Racecar spelled backward is . . . racecar?

Written By: Mathilda Tsai Edited By: Mischa Wijesekera

Have you ever tried to say your own name backward? If you haven’t, try it now. Think through the letters of your name, and reverse their order.

What comes out will  likely sound more like a string of nonsense than your actual name. But what if your name is Hannah? In this case, your name reads the exact same forward and backward. 

This is what we call a palindrome – a word, phrase, name, or number that reads the same forward and backward. The next few examples are phrased as questions, so have fun figuring them out! If you need some help, the answers are at the bottom of the page.

1. What do you call a narrow watercraft you can take down a river?

2. What is a polite title for a lady?

3. What would you call something that can turn or revolve?

Beyond simple words, there are entire phrases and sentences that are palindromes, too. Take a look at these:

Never odd or even.

No lemon, no melon.

Step on no pets!

Was it a car or a cat I saw?

Palindromes are an entertaining way to play around with language and the typical order of letters. They’re also fun to read and say out loud! 

Can you think of any other palindromes?

(1) Kayak (2) Madam (3) Rotator