What is Palindrome? (Meaning, Types & Examples)

Hello there! I am glad you are reading this post. There are certainly many things we need to know and I am sure you must have heard the word “Palindrome.” What sense did you make of it? Do you know what it means? Do you know the different types that exist? Well, I have carefully put together this post What is Palindrome? (Meaning, Types & Examples) to enlighten you on this concept.

What is a Palindrome?

A palindrome is a word, a phrase, a verse, a number or a sentence, the letters of which, when taken in reverse order, give the same word, phrase, verse, number or sentence. In other words, a palindrome is a text that reads or spells the same forward and backward. If you read or spell the text backwards or forwards, it will yield the same thing. Did I hear you ask if such words exist? Certainly! There are many of such in English and it is really amazing! However, you need to know right away that spaces and punctuation are not taken into consideration when we generate sentences that are palindromic.

Palindromes vs Palingrams

There is yet another concept closely related to palindromes. It is known as Palingram. What is their relationship? Palindromes are a type of Palingram precisely referred to as Letter Palingrams. Palingram? I know you are keen to know what it is! A Palingram is simply a sentence in which the letters, syllables, or words read the same backward as they read forward.

Consider the sentence, “He was, was he?” This is a word Palingram as the words read the same when we place them in converse direction. Another example is, “live on no evil”. The sentence, “I did, did I?” is not only a word palingram but a letter palingram and can equally be considered as a palindrome.

Etymology of Palindrome

Can you guess the time the word ‘palindrome’ was added to the English lexicon? I’m sure you may not know! Let me tell you right away… From history, the word ‘palindrome’ came into use in the English language around 1629! Wow! That was a long time ago! The word had been in existence since the early 17th Century! Now, let us learn a little Greek. Do bear in mind that most English words have their origins in the Greek language. See the post Nouns and their Plural Forms for more explanation.

So, the word ‘palindrome’ is from the Greek word ‘palindromos’ which means ‘running back again’. Now, we can still break ‘palindromos’ into two other Greek words: ‘palin’ which means ‘back, again’ and ‘dramein’ which means ‘to run’! So put together, we have ‘running back again’, ‘palindromos’ and in English ‘palindrome’! Make sure you do not keep this knowledge to yourself, be kind enough to share with your friends and educate them. Let us proceed to see palindromic (that’s the adjective of the noun, palindrome or palindromist) texts.

Palindrome Types and Examples

As noted above, there are different types of palindromic texts. These include number or numeric palindromes, single or one-word palindromes, name palindromes, phrase palindromes and sentence palindromes. Let us proceed to look at various examples of the different palindrome types:

Numeric Palindromes

Numbers can also be palindromic. Number palindromes are common with dates, though this depends on the style of date adopted – British or American or the date format adopted. You may generate yours to see if it is palindromic! The following are palindrome number examples which could be in the form of dates or years:

1. 7.10.2017 – October 7, 2017
2. 02.02.2020 – February 2, 2020
3. 10.02.2001 – February 10, 2001
4. 01.02.2010 – February 1, 2010
5. 11.02.2011 – February 11, 2011
6. 02.02.2020 – February 2, 2020
7. 12.02.2021 – February 2, 2021
8. 04.02.2040 – February 4, 2040
9. 05.02.2050 – February 5, 2050
10. 06.02.2060 – February 6, 2060
11. 07.02.2070 – February 7, 2070
12. 08.02.2080 – February 8, 2080
13. 09.02.2090 – February 9, 2090
14. 1111
15. 1221
16. 1331
17. 1441
18. 1551
19. 1661
20. 1771
21. 1881
22. 1991
23. 2002
24. 23832

One-Word Palindrome

Below is a list of one-word palindrome. Study each word closely:

1. Alula
2. Bib
3. Bob
4. Civic
5. Dad
6. Deed
7. Deified
8. Deleveled
9. Detartrated
10. Did
11. Eke
12. Ere
13. Eye
14. Gag
15. Gig
16. Kayak
17. Level
18. Madam
19. Malayalam (a language of SW India)
20. Mam
21. Minim
22. Mom
23. Mum
24. Noon
25. Nun
26. Peep
27. Pop
28. Pup
29. Racecar
30. Radar
31. Redder
32. Redivider
33. Refer
34. Repaper
35. Reviver
36. Rotator
37. Rotavator
38. Rotor
39. Sagas
40. Sexes
41. Solos
42. Stats
43. Tenet
44. Terret
45. Tot
46. Wow

The Longest Palindromic Word in English

Do you know James Joyce? A woman? No, he was a man! A renowned novelist. He was born in Dublin, Ireland on 2nd Feb. 1882 and he died on 13th Jan. 1941 in Zürich, Switz. He was popular for his experimental use of language. He invented the longest palindromic word in the English dictionary in his book Ulysses, published in 1922. However, the Guinness Book of Records ascribes the longest word in English to “detartrated” which means to remove tartrates.

