Phonetic reversal is the process of reversing the phonemes of a word or phrase. When the reversal is identical to the original, the word or phrase is called a phonetic palindrome. Phonetic reversal is not entirely identical to backmasking, which is specifically the reversal of recorded sound. This is because pronunciation in speech cause a reversed diphthong to sound different in either direction (e.g. long I [aɪ] becoming "yah" [ja]), or differently emphasize a consonant depending on where it lies in a word, hence creating an imperfect reversal. Backmasking involves not only the reversal of the order of phonemes, but the reversal of the phonemes themselves, which means that the reversed sound of a phrase may be hard to predict.

According to proponents of reverse speech, phonetic reversal occurs unknowingly during normal speech.

[edit] Examples

• In the 1984 American film Amadeus, lead character Wolfgang Mozart claims to Constanze Weber that "[in Salzburg] everything goes backwards." He then proceeds to deliver a series of phonetically reversed phrases, many of them vulgar, which she must guess by reversing them out loud.
• In the television drama Twin Peaks, the Man from Another Place's character's speech was phonetically reversed. The Simpsons then used the technique to parody that Twin Peaks episode in "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)".
• Singer-Songwriter-Multi-instrumentalist Jim Ure is better known by his phonetically reversed name Midge Ure.
• Kate Bush used phonetic reversal in her songs Watching You Without Me (1985) and Leave it Open (1982).
• In 1982, John Wright of NoMeansNo sung phonetically reversed lyrics on the backing vocal to the "Rich Guns" track on the band's first album, Mama.
• Japan singer Utada Hikaru uses reverse lyrics in her Sanctuary/Passion song. In English, they read "I need more affection then you know", "I need true Emotions" and "So many ups and downs".

[edit] References

• EV: Audio reversal in popular culture
• Script for Amadeus