Spelling wonder

Job Pottas flips words backwards as effortlessly as others write them forward

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

With tools like ChatGPT, many of us hardly remember how to spell words correctly in today’s fast-moving digital world. But for Job Pottas, a business man from Muvattupuzha, Kerala, the rules of spelling seem almost playful. He doesn’t just write words, he flips them, reversing their letters at lightning speed, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

His talent had already earned him a spot in the Limca Book of Records back in 1992, and on 6th August 2010, it brought him into the pages of the Guinness Book of World Records.

Job calls his skill gnilleps, spelling spelled backwards. With a sharp mind, excellent memory, and an avid reader since childhood, he can spot any spelling mistake in any print instantly.

In 1992, he entered the Limca Book of Records after writing the entire first chapter of the Gospel according to St. John (King James Version) in reverse in 36 minutes and 24 seconds at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Ernakulam.

On 12th March 2010, at the Ernakulam Press Club, Job amazed everyone by reversing 50 random words from medicine, law, literature, and science. He spelled them all backwards aloud in just 1 minute and 40.14 seconds, breaking the previous record of 2 minutes and 20 seconds held by Deborah Prebble from London. The audience, which included teachers, doctors, and journalists, watched in awe.

Speaking to the Daily Tribune, Job traces his skill back to his teenage years, when he first started journaling. He discovered a playful way to keep his diary private from curious siblings and parents, writing his entries backwards. What started as a simple pastime soon became a fascination, and over time, this quirky habit evolved into a remarkable talent, one that now dazzlez anyone who witnesses it in action.

Growing up, he recalls an environment that didn’t really encourage his talent. He joined Grade 1 straight, struggled to keep up, and was often bullied or called slow. Watching his peers read and write English effortlessly, he felt left behind. He switched to an English-medium school at grade 5, where he quickly picked up words, became an avid reader, and developed a strong vocabulary, eventually becoming a gifted reverse speller, able to read and write words backward effortlessly.

Little did he know then that this unusual habit would one day earn him a place in the guinness book. Watching him spell serendipity, cacophony, floccinaucinihilipilification or anything and everything in reverse, in a flash, makes you wonder if it’s learned or a natural gift.

Getting into the Guinness Book of Records was no walk in the park, Job recalls, as it rarely recognizes intellectual achievements. Most entries focus on physical feats, sports, or natural extremes. In fact, Guinness initially declined to publish his record because there were no other competitors in his field. Undeterred, Job worked tirelessly through the internet and media to share his unique skill with the world, determined to make himself known in a way no one else had before.

Other Interests

Beyond business, Pottas is also an accomplished singer (can sing with every word reversed!), and has multitude of other hobbies like photography, star gazing and architecture, with a do-it-yourself spirit so strong that he now lives in a house he designed entirely himself. He fondly remembers his late wife, Lovely, who encouraged his passions, and is grateful to his wife Neena for supporting him in taking them even further.

He has five children, one of whom can instantly count letters, holds India and LIMCA records, and now aims for the Guinness Book.