Choose leaders and divide the company into sides. The sides stand opposite each other as in the old-fashioned spelling match.

The leader, who may be the hostess, has a spelling book from which she selects the words which the players must spell backwards. Words of one or two syllables may be chosen, and if, when spelt backwards, they spell other words, so much the better.

The players take turns, one on one side, and one on the other, and so on, until all have spelled. If any fail to spell the word backwards, or do not pronounce it afterward, if it can be pronounced, they must drop out. The side which stands up the longest is the winning side.

Some words are: