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I would like to make a polite request to another person, as in

Please kindly fill out the form and return it to us.

I was wondering if the word "kindly" is used when making polite requests in a business context? I see it used frequently by British people (maybe I'm wrong) but I was wondering if it this word also sounds natural in US/Canada?

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    Quaint or not, it's please or kindly, not both.
    – Yosef Baskin
    Commented Jan 31, 2022 at 21:17
  • See also : Is the phrase "please kindly" redundant?
    – KillingTime
    Commented Jan 31, 2022 at 22:06
  • I’m voting to close this question because it's a better fit on Interpersonal Skills.SE.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Feb 1, 2022 at 14:47
  • 2
    It is not clear how asking whether a word is outdated could be outside the scope of this site.
    – jsw29
    Commented Feb 1, 2022 at 16:37

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There seems some doubt over "kindly" when used in business contexts. When making requests, the consensus seems to be that it can be stiff and formal, and "please" is a safer option. However, I would add that it is still widely used and you're unlikely to get sacked for using "kindly".

But "Please kindly send me" is redundant and could even appear condescending or sarcastic; see this ELU question: Is the phrase "please kindly" redundant?.

I did a bit of a search through places where people express opinions on these things. The website lifehack.org says no:

I rarely see this word in formal emails. If you are still using this word, it is best you stop. It is old-fashioned and seemingly antiquated. It is better you use “please” rather than “kindly.”

A respected commenter on Quora, another common Q&A website, says:

"Kindly" can be an awkward term, especially in email. It has a snarky, sarcastic, old-fashioned sound to it, as in "Kindly send payment at your earliest convenience" or "Kindly refrain from contacting me again". There is nothing intrinsically negative or rude about the word; the definition is simply "in a kind manner". But I think in general it might be better to simply substitute the word "please".

Commenters in EnglishForums suggest it's more common in Asian English than the UK or US.

But even IndiaToday (a not very distinguished website admittedly) says:

This word has become old and antiquated. Replacing 'kindly' with please makes you sound more genuine and less Victorian.

On English Language Learners SE there is a difference of opinion with a suggestion it can be patronising if overused/misused. Another commenter shows that "please" is a lot more common.

Outside business it is fine in some contexts: "to put it kindly" often has a certain amount of irony, and "a kindly old lady" is a bit condescending, but I'm sure you can find other places it is entirely sincere.

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  • Kindly, in such contexts, is often ambiguous between qualifying the request itself and qualifying the manner in which the request is to be executed. Adding it to please is redundant if it is intended in the former way, but not if it is intended in the latter. (The ambiguity, however, does not affect the question of whether it is old-fashioned.)
    – jsw29
    Commented Feb 2, 2022 at 17:09

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