Palindrome Checker
Check if a word, phrase, or sentence is a palindrome — reads the same forwards and backwards.
Famous Palindromes
About this calculator
A palindrome reads the same forwards and backwards. Type a word, number or sentence and the checker ignores spaces, punctuation and capital letters, then tells you whether it is a palindrome and shows the reversed text.
Try the famous examples on the page, such as 'A man, a plan, a canal: Panama' and 'Was it a car or a cat I saw?'.
How to use it
- Type or paste your text.
- Read the verdict and the cleaned, reversed text.
How it checks
The tool removes everything that is not a letter or digit, converts to lower case and compares the result with its reverse. racecar reversed is racecar, so it is a palindrome.
Worked example
Examples
| racecar | Palindrome |
| A man, a plan, a canal: Panama | Palindrome |
| 12321 | Palindrome |
| hello | Not a palindrome |
Tips and common mistakes
- Numbers can be palindromes: 12321, and dates such as 02/02/2020.
- Spaces and punctuation do not count.
- Single letters are palindromes.
- Use it to check puzzle answers and word games.
- Programming exercises often ask for this logic.
Frequently asked questions
What is a palindrome?
A word, number or phrase that reads the same in both directions.
Is 'Madam' a palindrome?
Yes, ignoring case.
Does it ignore punctuation?
Yes.
Are numbers palindromes too?
Yes, such as 12321.
What is the longest English palindrome word?
Tattarrattat is one of the longest.
Is an empty string a palindrome?
By convention yes.