Palindrome Checker
Type any word or phrase to check whether it reads the same backwards.
Last updated
How to check for a palindrome
- Type a word, number or phrase.
- Choose whether case matters and whether to ignore spaces and punctuation.
- See straight away whether it reads the same backwards.
About this tool
With "ignore spaces and punctuation" on (the usual way palindromes like "A man, a plan, a canal: Panama" are judged), only letters and digits are compared — spacing and punctuation are stripped first. Turn it off to check literally character-for-character, including every space and symbol. Comparison uses Unicode-aware character splitting, so accented letters and other multi-byte characters are handled correctly.
Nothing you type here is sent to a server — the entire tool runs as JavaScript in your browser tab.
Questions about palindromes
What is a palindrome?
A word, phrase or number that reads the same forwards and backwards, such as “level”, “racecar” or 12321.
What are some famous palindrome phrases?
“A man, a plan, a canal: Panama”, “Was it a car or a cat I saw?” and “Never odd or even”. They work once spaces and punctuation are ignored.
Do spaces and punctuation count?
Usually not. Keep Ignore spaces and punctuation ticked for the normal rule, or untick it to compare every character exactly.
Are numbers and dates allowed?
Yes. Digits are compared just like letters, so 2002 and 12/02/2021 written as 12022021 can be checked.