What are the word records for transubstitution (substitute one letter and rearrange to form another word)?

language/english/spelling/relations.to.other.words/entire.word/transubstitution New

New entry, edited from material collected for the archive and not yet in a released version.

Problem

What are the word records for transubstitution (substitute one letter and rearrange to form another word)?
(Spelling / Relations to Other Words / Entire Word)

  a.  longest well-mixed [M149, 22-100]
  b.  changeover (change one letter and move it to form another word), longest
  c.  switchback (change first letter and reverse the rest to form another word), longest
  d.  backswitch (change last letter and reverse the rest to form another word), longest

[ Editor: question framed by the editor from the headings of the Taxonomy of Wordplay. ]

Show solution

[ Editor: from the Taxonomy of Wordplay, www.questrel.com, retrieved 28 Oct 2026. Classes (common, uncommon, hyphenated words, phrases), scores, ties (-t) and the source codes in brackets are explained in language/english/word.records.introduction. ]

a.  longest well-mixed [M149, 22-100]
        common words: transliterations = gastrointestinal (16)
        uncommon words: centrifugalisation = intercartilaginous (18-t)
        uncommon words: hypersophisticated = physiotherapeutics (18-t)
        uncommon words: diphosphoglycerate = spectroheliography (18-t)
        uncommon words: contemporarinesses = stenospermocarpies (18-t)
        uncommon words: internationalities = tetranitroanilines (18-t)
        uncommon words: anodoluminescences = uneconomicalnesses (18-t)
        phrases: adenosine monophosphate = put an ape in someone's hood (22)
b.  changeover (change one letter and move it to form another word), longest
        common words: preservationist & reservationists (15)
        uncommon words: prestandardization & restandardizations (18-t)
        uncommon words: attitudinarianisms & latitudinarianisms (18-t)
        uncommon words: preacknowledgement & reacknowledgements (18-t)
        phrases: eastern diamondback rattlesnake & western diamondback rattlesnake (29)
c.  switchback (change first letter and reverse the rest to form another word), longest
        e.g., SPOT = ATOP
        common words: grosser & pressor (7-t)
        common words: assuage & degauss (7-t)
        common words: crosser & pressor (7-t)
        common words: erosive & revisor (7-t)
        common words: dresser & presser (7-t)
        common words: regatta & wattage (7-t)
        common words: inosine & venison (7-t)
        uncommon words: metallics & oscillate (9)
d.  backswitch (change last letter and reverse the rest to form another word), longest
        e.g., AREA = ERAS
        common words: redrawn & warders (7-t)
        common words: nailers & reliant (7-t)
        common words: erosive & visored (7-t)
        common words: animals & laminar (7-t)
        common words: entraps & partner (7-t)
        common words: carters & retrace (7-t)
        common words: carters & retract (7-t)
        common words: ellipse & spilled (7-t)
        uncommon words: levitators & rotatively (10)

-- Taxonomy of Wordplay, www.questrel.com