String output = "I\\AM\\So\\Cool"; while (true) { int pos = output.indexOf("\\"); if (pos == -1) break; int spacePos = output.indexOf(" "); String tok = output.substring(0, pos); String end = output.substring(pos+1); if (spacePos == -1) output = end + " " + tok; else output = end.substring(0, spacePos) + tok + end.substring(spacePos); }