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Thank You for Your Kind Words: Compliment Replies
How to say thank you for your kind words and respond to a compliment, with replies for notes, reviews, LinkedIn recommendations, speeches and customers.
Edited by Michael KahnUpdated
Heartfelt
Dear Aunt Bev, Thank you for the note you tucked into my graduation card. Reading that you still remember me reciting the state capitals on your back porch made me laugh and then tear up a little. I put the card on the shelf above my desk, where I will see it every morning. With love, Celia
Dear Ezra, Thank you for finding me after the recital to say something about the Chopin nocturne. I fumbled the left hand in the middle section and was sure everyone heard it, so your saying it made you think of your grandmother's piano meant a great deal. I am glad you were in the third row. Warmly, Annika
Dear Harriet, Thank you for everything you said at my retirement lunch. Thirty-one years at Linden Elementary is a long time, and hearing you tell the story of my first day, when I locked myself out of Room 12, made the whole room laugh. I will miss our hallway talks. With affection, Abigail
Dear Felicity, Thank you for your kind words after Dad's service. You remembered how he used to whistle while he fixed the neighborhood bikes, and our whole family has been repeating that story since. Your note is in the box with his watch. With love, Dmitri
Dear Grandma Ada, Thank you for telling me the quilt I made for the baby looked like something your own mother would have sewn. That is the highest praise I could get from you, and I am keeping the little scrap of blue gingham you sent along with your letter. Love always, Daria
Warm
Dear Gideon, Thank you for what you said after the board meeting. When you told me my budget presentation was the clearest one you had sat through all year, I walked back to my office about two inches taller. I spent three weekends on those slides, so it was good to hear they worked. Thanks again, Hana
Dear Hollis, Thank you for the generous review you left for Blue Door Bakery. We read it out loud in the kitchen before the 6 a.m. bake, and Ellie was especially happy you singled out her cardamom buns. Your next coffee is on us. Gratefully, Frances and the Blue Door team
Dear Emmett, Thank you for the card you passed around at my farewell. I read every line on the train home, and the one from the mailroom crew about my terrible puns made me miss the office before I had even left it. I will be easy to find, so stay in touch. All the best, Caleb
Dear Evan, Thank you for the lovely things you said about my mother's lasagna at the potluck. She was standing behind you when you asked for the recipe, and she has been glowing about it all week. I have attached her handwritten card so you can make it yourself. Warmly, Gemma
Dear Bridget, Thank you for the kind words in your card after my surgery. You wrote that you missed my laugh at the Thursday book club, and I have been holding on to that through physical therapy. Save me my seat by the fireplace. With love, Eleanor
Funny
Thank you for the kind words about the sourdough. I will take the credit, but the starter is twelve years old and does most of the work.
Thank you all for the kind words on my first 10K. I came in 214th, which I am choosing to call top 300, and I am signing up for the next one.
Casual
Hi Fiona, Thank you for the kind words about the garden. I almost pulled out the dahlias in July when the earwigs got to them, so hearing you stop on your walk to admire them was a nice reward for sticking it out. Come by in September and take a bunch home. Warmly, Bianca
Dear Colin, Thank you for your kind words after my toast at Dana's wedding. My hands were shaking through the whole story about the camping trip, and you were the first person to tell me it landed. I owe you a drink at the next family reunion. Thanks, Bruno
Hi Gus, Thanks for the birthday message this morning. You are the only one who remembered I turned 40 the same week I finally finished the canoe, and the photo you sent of us paddling it on Lake Arrowhead made my day. Cheers, Hector
Thank you so much for saying that about the photos from the Big Sur trip! I took about 900 to get those six, so it is nice to hear they were worth it.
Aw, thank you, Ellis. Your text about the toast made me grin in the middle of the cleanup. Coffee this week?
Formal
Dear Mr. Albright, Thank you for your kind words about Daniel's essay on the Dust Bowl. He read your comment twice at the dinner table and then asked if he could write another one over break. Your encouragement this semester has made a real difference in how he sees himself as a writer. With appreciation, Gwen Hartley
Dear Delia, Thank you for the recommendation you wrote on my LinkedIn profile. You described the Hayward warehouse rollout better than I could have, especially the part about keeping the night crew on board. Two recruiters have already mentioned it. If I can ever return the favor, please ask. Best regards, Adrian
Hello Mrs. Bancroft, Thank you for taking a moment to tell our manager about your visit. Elena was the stylist who did your color, and she was thrilled to hear the copper came out just the way you pictured it. We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment. Kind regards, Grace at Halsey Salon
Dear Professor Dunmore, Thank you for the comments on my thesis draft. Your note that the third chapter was the strongest work you had seen from me this year gave me the push to rewrite the first two to match it. I submitted the final version on Friday. Sincerely, Bea Lindqvist
Dear Aiden, Thank you for the email after the launch. You did not have to copy my director on it, and the line about my handling the client's 11 p.m. changes without a single missed deadline is going into my review folder. I am grateful you took the time. Thanks, Clara
Dear Pastor Alden, Thank you for the kind words you shared after the choir's Christmas Eve service. Our altos worked on that descant every Wednesday since October, and hearing that it carried to the back pews made all those rehearsals worth it. The choir sends its thanks. With gratitude, Bethany, choir director
Hi Farah, Thank you for your kind words about the redesign. I have passed your note along to Benji, who did most of the illustration work, so he hears it too. I appreciate you taking the time to write. Best, Alma
Short & sweet
Thank you for the compliment on my coat. It was my grandmother's, and I love that it still turns heads.