Let us go back to James Joyce. Do you know the word he invented? It is “tattarrattat”, meaning “a knock on a door”. Try to pronounce it! It is an onomatopoeic word, a word imitative of the sound associated with the action the word denotes. The focus is on English, other languages have their longest palindromic words. For instance, the Guinness Book of World Records listed “saippuakivikauppias,” a 19-letter word meaning “a soapstone vendor”, as the longest palindromic word in the Finnish language. Can you think of the longest palindrome in the words of your own language?

Name Palindromes

These name palindromes cut across most cultures and languages and are not limited to the English language. Can you recognise any in your language or culture?

1. Aba
2. Abba
3. Ada
4. Adda
5. Afifa
6. Ahsha
7. Aidia
8. Ailia
9. Aisia
10. Aja
11. Ala
12. Alala
13. Aleela
14. Alela
15. Alila
16. Alla
17. Alula
18. Alyla
19. Ama
20. Amma
21. Ana
22. Anana
23. Anina
24. Anna
25. Ara
26. Arora
27. Arra
28. Asa
29. Assa
30. Ata
31. Ava
32. Aviva
33. Avva
34. Awa
35. Axa
36. Aya
37. Aza
38. Aziza
39. Azza
40. Bob
41. Ece
42. Efe
43. Ege
44. Elle
45. Eme
46. Emme
47. Eve
48. Habibah
49. Halah
50. Hallah
51. Hannah
52. Havah
53. Hawah
54. Hayah
55. Ireri
56. Itati
57. Ivi
58. Izzi
59. Kilik
60. Laval
61. Lawal
62. Layal
63. Lul
64. Luul
65. Maham
66. Maram
67. Nalan
68. Naman
69. Nan
70. Natan
71. Navan
72. Nayan
73. Neven
74. Nitin
75. Nolon
76. Nosson
77. Otto
78. Ramar
79. Reinier
80. Renner
81. Sabas
82. Sahas
83. Savas
84. Savvas
85. Siris
86. Sylys
87. Umu
88. Yanay

Place Palindromes

As with names, there are also locations and places that are palindromic. We have sourced popular ones here for your reading pleasure. Some of these place names are shared by different locations in a number of countries. Do not forget to look out for your country!

1. Aba, Nigeria
2. Abaaba, National Park, Africa
3. Abiriba, Nigeria
4. Ada, Ohio, United States
5. Ada, Oklahoma, United States
6. Acaiaca, Brazil
7. Ada, Minnesota, United States
8. Ada, Serbia
9. Aha, Freiburg, Germany
10. Ada, Oregon, United States
11. Aka, Japan
12. Akasaka, Japan (Fukuoka)
13. Akasaka, Japan (Tokyo)
14. Akka, Morocco
15. Akasaka, Japan (Okayama)
16. Ala, Estonia
17. Alacala, Spain
18. Allagalla, Sri Lanka
19. Aluula, Somalia
20. Amassama, Nigeria
21. Amissima, São Paulo
22. Ana, Iraq
23. Anahanahana, Madagascar
24. Anina, Romania
25. Anna, Estonia
26. Anna, Texas, United States
27. Apapa, Nigeria
28. Anna, Ohio, United States
29. Apopa, El Salvador
30. Anna, Illinois, United States
31. Aramara, Australia
32. Arrawarra, Australia
33. Assamassa, Portugal
34. Ateleta, Italy (L’Aquila)
35. Aukkua, Finland
36. Ava, Missouri, United States
37. Báb, Slovakia
38. Callac, France
39. Capac, Michigan, United States
40. Caraparac, Peru
41. Catac, Peru
42. Civic, Australia
43. Daba Qabad, Somalia
44. Dabababad, Iran
45. Dibid, Sierra Leone
46. Dörröd, Sweden
47. Ede, Netherlands
48. Ede, Nigeria
49. Ekalaka Lake, Montana, United States
50. Eleele, Hawaii, United States

