Words are like puzzles, and sometimes, when you flip them around, new meanings can emerge, offering unexpected connections. For TESOL teachers, playing with word reversals can be a fun and creative way to engage students in language learning. In this article, we’ll explore five entertaining examples of words that take on surprising connections when spelled backward and how these links can help spark lively discussions in your classroom.
1. Law and Wall *
Let’s start with “law.” When you reverse it, you get “wall.” This creates an interesting metaphor: just as walls provide structure and protection, laws do the same for society. Laws are the “walls” that keep society running smoothly, providing boundaries that protect people and maintain order.
Classroom Discussion Idea: Ask your students to brainstorm other ways in which laws and walls are similar. Are there times when laws feel restrictive, like walls? When do walls provide safety, just as laws do?
2. Stop and Pots
Next, we have “stop,” which becomes “pots” when reversed. Think about it: to “stop” something is to bring it to a halt, while “pots” are containers that hold things. In a way, a pot “stops” liquid from flowing freely—it holds it in place, just as the word “stop” commands things to pause.
Classroom Activity: Have your students think of other containers and how they metaphorically “stop” things from moving. Then, ask them to come up with scenarios where they’d use “stop” and “pots” in different contexts.
3. Live and Evil
This is one of the most famous word reversals: “live” becomes “evil” when spelled backward. It’s a thought-provoking concept! Life is often associated with goodness, creativity, and progress, while “evil” represents destruction or harm. Reversing the word adds a layer of depth to discussions about how choices in life can lead to positive or negative outcomes.
Classroom Debate: Initiate a discussion about the balance between good and evil in the world. Can students think of any examples from history, literature, or even comics (like superheroes vs. villains) where this balance is portrayed?
4. Desserts and Stressed
Who knew your favorite part of the meal had a linguistic connection to how you might feel at the end of a long day? “Desserts” spelled backward is “stressed,” which offers a humorous take on how desserts can relieve stress. It’s a fun example of how wordplay can reflect reality—many people reach for something sweet when they’re feeling stressed.
Classroom Fun: Ask students to share their favorite desserts and talk about what they do when they’re stressed. You could even have them write a fun narrative about a stressed-out character who finds comfort in desserts!
5. Drawer and Reward
Lastly, let’s look at “drawer” and “reward.” When you open a drawer, you’re often looking for something—a pen, paper, or that one thing you swore you’d put in there but can’t find! Similarly, when you search and find, you are often “rewarded” with what you seek. The connection between “drawer” and “reward” makes sense: the action of opening the drawer leads to a reward, such as finding what you need.
Classroom Exploration: Have your students imagine they are searching through a drawer and finding a “reward.” Ask them to write short stories about what’s in the drawer and why it’s rewarding for the character.
Why Word Reversals are Fun and Educational
Playing with word reversals like these isn’t just a fun linguistic exercise—it’s a way to build students’ critical thinking and language skills. It encourages them to think outside the box, explore metaphors, and make connections between words and meanings. Plus, it’s a great way to foster creativity in the TESOL classroom!
Activity Idea for the Classroom: Challenge your students to come up with their own examples of words that reveal hidden connections when reversed. They might be surprised by how many they can find!
Conclusion: Wordplay for the Win!
As TESOL teachers, we can use wordplay like reversals to make language learning fun, interactive, and thought-provoking. Words take on new layers of meaning when flipped around, and exploring these connections can help students appreciate the intricacies of English while having a great time. Whether you’re discussing how laws are like walls or why desserts are the best cure for stress, your students will be motivated to think more deeply about language and its many hidden surprises.
* “Law” and “wall” have an extra “L” when reversed, so they’re not perfect mirror images. However, we can explain this by focusing on the conceptual connection rather than the exact spelling. The idea behind playing with word reversals is more about discovering creative or symbolic connections, even if the words aren’t perfect anagrams. In this case, the metaphor of laws being like walls—both providing structure and protection—works as a useful teaching tool, despite the spelling discrepancy.
Classroom Explanation: You can tell your students that while the words “law” and “wall” aren’t exact matches when reversed, the connection is more about how both concepts function in society. Laws “build boundaries” like walls, even though they aren’t identical in form. This makes it a fun way to explore wordplay and meaning, encouraging students to think creatively about language.
