Question

Which of the following collections of letters will look the same in a mirror?

• A. TYOMOYW
• B. WINTOMT
• C. MIWOWIM
• D. HOSYWTH

Hint:

Each letter must be vertically symmetric and the whole string must read the same backwards.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

A row of letters looks the same in a mirror only if every letter has left to right (vertical) symmetry and the whole string reads the same when reversed, because a mirror flips the order. Letters such as M, I, W, O, T, U, V, A, H, X, Y keep their shape, but N and S do not. In MIWOWIM each letter is symmetric and the string is a palindrome, so its mirror image is identical.

• MIWOWIM is correct because all its letters are mirror safe and it reads the same forwards and backwards.
• TYOMOYW is wrong because, although the letters are symmetric, the string is not a palindrome, so the mirror order does not match.
• WINTOMT is wrong because the letter N does not keep its shape in a mirror.
• HOSYWTH is wrong because the letter S is reversed in a mirror.

The only collection that is both made of symmetric letters and reads the same reversed is MIWOWIM.