A registry of people who reverse spoken words naturally, with the aim of connecting them and enabling systematic research.
What is backward speech?
Even though little is known about backward speech, a small number of case studies since the 1980s describe people who reverse words fluently. Most of them report that the ability appeared in childhood, without deliberate training.
The studies distinguish two strategies. In orthographic reversal the speaker reverses the written form of a word, letter by letter. In phonological reversal the speaker reverses the sequence of sounds. Some speakers use both, depending on the word.
Both strategies count as backward speech. How common the ability is, and which cognitive processes it relies on, can only be answered with larger samples.
KNIGHT
- Orthographic - reverse the letters
- THGINK
- Phonological - reverse the sounds
- TIAN
- /naɪt/ → /tɪan/
Give it a try
Ten pseudowords are read aloud, one at a time. For each one, say the reversal, then hear the correct reversal and rate your answer. The test records accuracy and response time per item and compares them with a backward speaker and with others on the same words.
- 1Listen - Hear a pseudoword.
- 2Reverse - Say it backward.
- 3Check - Hear it, rate yourself.
Listen…
Say it backward.
or press Space
- Forward
- Backward
Audio not available
Paused while the page was hidden.
Audio not available - check the sound and the connection.
Your result
- Right
- Wrong
- Accuracy
- Total time
- Answer time - total
- Answer time - mean
- Mean - right only
- Median - right only
- Best - right only
| Date | Right | Median | Total time |
|---|
History not saved - this browser blocks storage.
An exploratory demo - not a diagnostic or validated measure.
Research so far
Three key studies - from the first reports in children to genetics and brain imaging. The findings point to two reversal strategies and to a role of working memory.
- 1982Talking backward: Exceptional speech play in late childhoodCowan & Leavitt - Journal of Child LanguageTwo boys who invented backward talking on their own, and reports from 27 adults: the ability appears from about age 7, based on either the sounds or the spelling of words. (opens in a new tab)
- 2016Multidisciplinary investigation links backward-speech trait and working memory through genetic mutationPrekovic et al. - Scientific ReportsA Serbian family in which backward speech occurs: the ability is tied to an unusually large working memory and to a mutation in the gene RIC3. (opens in a new tab)
- 2020Neurocognitive signatures of phonemic sequencing in expert backward speakersTorres-Prioris et al. - Scientific ReportsTwo expert backward speakers reverse words and sentences better than controls; brain imaging shows differences in language networks that vary between the two. (opens in a new tab)
Speakers, researchers and people who are just curious can connect with the registry.
I'm Jakob, and I have been able to speak backward since I was roughly 9 years old.
Short words and words I read tend to flip letter by letter; words I hear tend to flip sound by sound. I can also stick to one way on purpose.
Looking for others with this ability, I found only a handful of case studies. Yrtsiger is meant to bring speakers together for research, with a common method to measure reversal. Tournaments and a non-profit association are planned.
FAQ
Do I need training?
No. The registry is about the natural ability, but speakers who got there through practice are included too - choose "Practice" in the form.
What happens to my data?
Your details arrive by email and are kept only to contact you about the registry - and about studies or other speakers only if ticked under "Studies and other speakers". They are never published or sold, and you can have them deleted at any time. The privacy policy has the details.
What do I get out of connecting?
Contact with other speakers, a measurement of your own reversal performance, and information about studies you can take part in. Connecting is free and involves no obligation.
Can I connect without being able to do it?
Yes. Anyone who wants to learn backward speech or use it as a mental exercise can connect too - choose "Just curious" under Connect. Whether practice improves working memory in general has not been studied.
Do I have to speak, or is typing enough?
Both count. Some people reverse the sounds, others the spelling, and many switch between the two. In the test you answer aloud and rate yourself against the written reversal.