Fun & Fancy Words:
Aibohphobia!
This Week’s Fun & Fancy Word Is:
The word aibohphobia means an irrational fear of palindromes. You know, words and phrases that read the same forwards and backwards. Like Hannah, madam, and racecar. Maybe fear of them stems from never knowing whether you’re coming or going. But the most humorous thing about the word aibohphobia? It is itself a palindrome.
Etymology:
Origin Of The Word Aibohphobia
By all accounts, a 1977 column in the Orlando Sentinel challenged readers to come up with phobia names that embodied their own meanings.[1] So, the construction of this Fun & Fancy Word is playfully deliberate.
The element aiboh comes from reversing phobia (meaning irrational fears). When combined with phobia (to indicate that the resulting word is the name of an irrational fear) you get aibohphobia. Read it backwards: a-i-b-o-h-p-h-o-b-i-a and it’s identical. The word for fear of palindromes becomes a palindrome itself.[2]
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Endnotes:
[1] “Palindrome Phobia: Exploring the Fear of Mirror Words and Phrases.” NeuroLaunch.com May 11, 2025.
[2] Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
“Palindrome Phobia: Exploring the Fear of Mirror Words and Phrases.” NeuroLaunch.com May 11, 2025.
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