You've probably typed those two little letters a thousand times without really thinking about them. You finish a long-winded email to your boss or a birthday card to your grandma, and then—bam—you realize you forgot to mention the most important thing. So you tack on a "P.S." at the bottom. It’s a reflex. But have you ever actually stopped to wonder what ps in a letter means or why we still use a tool designed for quill and ink in the age of the "delete" key?
Honestly, it’s a bit of a linguistic miracle that the postscript survived the digital revolution.
In a world where we can edit, backspace, and rewrite an entire paragraph in three seconds, the "afterthought" should be dead. Yet, marketers, letter writers, and even high-stakes negotiators still swear by it. It turns out that those two letters carry a psychological weight that the rest of your message usually lacks.
The Latin Roots and the "Oops" Factor
Let’s get the technical stuff out of the way. PS stands for post scriptum. It’s Latin. Literally, it translates to "after writing."
Back in the day—we're talking centuries of handwritten correspondence—this was a functional necessity. If you were halfway through a four-page letter written with a dip pen and suddenly remembered to tell your cousin that the harvest was ruined, you couldn't just "insert" a line. You’d have to rewrite the whole damn page. Nobody has time for that. So, the postscript became the universal "oops, I forgot this" section of the page.
It was a safety net for the brain.
But it’s evolved. Today, if you’re typing an email, you don't need a safety net. You could just scroll up and paste the sentence into the second paragraph. But you don't. Why? Because you know—maybe subconsciously—that the reader's eye naturally gravitates toward the bottom of the page.
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Why Your Brain Loves a Postscript
There is this thing called the Serial Position Effect. If you want to get nerdy about it, psychologists like Hermann Ebbinghaus found that people remember the first and last items in a series better than the middle stuff. This is why the P.S. is prime real estate.
Think about how you read an email. You scan the "Hi," you skim the middle blocks of text, and your eyes land hard on the signature and whatever follows it.
Direct mail marketers have known this for decades. Famous copywriter Professor Siegfried Vögele, who spent years tracking eye movements of readers, discovered that over 90% of readers look at the P.S. before they even read the body of the letter. It’s often the first thing people read, not the last.
When you use a postscript, you aren't just adding an afterthought. You're setting a hook.
The Correct Way to Actually Write It
People get weirdly hung up on the dots. Is it P.S. or PS?
Well, it depends on who you ask and where you live. In American English, the traditional rule (per the Chicago Manual of Style) is P.S. with periods after both letters. However, across the pond in British English, the Oxford University Press often leans toward PS without the dots.
Honestly? It doesn't matter that much in 2026. Just be consistent. Don't write P.S. in the first paragraph and then PS at the bottom. That just looks sloppy.
And if you have another afterthought after your first afterthought? That’s a P.P.S. (post post scriptum). Do not, under any circumstances, write P.S.S. That stands for "post scriptum scriptum," which makes zero sense. It’s like saying "after writing writing." Stick to the extra "P" for every additional layer of forgetfulness you have.
The Psychological Power Move
In business, ps in a letter means leverage.
Imagine you’re sending a proposal. The body of the email is professional, dry, and full of data. But the P.S.? That’s where you get personal.
“P.S. I saw that your team just won the regional award—huge congrats!”
That little tag-on feels more authentic because it’s separated from the "official" message. It feels like a whispered aside or a "by the way" as you’re walking out the door. It breaks the fourth wall of formal communication.
There's also the "limited time" trick. If you're trying to sell something or get a quick response, putting the deadline in the postscript makes it feel more urgent. It’s the last thing they see before they close the tab.
When You Should Definitely Avoid It
Don't use a P.S. for bad news. Ever.
"I’m looking forward to our meeting on Tuesday. P.S. I’m firing you."
That is sociopathic behavior. Postscripts are generally perceived as lighthearted, urgent, or supplementary. Using them for heavy, life-altering, or deeply serious information makes you look like you’re trying to hide the news or that you’re too cowardly to put it in the main body of the text.
If it’s important enough to change someone's week, it belongs in the first paragraph.
The Art of the "Fake" Postscript
In the digital age, most postscripts are "faked."
You didn't actually forget to include the link to your portfolio. You intentionally left it for the P.S. because you wanted to make sure it didn't get buried in the three paragraphs of fluff you wrote about your "synergy" and "valued experience."
It’s a design choice. It creates a visual break.
If your email is a wall of text, the reader's brain gets tired. The P.S. acts as a reset button. It’s short, punchy, and usually stands alone. It’s the "TL;DR" (Too Long; Didn't Read) for the polite society.
Real-World Examples That Actually Worked
Let's look at some history. Some of the most famous letters in history used the postscript to devastating effect.
Winston Churchill was a fan. He’d write these long, sprawling memos and then add a sharp, one-sentence P.S. that basically gave an order he didn’t want to debate in the main text.
In the world of fundraising, charities often use the P.S. to state exactly what a specific dollar amount will do. The letter tells a story about a village needing a well, but the P.S. says, "P.S. $45 is all it takes to buy the drill bit for this specific project." It’s the "closing" of the sale.
Postscripts in the Age of Messaging Apps
Does it work in Slack? Or a text message?
Kinda. But it feels different. In a text, you just send another bubble. But in a platform like LinkedIn or a formal email, the P.S. still holds its ground. It’s a signal of intent.
When you see ps in a letter means, you should think of it as a "Personal Spotlight." It’s your chance to step out of the professional persona and be a human for a second.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Message
If you want to start using postscripts like a pro, stop treating them as an "oops." Start treating them as a strategy.
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- The Hook: Use it to restate your biggest "ask" or your most compelling piece of information.
- The Personal Touch: If the email is formal, use the P.S. to mention something personal you know about the recipient. It shows you aren't a bot.
- The Deadline: Put your "offer expires at midnight" or "I need to know by 5 PM" here. It lingers in the mind better than if it's buried in paragraph three.
- The Link: If you want someone to click something, put it in the P.S. It’s often the most-clicked link in any marketing email.
- Keep it Short: If your postscript is longer than three lines, it’s not a postscript anymore—it’s just a messy letter.
Final Thoughts on the Postscript
The postscript is a relic that refuses to die because it works with the grain of human psychology. We like "bonus" information. We like the last word. We like the feeling that the writer had one final, urgent thought they just had to share before sealing the envelope (or hitting send).
Next time you're finishing an email, don't just sign off with "Best regards." Give them that one final nugget. It’s likely the only thing they’ll actually remember.
Next Steps for Better Writing:
Audit your last five professional emails. If they feel flat, try adding a strategic postscript to your next three. Observe if your response rate or engagement changes—specifically when you use the P.S. to clarify a deadline or add a personal note. For formal documents, ensure you are using the "P.S." or "PS" notation consistently throughout your organization to maintain a cohesive brand voice.