postscript

/ˈpoʊst.skɹɪpt/

//ˈpoʊst.skɹɪpt// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"postscript" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“postscript” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,489. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,489
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An addendum to a letter, added after the author's signature.

Corpus desk

Index EN-postscript · postscript · English

postscript · rank #39,489 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,489
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH postmortem

Nearest frequency peer: postmortem (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “postscript”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “postscript” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for postscript
PropertyValue
Headwordpostscript
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpoʊst.skɹɪpt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#39,489
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “postscript”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).postscriptlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “postmortem” (#39,488), “prehistory” (#39,490), “preterm” (#39,491). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “postscript” is #39,489. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around postscript (IPA /ˈpoʊst.skɹɪpt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,489 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for postscript, with forms such as "opstscript", "posstcript", and "posstscript". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From New Latin postscriptum, from Latin, neuter of postscriptus, past participle of postscrībō (“write after”), from post (“after”) + scrībō (“write”). By surface analysis, post- + script. The correct English form is postscript, spelled P-O-S-T-S-C-R-I-P-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An addendum to a letter, added after the author's signature.
  2. 2
    An addition to a story, play, etc. after its completion.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how postscript appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. As a rule Julian dictated to secretaries, and so fast that Libanius says the "tachygraphers" were unable to keep pace with him, but certain postscripts are marked "with his own hand."
  2. In a moving post-script to the novel, Forster tells the reader that the book was inspired by a visit to the home of Edward Carpenter.

Etymology

From New Latin postscriptum, from Latin, neuter of postscriptus, past participle of postscrībō (“write after”), from post (“after”) + scrībō (“write”). By surface analysis, post- + script.

Synonyms

afterscriptafterword

This word in other languages

posdata(Español)post-scriptum(Français)Postskriptum(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opstscript
  • posstcript
  • posstscript
  • postcsript
  • postsccript
  • postscirpt
  • postscrippt
  • postscriptt
  • postscritp
  • postscrpit
  • postscrript
  • postsrcipt
  • postsscript
  • posttscript
  • potsscript
  • ppostscript
  • psotscript

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of postscript - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

opstscript2posstcript2posstscript1postcsript2postsccript1postscirpt2postscrippt1postscriptt1
Edit distance from "postscript"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "postscript"?
"postscript" is spelled P-O-S-T-S-C-R-I-P-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpoʊst.skɹɪpt/.
What does "postscript" mean?
As a noun, "postscript" means: An addendum to a letter, added after the author's signature.
What are common misspellings of "postscript"?
Common misspellings include "opstscript", "posstcript", "posstscript", "postcsript", "postsccript". The correct spelling is "postscript".
How do you pronounce "postscript"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "postscript" is /ˈpoʊst.skɹɪpt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "postscript"?
From New Latin postscriptum, from Latin, neuter of postscriptus, past participle of postscrībō (“write after”), from post (“after”) + scrībō (“write”). By surface analysis, post- + script. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "postscript", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

postmortem#39,488prehistory#39,490refundable#39,524Neapolitan#39,448

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

melancholic17 variantssuspenseful17 variantsimpropriety17 variantsgentlemen's17 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list