Thank you, that is kind of you to say. I worked hard on it.
Thank you for the kind words. They came on a day I needed them.
Thank you for noticing. You made my whole afternoon.
To thank someone for their kind words, say thank you, name the thing they praised, and add one line about why it landed (you were nervous, you worked hard on it, you needed it that day). Two or three sentences is enough. Reply in the same form they used, within a few days: a text for a text, a note for a handwritten card, an email for an email.
Accept the compliment
The hardest part of responding to a compliment is not arguing with it. “Oh, this old thing” or “it was nothing” tells the other person they misjudged. Say thank you and stop, or say thank you and add one true detail: the coat was your grandmother’s, the starter is twelve years old, the slides took three weekends.
If the praise belongs partly to someone else, say so and pass it on. “I have passed your note to Benji, who did the illustrations” is gracious and keeps the credit honest.
Repeat back what they said
Kind words feel personal because the other person noticed something specific. Show them you heard it by naming it in your reply: the dahlias, the descant, the line about the night crew. A reply that just says “thank you for your kind words” could go to anyone, and one that quotes or paraphrases their compliment could only go to them.
Thank you for kind words after a speech, toast or performance
After a wedding toast, a recital, a sermon or a work presentation, the people who come up afterward may not know how nervous you were. Telling them (“my hands were shaking the whole time”) makes your thanks warmer and lets them know their words mattered. A text the same evening is fine for friends, and a card works for an older relative or a mentor who wrote to you.
Retirement, farewell and kind words from coworkers
A retirement lunch or a farewell card full of signatures deserves a reply. Send one group email or note to everyone, and mention a story or two that people told, then write separately to anyone who gave a speech. If you want more phrasing for work notes, our list of other ways to say thank you has options that fit an office email.
Replying to reviews, recommendations and customer compliments
A LinkedIn recommendation calls for a private message within a week, naming one detail from it and offering to return the favor if that fits the relationship. For a business, reply to a glowing review by thanking the customer, naming what they praised and crediting the employee they mentioned. Our customer appreciation wording covers broader thanks to regulars and clients.
Condolence words and birthday wishes
When someone writes something kind after a death, a short reply that names the memory they shared is enough. You do not owe a long letter while you are grieving. Our funeral and sympathy thank-you wording covers flowers, meals and donations as well. For a flood of birthday messages, one thank-you post plus a few personal replies works well, and our birthday wishes thank-you wording has more.
Text, email, card or in person
Match the effort they made. A comment on a photo gets a reply in the comments or a like. A text gets a text. An email from a manager or client gets a short email back, ideally the same day. A handwritten note, especially from a teacher, grandparent or someone grieving with you, deserves a handwritten reply. In person, “thank you, that is kind of you to say” is complete, and you can follow up later in writing if it was something that stayed with you.
When someone thanks you back
Sometimes your thank-you prompts another round of thanks. You do not need to keep the loop going forever. A smile, a heart reaction or “of course, I meant every word” closes it politely. For more on how to reply when someone thanks you, see how to respond to a thank-you.
Common questions
How do you respond to a compliment?
Say thank you and accept it. A plain "thank you, that is kind of you to say" works for almost anything, and you can add one detail if you want to keep the conversation going, such as where the coat came from or how long the project took. Avoid brushing it off, since that can leave the other person feeling their compliment was wrong.
What can I say instead of "thank you for your kind words"?
Try "that means a lot coming from you", "thank you for noticing", "I appreciate you saying that", "you made my day", or "thank you for taking the time to write." Then add a line about what they praised, so the reply sounds like it was written for them.
How do you thank someone for kind words after a speech or performance?
Mention one thing they said or one moment they liked, and tell them how you felt going in, such as nervous or unsure. A short note or message within a few days is plenty, and a card is a nice touch if they wrote you something by hand.
How should a business respond to a customer compliment?
Thank the customer by name, mention the specific thing they praised, and name the employee if one was singled out, then pass the compliment along to that person. Keep it to two or three sentences and sign it from a real person or team.
How do you reply to a LinkedIn recommendation?
Send a short private message thanking them for one detail they wrote, and offer to write one for them in return if it fits. A public comment is optional, but the private thanks is the part they will notice.
Should I write a thank-you note for condolence words?
Yes, if someone wrote you a personal letter or said something at the service that stayed with you. One or two sentences naming the memory they shared is enough, and printed acknowledgment cards are fine for simple signed sympathy cards.
Is it rude not to reply to kind words on social media?
No. Liking each comment or posting one group thank-you is enough for most posts. Reply personally to close friends, people who shared a memory, and anyone who wrote more than a line.