Why Using a Period at the End of a Sentence Sounds So Angry

The smallest piece of punctuation in our arsenal might actually be the most powerful

I recently received a request for some outstanding work that ended with the words “Many thanks.”

The period drove me insane.

Had my associate written “Many thanks!” I might have taken that little bat and ball of an exclamation mark as a jolly request for work I did genuinely owe them. Had they written “Many thanks,” and signed off with their name, I might have found the phrasing cold but professional.

But the simple, formal nature of “many thanks,” coupled with the tiny on-screen bullethole of a period? Well, that screamed “shots fired.” (See also: “Thanks in advance.” or: “Happy to discuss this in person.”)

In an era when every digital exchange must be carefully signposted with 👍 and 🙂 at regular intervals to maintain a relentlessly upbeat tone, we might think of the simple period as an old-fashioned piece of punctuation that escapes such self-conscious scrutiny. After all, from an early age, we’re taught that sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a period.

But as text speak becomes a parallel language with its own norms and rules, every bit of punctuation can…