Reverse Pair (Emordnilap)
An emordnilap (palindrome spelled backwards) is a word that can be read differently in reverse – it is read one way forward and another way backwards. They are sometimes referred to as a reverse pair.
Reverse Pairs (Emordnilap Words)
Below please find a list of reverse pairs. If we missed one, please use our comment form to let us know.
| am – ma | Noel – Leon |
| are – era | not – ton |
| avid – diva | now – won |
| bad – dab | nuts – stun |
| ban – nab | on – no |
| bard – drab | pal – lap |
| bat – tab | pals – slap |
| bats – stab | part – trap |
| bonk – knob | parts – strap |
| brag – garb | pay – yap |
| bud – dub | peek – keep |
| buns – snub | peels – sleep |
| but – tub | pets – step |
| cod – doc | pin – nip |
| dab – bad | pins – snip |
| |
pit – tip |
| dam – mad | pools – sloop |
| decaf – faced | pot – top |
| decal – laced | pots – stop |
| deer – reed | rail – liar |
| deliver – reviled | rat – tar |
| denim – mined | rats – star |
| Dennis – sinned | raw – war |
| desserts – stressed | reed – deer |
| devil – lived | regal – lager |
| dew – wed | repaid – diaper |
| dial – laid | reviled – deliver |
| diaper – repaid | reward – drawer |
| diva – avid | room – moor |
| doc – cod | sag – gas |
| dog – God | saw – was |
| doom – mood | sinned – Dennis |
| dot – Tod | slag – gals |
| drab – bard | slap – pals |
| draw – ward | sleek – keels |
| drawer – reward | sleep – peels |
| dub – bud | sloop – pools |
| edit – tide | sloop – pools |
| eel – Lee | snip – pins |
| emit – time | snoops – spoons |
| era – are | snub – buns |
| evil – live | snug – guns |
| faced – decaf | spam – maps |
| flog – golf | span – naps |
| flow – wolf | spat – taps |
| gals – slag | spoons – snoops |
| garb – brag | spots – stops |
| gas – sag | stab – bats |
| gel – leg | star – rats |
| gnat – tang | step – pets |
| God – dog | stew – wets |
| golf – flog | stool – loots |
| gum – mug | stop – pots |
| guns – snug | stops – spots |
| keels – sleek | strap – parts |
| keep – peek | stressed – desserts |
| knob – bonk | stun – nuts |
| laced – decal | tab – bat |
| lager – regal | tang – gnat |
| laid – dial | tap – pat |
| lap – pal | taps – spat |
| Lee – eel | tar – rat |
| leg – gel | ten – net |
| Leon – Noel | tide – edit |
| liar – rail | time – emit |
| live – evil | tip – pit |
| lived – devil | Tod – dot |
| loots – stool | ton – not |
| ma – am | top – pot |
| mad – dam | trap – part |
| maps – spam | tub – but |
| may – yam | tub – but |
| mined – denim | war – raw |
| mood – doom | ward – draw |
| moor – room | was – saw |
| mug – gum | wed – dew |
| nab – ban | wets – stew |
| naps – span | wolf – flow |
| net – ten | won – now |
| nip – pin | yam – may |
| no – on | yap – pay |
Source Fry, E.B., Ph.D. & Kress, J.E., Ed.D. (2006). The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists 5th Edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
Great list! Can’t think of another word to add to your list.
Thanks for this useful post.
Thanks for sharing this information – great stuff!
Author, why not add the word you mentioned, viz. emordnilap——as a palindrome of palindrome ?
Emordnilap is an emordnilap of palindrome, not a palindrome of palindrome 🙂 but ya it should be included
pans – snap
Bad and Dad are not a reverse pair.
Ummm… Bad is not dad backwards. Dad is dad backwards. Bad is the emordnilap of dab. Great list though! 🙂
“bad – dad” should actually be “bad – dab”
Bad – Dab
You guys accidentally put Bad – Dad
bad-dad : this doesn’t work
bad – dad isn’t one. It would be bad – dab.
I think the fourth pair was intended to be bad — dab. Having dad as the second word doesn’t make sense.
Dad-bad are not emordnilaps.
I can’t think of a single word but what about “Madam, I’m Adam” or “Madam in Eden, I’m Adam”
Noticed you put “dad – bad” which is incorrect.
Yours sincerely,
The Emordnilap police
Bad and dad are not emordnilaps, dad is a palindrome.
rennet-tenner
sports-strops
spacer-recaps
steels-sleets
yard-dray
trig-grit
prat-tarp
etc., etc.
dad is not bad backwards
Great catch! I just updated the post to correctly reflect the word, dab. TY!
No parts – Strap on
Sam All = Llamas
My son figured this out while not paying attention in 10th grade English. Yes, his name is Sam All
You could add bun-nub
Pan – Nap
Gateman – Nametag
Animal=lamina
gateman – nametag
spot – tops
tug-gut
spar-raps
spank-knaps
spot-tops
snap-pans
snaps-spans
snips-spins
snit-tins
snot-tons
stub-buts
spool-loops
LEER | REEL
knip | pink
Know wonk
Nap and pan
loop/pool
pool–loop
tool–loot
evil–live
meat–team
tab–bat
stanley yelnats–stanley yelnats
spin-pins
skin-kins
part-trap
stab-bats
lain-nail
wets-stew
ward-draw
won-now
If you are including names:
remark-Kramer
I think:
emordnilap – palindrome should also be added to list.
emordnilap & palindrome
Warts – straw
how about tips and spit?
desserts-stressed