Fear of palindromes (aibohphobia)

Aibohphobia is a joke word for a fear of palindromes, words or phrases that read the same forwards and backwards, such as level, racecar or kayak. Nobody is known to avoid these words in daily life, though the term pops up in puzzle books, quizzes and word games.

About this phobia

The joke is in the spelling: aiboh is phobia written backwards, so the whole word is itself a palindrome. It is not a recognised fear and has no clinical use. People who feel real unease around certain patterns may find that better described by other fears, such as a fear of particular numbers.

What it feels like

• A laugh or an eye roll when the word is first explained
• A sudden urge to spot palindromes on number plates and clocks
• Mild irritation at puzzles that rely on reversed spellings

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

Common questions

Can anyone really be afraid of palindromes?

There are no known cases of a genuine fear of palindromes, and the word exists purely as wordplay. If reading, spelling or word puzzles do bring on real stress, that is worth taking seriously in its own right, as it may link to exam pressure or reading difficulties.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

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