FAQ
Ambigram n., - a word or words that can be read in more than one way or from more than a single vantage point. (from the Latin: ambi=both + gram=letter)
The classic ambigram is a 180-degree symmetric rotation, which means it reads the same upside down and right side up. For instance, a naturally occurring ambigram (more will be demonstrated later) is the word "MOW," which, when turned upside down, still says "mow". The word "mom" however, says a different word, "wow" when rotated. The true art of creating ambigrams lies in going beyond these natural ambigrams and turning any given word or words, regardless of their natural symmetry, into words that can be read in more than one way.
1.1 Different Types of Ambigrams
While the different forms of ambigrams are limited only by imagination, most of them fall into 3 common types:
a) Rotation
Most of the ambigrams you will encounter use this type of symmetry, like the classic examples given above. While many ambigrams are verbally symmetric ( the word is the same both ways, like "mow"), verbally asymmetric ambigrams (the words are different, like "mom" and "wow") allow the ambigrammist to include a double meaning in the design.
b) Reflection
Also known as bilateral or mirror-image symmetry, this refers to words that can be read normally and when reflected in a mirror. A surprising number of words naturally posses this type of symmetry when written
T
H
I
S
W
A
Y .
c) Chains
These ambigrams cannot stand on their own, but instead depend on being linked to the words around them, often forming an interlinked pattern. There is generally an overlap linking one or more of the letters. Chains can be made up of either rotation or reflection ambigrams.
1.2 Other names for Ambigrams:
Though the word "Ambigram" is the commonly accepted term for this type of word, at least 2 other words have been coined to describe this type of wordplay:
Inversions- words that can be read right side up, upside down, and every which way. Used his book "Inversions" Scott Kim describes this word as referring "to all varieties of symmetric lettering. The word has many connotations: turning upside down, reflecting in a mirror, pivoting around a point, subverting expectations, and exchanging roles. The word also occurs in geometry (inversive geometry) and in music (invertible counterpoint)"
Designatures- proposed by Scot Morris of Omni magazine, through its ambiguous pronunciation, this word suggests the "multiple meaning" nature of ambigrams.
However, there is strong support for the general term "Ambigram", as shown in Martin Gardner's foreword to John Langdon's book, Wordplay:
"'Ambigram' is an appropriate term because it suggests a broader property than 'symmetry.' Some ambigrams are ambiguous with respect to symmetry, such as words and phrases that become other words and phrases when inverted, and ambigrams that are ambiguous with respect to a figure and its background."
There are several words in the English language that form ambigrams naturally. Note that when using natural ambigrams, the case and font of the words is important; for instance, upper case N = N but lower case n = u.
2.1 Classic, 180-degree Rotational ambigrams include:
Verbally Symmetrical Words: suns, MOW, NOON, & SWIMS
Verbally Asymmetrical Words: MOM=WOW,NO=ON
2.2 Natural Reflection ambigrams include:
Horizontal -- The following uppercase letters have Horizontal (top to bottom) symmetry: B,C,D,E,H,U,K,O,X
Try placing a mirror horizontally dividing these words in two: CHOICE, CODEBOOK
Vertical -- The following uppercase letters have Vertical (Left/Right) Symmetry: A,H,I,M,O,T,U,V,W,X,Y
Try reading these words in a mirror: TOOT, wow, mom, HAH, YAY, TOT
T
O
M
A
T
O
Because symmetry is found everywhere in life, the art of ambigrams can have a far-reaching effect. Four major areas that contribute or are related to the art of developing ambigrams are Wordplay, Mathematics, Art and Design.
3.1 Wordplay
Palindromes, anagrams, and other forms of wordplay are often used as a basis for ambigrams. This maximizes the inherently double nature of an ambigram, and serves to add a layer of complexity to the design.
3.2 Mathematics
Geometry is the main area of mathematics related to the art of ambigrams. Tessellations, recursion, and fractals are all areas of mathematics that can be related to ambigrams, depending on their complexity.
3.3 Art
Symmetry and harmony are important features in most artwork, and both are required for effective ambigram creation. Composing an original ambigram is a creative process similar to creating an original piece of art or writing a piece of music.
3.4 Design
Logos, brandnames and other industrial design type work can be done in ambigram form, to enhance usefulness and add an element of surprise to the viewer. Ambigrams are great to use on all sorts of round objects, such as buttons, tires, tops, balls, Frisbees, etc., which might be viewed from more than one vantage point.
There is indeed more to the art of ambigrams than meets the eye!
The creative process in designing an Ambigram has been compared to composing a piece of music: both involve bringing symmetry and harmony together. John Langdon has an excellent write-up of how he developed his most popular Ambigram, Philosophy.
Personally, I have found that names make a good starting point for the beginning Ambigrammist. The incentive is there, since once you have completed the work, you can present it to whomever's name it is. Folks with the same (or nearly the same) number of letters in their first and last names should try flipping one into the other.
Word.Net designed AmbigraMatic: the Ambigram Generator to assist you in learning to create your own ambigrams. The ambigrams it generates are not polished end products; rather, they should give you an idea of how to start out, and then you can modify your own words so that they form elegant ambigram creations. Just try it! It is easier than you might imagine, and can be fun to personalize. Try friends' names, favorite places, ironic words, etc. Some words naturally lend themselves to being AmbigraMaticized! You can access AmbigraMatic on the web at http://AmbigraMatic.Com
5.1 Inversions by Scott Kim, W. H. Freeman & Company, 1989.
First published in 1981, this is the book that first got me started with ambigrams. Isaac Asimov called Scott "the Escher-of-the-Alphabet", and this is a fitting description. Martin Gardner, of the Scientific American, described Inversions as:
"one of the most astonishing and delightful books ever printed... His book is... interspersed with provocative observations on the nature of symmetry, its philosophical aspects and its embodiment in art and music as well as in wordplay...Over the years Kim has developed the magical ability to take just about any word or short phrase and letter it in such a way that it exhibits some kind of striking geometrical symmetry."
Need I say more?
5.2 Wordplay: Ambigrams and Reflections on the Art of Ambigrams by John Langdon, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992.
This hardback book includes essays on various ambigram-related topics, along with a number of letterform designs. The designs are very professionally rendered and each one stands on its own as a work of art. Langdon is a master of using the letterforms themselves to help convey the meaning of the words. Douglas Hofstadter had this to say:
"John Langdon is a marvelous creator and a consummate artist. The combination yields some of the most beautiful...lettering ever designed. Wordplay sparkles with elegant visual discoveries and conveys Langdon's deep love of both pattern and illusion."
