilized as a verb to signify “having esteem”:

After hearing his presentation, I highly regard Dr. Smith’s intelligence.

Regard

“Regard” is the word that you want to use if you aim to express any of the above thoughts (or any of the other meanings of the word “regard”).

Regards

“Regards” should be used in two specific circumstances.

1. “Regards” is used only as a noun related to emotions.

For example:

- “Linda has not been feeling well.”
- “Oh, really? I’m sorry to hear that! Please send her my regards.”

In the above example, you are feeling an emotion or sentiment about Linda’s illness, so you want to send her your good wishes.

2. The verb “regard” transforms into “regards” when related to a singular noun or pronoun:

-I regard
-You regard
-He/she/it regards
-They regard

That’s it! Use “regard” (or a form of "regard") unless you are sending your feelings of empathy to someone else!

In conversation, if you say “regard” instead of “regards,” or vice versa, what you intend to express may still be understood by listeners; if you tend to confuse these two words when writing text, check that you use the appropriate option while proofreading.

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.