More Place Palindromes

1. Eleyele, Nigeria
2. Ellemelle, Belgium
3. Epe, Netherlands
4. Etsaste, Estonia
5. Eye, Cambridgeshire, England
6. Eye, Suffolk, England
7. Gadag, Karnataka, India
8. Gaqag, China
9. Glenelg, Australia
10. Eye, Herefordshire, England
11. Glenelg, Highland, Scotland
12. Glenelg, Maryland, United States
13. Hajjah, Yemen
14. Hannah, Lincolnshire, England
15. Hannah, South Carolina, United States
16. Harrah, Oklahoma, United States
17. Hannah, North Dakota, United States
18. Harrah, Washington, United States
19. Hattah, Australia
20. Iai, Angola
21. Ibi, Burkina Faso
22. Iaracarai, Brazil
23. Ibi, Nigeria
24. Ibi, Spain
25. Idappadi, Tamil Nadu, India
26. Idi, Indonesia
27. Illi, Estonia
28. Ili, China
29. Illi, Armenia
30. Illi, Iran
31. Illibilli, Sudan
32. Ini, Nigeria
33. Iriri, Brazil
34. Isakasi, Albania
35. Itatí, Argentina
36. Jaj, Lebanon
37. Jakaj, Albania
38. Janaj, Albania
39. Kahak, Iran
40. Kalak, Republic of Azerbaijan
41. Kanakanak, Alaska, United States
42. Kangnak, North Korea
43. Kinikinik, Alberta, Canada
44. Kinikinik, Colorado, United States
45. Kivik, Sweden
46. Krape Park, Illinois, United States
47. Krk, Croatia
48. Kuk, Slovenia
49. Kuuk, Greenland
50. La Sal, Utah, United States

More Place Palindromes

1. Lal Lal, Australia
2. Laval, France
3. Laval, Quebec, Canada
4. Lellel, Mali
5. Levél, Hungary
6. Level, Ohio, United States
7. Lol, Dordogne, France
8. Maam, Ireland
9. Madaradam, Chad
10. Madoko Dam, Zimbabwe
11. Matam, Senegal
12. Mujum, Tajikistan
13. Mullum Mullum, Victoria, Melbourne
14. Na’an, Israel
15. Nagubugan, Philippines
16. Navan, Ireland
17. Navan, Ontario, Canada
18. Nerren Nerren, Western Australia
19. Neuquén, Argentina
20. Nin, Croatia
21. Notton, West Yorkshire, England
22. Noxon, Montana, United States
23. Noyon, France
24. Obo, Central African Republic
25. Oeo, New Zealand
26. Oko, Nigeria
27. Okonoko, West Virginia, United States
28. Oktahatko, Florida, United States
29. Olo, Indonesia
30. Onano, Italy
31. Ono, Pennsylvania, United States
32. Oro, Estonia
33. Oro, Nigeria
34. Oruro, Bolivia
35. Oso, Washington, United States
36. Otto, New York, United States
37. Owo, Nigeria
38. Oyo, Nigeria
39. Pap, Hungary
40. Pap, Uzbekistan
41. Parap, Australia
42. Paraparap, Australia
43. Pop, Uzbekistan
44. Qaanaaq, Greenland
45. Ratana Tar, Pakistan
46. Rattar, Highland, Scotland
47. Reber, New York, United States
48. Reber, Slovenia
49. Remer, Minnesota, United States
50. Renner, South Dakota, United States

Additional Examples of Place Palindromes

1. Ruppur, Bangladesh
2. Sajas, France
3. Salas, Spain
4. Selles, Eure, France
5. Selles, Pas-de-Calais, France
6. Semmes, Alabama, United States
7. Selles, Haute-Saône, France
8. Senones, Vosges, France
9. Serres, Hautes-Alpes, France
10. Selles, Marne, France
11. Serres, Aude, France
12. Serres, Greece
13. Silagalis, Lithuania
14. Serres, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France
15. Staats, Germany
16. Tassat, France
17. Tassessat, Niger
18. Tát, Hungary
19. Tesset, Johannesburg, South Africa (Tesset PTY Ltd)
20. Tét, Hungary
21. Tut, South Khorasan, Iran
22. Tommot, Russia
23. Tut, Razavi Khorasan, Iran
24. Tubbut, Australia
25. Tut, Markazi, Iran
26. Tumut, Australia
27. Tut, Lorestan, Iran
28. Tut, Yazd, Iran
29. Uku, Estonia
30. Utu, Estonia
31. Vellev, Denmark
32. Wadaw, Burma
33. Wakaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
34. Wallaw, England
35. Ward Draw, South Dakota, United States
36. Wassamassaw, South Carolina, United States
37. Yessey, Russia
38. Zirak Kariz, Afghanistan

