· Updated 21 October 2026
Palindromes: Words That Read the Same Backwards
A palindrome is a word, phrase or number that reads the same forwards and backwards. LEVEL, RADAR and KAYAK are palindrome words; "Never odd or even" is a palindrome sentence; and 02/02/2020 is a palindrome date. The word comes from the Greek for "running back again".
Below is a full list of everyday palindrome words by length, the most famous palindrome sentences, and the related trick of words that spell a different word when reversed.
Everyday palindrome words
These are the most familiar palindromes in our dictionary, from longest to shortest:
| Length | Words |
|---|---|
| 7 letters | ROTATOR |
| 5 letters | CIVIC, KAYAK, LEVEL, MADAM, RADAR, REFER, ROTOR, SOLOS, STATS, TENET |
| 4 letters | DEED, NOON, PEEP, SEES, TOOT |
| 3 letters | DAD, MUM, EYE, POP, WOW, NUN, EVE, GAG, BIB, PUP |
Our dictionary also holds a few rarer seven-letter palindromes: DEIFIED, REVIVER and REPAPER.
The longest palindrome word
Long single-word palindromes are rare in English. The one most often quoted is TATTARRATTAT (12 letters), a word James Joyce coined in Ulysses for the sound of a knock at the door. It appears in some large dictionaries but not in everyday use. RACECAR is a popular example, but most dictionaries, including ours, treat it as two words.
Famous palindrome sentences
Palindrome sentences ignore spaces and punctuation, which gives them much more freedom. A few classics:
- A man, a plan, a canal: Panama
- Never odd or even
- Was it a car or a cat I saw?
- Step on no pets
- Madam, in Eden, I'm Adam
Words that spell another word backwards
A related trick: some words become a different word when reversed. These are sometimes called semordnilaps ("palindromes" spelled backwards). Every pair below is in our dictionary:
| Forwards | Backwards |
|---|---|
| STRESSED | DESSERTS |
| LIVE | EVIL |
| DRAWER | REWARD |
| STOP | POTS |
| DIAPER | REPAID |
| REGAL | LAGER |
Each of these pairs is also an anagram, the same letters in a different order.
Quick answers
What is a word that reads the same backwards called?
A palindrome. The term covers single words (LEVEL), whole sentences ("Never odd or even") and numbers (12321).
What are some common palindrome words?
Everyday examples include LEVEL, RADAR, CIVIC, KAYAK, MADAM, ROTOR, REFER, NOON, EYE, DAD and MUM. The longest common one is ROTATOR.
What is the longest palindrome in English?
Among everyday words, ROTATOR (7 letters). The longest found in any dictionary is usually given as TATTARRATTAT (12 letters), coined by James Joyce.
What is it called when a word spells a different word backwards?
A semordnilap, for example STRESSED and DESSERTS, or DRAWER and REWARD. (A palindrome spells the same word backwards; a semordnilap spells a different one.)
A game to try
Take turns naming palindromes, words or names (ANNA, OTTO, BOB), until someone is stuck. It works well with children and needs nothing but patience. For more, see our word games for kids and longest words in English.
Related reading: Words with the most anagrams · Longest words in English · Pangrams
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