diff --git a/palindrome_checker.py b/palindrome_checker.py
index c0fdc30..9a22de8 100644
--- a/palindrome_checker.py
+++ b/palindrome_checker.py
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 # palindrome_checker.py
+
+import re
+
 def is_palindrome(s):
+    # Normalize the string: lowercasing and removing non-alphanumeric characters
+    s = re.sub(r'[^a-zA-Z0-9]', '', s).lower()
     return s == s[::-1]
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    word = input("Enter a word: ")
-    print(f"{word} is a palindrome: {is_palindrome(word)}")
+    word = input("Enter a word or phrase: ")
+    print(f"'{word}' is a palindrome: {is_palindrome(word)}")
+