Palindrome Phrases List

We classify the following under palindrome phrases because they do not contain finite verbs. Most of them are noun phrases. Take a look:

1. A car, a man, a maraca
2. A dog, a plan, a canal:
3. A man, a plan, a canal, Panama. (A reference to President Theodore Roosevelt).
4. A tin mug for a jar of gum, Nita.
5. A Toyota.
6. Avid diva
7. Cain: a maniac.
8. Drab as a fool, aloof as a bard.
9. Drat Saddam, a mad dastard!
10. Goldenrod-adorned log.
11. Laminated E.T. animal.
12. Lonely Tylenol.
13. My gym
14. Never odd or even
15. No cab, no tuna nut on bacon.
16. No lemon no melon
17. Not so, Boston.
18. On a clover, if alive, erupts a vast, pure evil; a fire volcano.
19. Party booby trap.
20. Senile felines
21. So many dynamos
22. Stack cats
23. Top spot
24. Yo, banana boy!
25. Yo, Bob! Mug o’ gumbo, boy!
26. Yo, bottoms up! (U.S. motto, boy.)

Palindrome Sentence Examples (Sentence Palindromes)

The following palindromes are full sentences. Try to read them both forward and backward and see if they yielded the same thing.

1. A new order began, a more Roman age bred Rowena.
2. A Toyota’s a Toyota.
3. Able was I ere I saw Elba. (Napoleon made this statement on his first sighting of Elba, the island where he was exiled).
4. Animal loots foliated detail of stool lamina.
5. Anne, I vote more cars race Rome to Vienna.
6. Are we not drawn onward to new era?
7. Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?
8. As I pee, sir, I see Pisa.
9. Bombard a drab mob.
10. Cigar? Toss it in a can. It is so tragic.
11. Dammit, I’m mad!
12. Delia saw I was ailed.
13. Denim axes examined.
14. Dennis and Edna sinned
15. Desserts, I stressed
16. Did I draw Della too tall, Edward? I did?
17. Do good? I? No! Evil anon I deliver. I maim nine more hero-men in Saginaw, sanitary sword a-tuck, Carol, I – lo! – Rack, cut a drowsy rat in Aswan. I gas nine more hero-men in Miami. Reviled, I (Nona) live on. I do, O God!
18. Doc, note I dissent: a fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod.
19. Don’t nod.
20. Drab as a fool, aloof as a bard.
21. Draw pupil’s lip upward.
22. Draw, O coward!
23. Ed, I saw Harpo Marx ram Oprah W. aside.
24. Eva, can I stab bats in a cave?
25. Evil did I dwell; lewd I did live.
26. Gateman sees name, garageman sees name tag.
27. Go hang a salami; I’m a lasagna hog.
28. Golf? No sir, prefer prison-flog.
29. Harass sensuousness, Sarah.

More Sentence Palindromes

1. I did, did I?
2. Lay a wallaby baby ball away, Al.
3. I maim nine men in Miami.
4. Lepers repel.
5. I roamed under it as a tired, nude Maori.
6. Is it I? It is I!
7. Let O’Hara gain an inn in a Niagara hotel.
8. Live not on evil.
9. Lived on Decaf; faced no Devil.
10. Ma is a nun, as I am.
11. Ma is as selfless as I am.
12. Madam, I’m Adam.
13. Madam, in Eden, I’m Adam.
14. Marge lets Norah see Sharon’s telegram.
15. May a moody baby doom a yam!
16. Meet animals; laminate ’em.
17. Mr. Owl ate my metal worm.
18. No lemon, no melon.
19. Naomi, did I moan?
20. No lemons, no melon.
21. No sir — away! A papaya war is on.
22. No, Mel Gibson is a casino’s big lemon.
23. Not New York.” Roy went on.
24. No trace – not one carton.

