# What four-letter word reads the same forward, backward and upside down?

Source: https://silverapuzzles.com/riddles/what-four-letter-word-reads-the-same-forward-backward-and-upside-down

A word that survives being flipped. Palindromes read the same backward, but this one also has to work when you turn the page over.

**Answer:** NOON.

NOON is a palindrome, and in capitals it still reads NOON when turned upside down.

Hint: It is a time of day.

## How to think about it

1. Start with four-letter palindromes: noon, deed, peep, toot.
2. Now flip them upside down in capital letters. Letters like D, E and P change shape.
3. N, O, S, X, Z and H look the same rotated 180 degrees.
4. NOON is made only of N and O, so it reads NOON forward, backward and upside down.

## Why “NOON” is the answer

NOON is a palindrome, and in capital letters both N and O look the same when rotated half a turn, so the word still reads NOON upside down. The second condition is what makes it rare: most palindromes use letters that change shape when flipped. The hint about a time of day points straight at it.

## Common wrong answers

- **DEED.** DEED is a palindrome, but D and E do not survive being turned upside down.
- **SWIMS.** Swims reads the same upside down, but it has five letters and is not a palindrome.