Eight years ago, a curious six-year-old from Victoria, BC, asked a simple but profound question:

“What do you call a word that makes another word when you spell it backwards?”

That question gave birth to levidrome - a word inspired by Levi Budd, and a cause that has captured imaginations around the world. Today, Levidrome turns 8.

A Word With a Story

Back in 2017, Levi noticed the word “stop” spelled backwards becomes “pots.” When he discovered there wasn't a word to describe this phenomenon, he decided to create one. From that spark of creativity, levidrome was born.

Since then, the word has been shared across classrooms, newsrooms, and social media. It has been celebrated by teachers, authors, and even dictionary editors. The idea is simple, but powerful: words are fun, playful, and alive.

Eight Years of Growth

In its eight years, the levidrome movement has:

• Inspired students and educators to explore language in new ways.
• Sparked global conversations about how new words enter our dictionaries.
• Gained recognition from writers, linguists, and media outlets worldwide.
• Built a community of word-lovers who continue to champion its cause.

Levidrome is more than just a clever term - it's a reminder of the creativity that can come from a child's question.

A Word That's Growing Up

Turning eight is a milestone. For children, it's an age of curiosity, learning, and adventure. For levidrome, it's proof that a word can grow, thrive, and continue to inspire long after its creation.

Just like the kids who have grown up alongside it, levidrome is ready to keep making its mark.

Join the Celebration

On this 8th birthday, we invite everyone to:

• Share your favorite levidrome pair (like “drawer” and “reward”).
• Use the word levidrome in writing and conversation.
• Teach it to students, friends, or family - and watch their faces light up.
• Keep supporting the cause to one day see levidrome officially included in all major dictionaries.

Happy 8th Birthday, Levidrome!

What started as a child's brilliant idea has grown into a global celebration of words. Here's to eight years of creativity - and many more to come.

(Birthday card courtesy of https://happy.birthday-to-you.com.)

Let's make this happen.

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We stumbled across an article which appeared on the Victoria News website. Published by Christine van Reeuwyk, it mentions that Levidrome is among the latest additions to A Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles.

The article is a good overview of the journey of getting the word recognized in the dictionaries.

"It's among 181 new Canadianisms added this spring, for a total of more than 14,500, including local favourites such as down island, demoviction, elbows up and lahal.

Way to go!

You can view the full article, A Victoria-born word is officially in the dictionary of Canadianism on the Victoria News Webite.

You can also view the online Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles 3RD Edition and search up levidrome.

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This is our second article about levidromes and A.I. This time we interfaced with ChatGPT. Not only were we impressed that ChatGPT knew what a levidrome was, it also is behind the word. We asked a simple question.

What is a levidrome?

ChatGPT said:

A levidrome is a word that forms another valid word when spelled backwards. Unlike a palindrome (which reads the same forwards and backwards), a levidrome changes into a different word in reverse.

Examples:

"stressed" → "desserts"

"god" → "dog"

"drawer" → "reward"

Origin:

The term levidrome was coined by a young boy named Levi Budd from Canada. He noticed there wasn’t a word for this kind of word pair and suggested the name levidrome (after his own name). His father, a poet, helped publicize the idea, and it gained traction online—even attracting attention from Oxford Dictionaries.

Is it an official word?

As of now, levidrome is not officially recognized in most major dictionaries, but it's widely used and understood in wordplay communities.

We then asked ChatGPT:

Are there any other words which are in contention with levidrome?

ChatGPT said:

Great question. While "levidrome" is the most well-known and popularized term for a word that becomes another valid word when reversed, it’s not the only term that has been considered or used informally. However, none have gained as much traction as levidrome. Here's a breakdown:

Levidrome

- Coined by Levi Budd.

- Popularized through viral videos and media coverage.

- Supported by Oxford Dictionaries (though not officially added).

- Intuitive and has a human story behind it, which helped it spread.

Other Terms (Less Common / Academic / Obscure)

1. Semordnilap

- "Palindrome" spelled backwards.

- Refers to words or phrases that spell a different word backwards.

- Example: "diaper" ↔ "repaid".

- Used in recreational linguistics circles and wordplay books.

- Not very elegant or intuitive, which limits its mainstream appeal.

2. Anadrome

- Derived from Greek roots meaning "running back".

- Sometimes used to describe reverse word pairs.

- Rarely seen outside of niche linguistic discussions.

3. Reversal Pair

- A descriptive term, not an official name.

- Used in computational linguistics or programming contexts.

Why Levidrome Has the Edge:

- Catchy and easy to say.

- Human backstory gives it narrative appeal.

- Clear meaning and simple to explain.

- Supported by a grassroots campaign and media interest.

So there is the answer. ChatGPT likes levidromes. If only the dictionaries used ChatGPT, then levidrome would be a shoe-in.

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I periodically check to see if there are any new news on levidromes.

With Google search results, they are providing an AI Overview.

Here is what I found today...

"Levidrome" is a neologism coined by Levi Budd, a young boy from Victoria, British Columbia, to describe a word that, when spelled backward, becomes another word with a different meaning. It is similar to a palindrome, but instead of being the same forward and backward, a levidrome results in a new word.

Examples of levidromes:

1. pool: and loop
2. stop: and pots
3. dog: and god
4. tip: and pit

The term "levidrome" was coined by Levi Budd after he realized there was no official word to describe this phenomenon. His parents helped him popularize the term, aiming to get it included in dictionaries. The term has gained some traction, and Oxford Dictionaries has been tracking its usage, but it hasn't been officially added to their dictionary yet

It is awesome to see that AI knows what a levidrome is.

Let's keep this going.

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