More Sentence Palindrome Examples

1. On a clover, if alive, erupts a vast, pure evil; a fire volcano.
2. Poor Dan is in a droop
3. Race fast, safe car.
4. Red rum, sir, is murder
5. Reviled did I live, said I, as evil I did deliver.
6. Rise to vote, sir.
7. Saw tide rose? So red it was
8. Sit on a potato pan Otis
9. Some men interpret nine memos.
10. Stab nail at ill Italian bats.
11. Stella won no wallets.
12. Step on no pets.
13. Steven, I left an oily lion at feline vets
14. Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots!
15. Straw? No, too stupid a fad; I put soot on warts
16. Eliot, top bard, notes putrid tang emanating, is sad. I’d assign it a name: gnat dirt upset on drab pot-toilet.
17. Tarzan raised Desi Arnaz’ rat.
18. Ten animals I slam in a net.
19. Was it a car or a cat I saw?
20. Too bad, I hid a boot.
21. Was it a cat I saw?
22. Wonder if Sununu’s fired now.
23. Was it a rat I saw?
24. Won’t I panic in a pit now?
25. Won’t lovers revolt now?

Magic Square

Do not be taken aback; by magic, we do not mean conjuring tricks or supposed supernatural power. Relax! We are simply talking about an inexplicable concept or skill. Having established this, what then is a magic square? It is a square matrix that is usually divided into cells filled with numbers or letters in a specific arrangement. Not only that, when we arrange the numbers or letters vertically, horizontally, forward and backward the words formed read same (from any direction). Did I hear you say ‘amazing!’ again? Really, it is! Closely examine these two sets of words and you will understand better:

R A T S

A B U T

T U B A

S T A R

≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡

S T E P

T I M E

E M I T

P E T S

Consider equally this 19th Century Latin palindromic square found on a Roman wall in Cirencester, England and in Pompeii, Italy, which has as its translation: “Arepo the sower holds the wheels with care.”

S A T O R

A R E P O

T E N N E T

O P E R A

R O T A S

Chiasmus/Reverse Parallelism

Some sentences are not completely palindromic, but they have some peculiarities about them. They can also read the same way (the words that make up the sentences) backward and forward. Some have classified them as Reverse Parallelism or Chiasmus. A Chiasmus is a literary Figure of Speech that has to do with inverted word order in phrases or sentences, like “fair is foul and foul is fair.”

Fredric Brown gave a short story as published by Futility Closet. Note that you can read the story either forward or backward and it will yield the same sense whichever way.

A Short Story

THE END

Professor Jones had been working on time theory for many years.

“And I have found the key equation,” he told his daughter one day. “Time is a field. This machine I have made can manipulate, even reverse, that field.”

Pushing a button as he spoke, he said, “This should make time run backward run time make should this,” said he, spoke he as button a pushing.

“Field that, reverse even, manipulate can made have I machine this. Field a is time.” Day one daughter his told he, “Equation key the found have I and.”

Years many for theory time on working been had Jones Professor.

END THE

Other Examples

Consider the following sentences as well; the first two sentences yield other different sentences when inverted. This is an instance of a concept known as: “Semordnilap”; which itself is the reverse form of “Palindromes”. Other sentences yield the same meaning when you read them both forward and backward.

1. Father Charles goes down and ends battle (Battle ends and down goes Charles’ father)
2. Jimmy loves Mom (Mom loves Jimmy)
3. Girl, bathing on Bikini, eyeing boy, finds boy eyeing bikini on bathing girl.”
4. First Ladies rule the State and state the rule: ladies first.
5. Fall leaves as soon as leaves fall.
6. “Come, shall I touch you wherever, darling? I am so randy.” “So am I, darling; wherever you touch I shall come.”
7. You can cage a swallow, can’t you, but you can’t swallow a cage, can you.
8. So patient a nurse to nurse a patient so.
9. One for all and all for one.

Quiz

Wow! I am sure you have learnt a lot here on Akademia. You can check out other posts on this site and share with your friends. Can you generate a word or phrase or a sentence that is palindromic? I mean in English! You can drop it in the comments box and we can add to the collections here.

References

Microsoft® Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Palindrome. (2017). Encyclopædia Britannica. Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica.
Palingram
Palindrome
Futility Closet 
Palindromic places 
Palindromic names