What does PS stand for on a letter? It stands for postscript, which derives from the Latin phrase post scriptum, meaning "written after." When you drop a note at the very bottom of a typed message or handwritten page, you are using a postscript to add a thought after the main text has already concluded.
Despite living in an era of rapid digital messaging, the postscript remains one of the most powerful psychological tools in communication. Readers skip paragraphs, skim introductory sentences, and rush through body text, but their eyes are naturally drawn to the bottom of a page. Marketers, novelists, and executives have long exploited this quirk of human behavior to deliver their most compelling message where it matters most.
Understanding why this convention persists requires examining its linguistic origins, its psychological grip on readers, and its modern applications in everything from email marketing to professional correspondence.
The Linguistic Origin of Postscript
The abbreviation P.S. traces its lineage back to a time when letters required physical ink, parchment, and a fair amount of manual labor. Writers didn't possess the luxury of the backspace key or a word processor. Once a letter was drafted, reviewed, and signed, adding a missed detail meant either rewriting the entire sheet or finding a clever workaround.
Writers began utilizing the margins, top corners, and bottom spaces to squeeze in forgotten thoughts. Over time, post scriptum became the standardized shorthand for these addendums.
The transition from physical ink to typewriters didn't diminish its utility. Typing a corporate letter required setting up carbon paper and ribbons, making revisions messy and time-consuming. Tacking a postscript onto the bottom of the final draft allowed typists and authors to include a late-breaking detail without retyping the entire page.
The Psychology of the Postscript
Human reading habits explain why the postscript punches above its weight class. Eye-tracking studies on reading patterns reveal a fascinating phenomenon: when people encounter a letter or a structured page of text, they rarely read every single word linearly. Instead, their eyes scan the opening, dip briefly into the body, and often jump straight to the signature and the very bottom of the page before deciding whether to read the details.
This behavioral quirk makes the postscript a prime piece of real estate. When you place a sentence below your signature, you capture the attention of both the meticulous reader and the hurried skimmer.
Direct response copywriters discovered decades ago that sales letters with strong postscripts routinely outperformed those without them. Readers who ignore the core arguments often stop to read the P.S. out of sheer curiosity. If that final line delivers a punchy hook, a strong call to action, or a reminder of a vital deadline, it frequently flips a hesitant reader into an engaged participant.
Strategic Uses in Modern Communication
You don't need to write historical epics or direct-mail sales pitches to make use of a postscript. The tactic adapts smoothly to modern communication channels, provided you use it with intent rather than as an afterthought.
Highlighting Urgency in Professional Emails
Business email inboxes are crowded fields where long paragraphs drown in digital noise. While your main message should state your primary objective clearly, a postscript serves as a secondary anchor.
For instance, if you are inviting team members to a strategy session, your main body covers the agenda and objectives. Your postscript can emphasize a single constraint, such as the required pre-reading or the hard RSVP deadline. Because readers scan the bottom of an email just as they do a paper letter, that final line ensures critical logistical details aren't lost in the middle of a dense paragraph.
Adding Personal Touches
Handwritten letters and thoughtful personal notes benefit from the warmth of a postscript. It mimics conversational speech. When talking to a friend in person, you often share your main story, say goodbye, and then turn back around with a sudden flash of memory: "Oh, and by the way, say hello to your sister for me."
A postscript captures that casual, conversational cadence on paper. It shifts the tone of an otherwise formal letter into something intimate and authentic.
Reinforcing a Core Message
If your letter has multiple moving parts, your reader might finish the text feeling slightly overwhelmed. A well-crafted postscript distills your intent down to a single sentence. It acts as an anchor, reminding the audience what matters most before they close the tab or fold the paper.
Common Mistakes When Using a Postscript
Writers often misuse postscripts, turning a sharp strategic asset into a cluttered distraction. Avoiding these common errors keeps your writing clean and impactful.
- Burying the main point: If your core message belongs in the introduction or the body paragraphs, don't shove it into a postscript just to be clever. The P.S. should enhance or punctuate your message, not carry the primary weight of the communication.
- Writing an essay: A postscript should be concise. If your addendum spans two or three chunky paragraphs, it isn't a postscript anymore—it's an addendum that belongs higher up in the document. Keep it to one or two crisp sentences.
- Overusing them: If every single email or letter you write features a P.S., the tactic loses its punch. Reserve postscripts for moments when you need to emphasize an urgent detail, add a warm personal touch, or drive a specific action.
- Stacking too many layers: Amateurs sometimes resort to writing a P.S., followed by a P.P.S. (post postscriptum, meaning "after what has been written further"), and even a P.P.P.S. This creates a disorganized mess. If you have multiple thoughts to add, integrate them into the body of your text.
Beyond P.S.: Understanding P.P.S. and Other Variations
As usage evolved, writers invented additional abbreviations to handle multiple layers of postscripts. While these terms exist, using them requires caution to avoid looking messy or disorganized.
- P.P.S. (post post scriptum): This translates to "after what has been written further." It signifies a second postscript added after the first one. In modern writing, stacking multiple postscripts usually signals poor planning; it's almost always better to revise your main text than to rely on a chain of addendums.
- S.P. (sub scripto or supra scripto): Less common in English, this variation occasionally appears in historical European correspondence, though modern readers rarely encounter it outside of academic or archival texts.
For a deeper dive into historical correspondence standards and formatting traditions, you can explore the guidelines maintained by the University of Chicago Press or reference formatting standards provided by the Modern Language Association for manuscript preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do periods go after each letter in P.S.?
Traditional grammar rules dictate that periods should follow both letters (P.S.). However, modern styling often drops the punctuation, resulting in PS. Both versions are widely accepted, though punctuated variations remain the most standard in formal business correspondence.
Is it acceptable to use a postscript in professional emails?
Yes, provided the context fits. A postscript works well in marketing emails, newsletters, and informal professional check-ins to highlight a specific link or deadline. Avoid using them in formal legal documents or stiff institutional notices where strict formatting rules apply.
Can you use a postscript without a signature?
Technically, a postscript means "written after," which implies it follows a signature or the conclusion of the main text. Placing text at the very bottom of an email below your sign-off qualifies it as a postscript, even if no handwritten signature is present.
Why do email marketers love postscripts?
Data from email marketing campaigns consistently shows that the P.S. is one of the most-read sections of an email. Marketers use it to reiterate the main offer, display a discount code, or create a sense of urgency for subscribers who skim the body copy.
