What are these type of words called?

Question

I need a little help. I am trying to do a search on words that have a one meaning when read but if you spell it backwards it says something else.

ex. dog - god, live - evil, heaven - neveah (name)

Answer 1

palendromes

Answer 2

Great question! Many people get confused and call this unique type of word a palindrome - but clearly it isn't, because if it were, "evil" would be "evil" when spelt backwards... which it isn't!! I had to do a bit of research to properly answer this...

There are many names for this type of word:

- semordnilap   (palindrome backwards!)

- volvogram

- heteropalindrome

- semi-palindrome

- half-palindrome

- reversgram

- mynoreteh    (heteronym backwards!)

- reversible anagram

- word reversal

- anadrome

- antigram     (however this word is now usually used for anagrams with opposing meanings)

The one seemingly preferred by AskOxford.com is 'heteropalindrome', however the one written about in Wikipedia is 'semordnilap'.

Here are some more examples (including yours):

- stressed / desserts

- samaroid (resembling a samara) / dioramas

- gateman / nametag

- deliver / reviled

- dennis / sinned

- straw / warts

- star / rats

- stop / pots

- snap / pans

- pins / snip

- lived / devil

- diaper / repaid

- smart / trams

- spit / tips

- live / evil

- dog / god

- gut / tug

- maps / spam

- war / raw

[The list is from Wikipedia.]

Hope this helps!