diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/db/WordStore.java b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/db/WordStore.java
index 93cb2789..286f70ad 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/db/WordStore.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/db/WordStore.java
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import io.github.sspanak.tt9.db.sqlite.ReadOps;
 import io.github.sspanak.tt9.db.sqlite.SQLiteOpener;
 import io.github.sspanak.tt9.db.sqlite.UpdateOps;
 import io.github.sspanak.tt9.ime.TraditionalT9;
-import io.github.sspanak.tt9.languages.Characters;
 import io.github.sspanak.tt9.languages.EmojiLanguage;
 import io.github.sspanak.tt9.languages.Language;
 import io.github.sspanak.tt9.languages.Text;
@@ -138,7 +137,7 @@ public class WordStore {
 			return AddWordDialog.CODE_GENERAL_ERROR;
 		}
 
-		language = Characters.isGraphic(word) ? new EmojiLanguage() : language;
+		language = Text.isGraphic(word) ? new EmojiLanguage() : language;
 
 		try {
 			if (readOps.exists(sqlite.getDb(), language, word)) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/helpers/TextField.java b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/helpers/TextField.java
index b269a358..a66f9943 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/helpers/TextField.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/helpers/TextField.java
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ import android.view.inputmethod.InputConnection;
 import androidx.annotation.NonNull;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.regex.Matcher;
-import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
 import io.github.sspanak.tt9.Logger;
 import io.github.sspanak.tt9.ime.modes.InputMode;
@@ -24,12 +22,6 @@ import io.github.sspanak.tt9.languages.Text;
 public class TextField {
 	public static final int IME_ACTION_ENTER = EditorInfo.IME_MASK_ACTION + 1;
 
-	private static final Pattern beforeCursorWordRegex = Pattern.compile("([^\\s\\d\\p{P}]+)(?!\n)$");
-	private static final Pattern afterCursorWordRegex = Pattern.compile("^(?<!\n)([^\\s\\d\\p{P}]+)");
-	private static final Pattern beforeCursorUkrainianRegex = Pattern.compile("([(?:^\\s\\d\\p{P}|')]+)(?!\n)$");
-	private static final Pattern afterCursorUkrainianRegex = Pattern.compile("^(?<!\n)([(?:^\\s\\d\\p{P}|')]+)");
-
-
 	public final InputConnection connection;
 	public final EditorInfo field;
 
@@ -175,21 +167,35 @@ public class TextField {
 	 * Returns the word next or around the cursor. Scanning length is up to 50 chars in each direction.
 	 */
 	@NonNull public String getSurroundingWord(Language language) {
-		Matcher before;
-		Matcher after;
+		Text before = getTextBeforeCursor();
+		Text after = getTextAfterCursor(50);
 
-		if (language != null && (language.isHebrew() || language.isUkrainian())) {
-			// Hebrew and Ukrainian use apostrophes as letters
-			before = beforeCursorUkrainianRegex.matcher(getStringBeforeCursor());
-			after = afterCursorUkrainianRegex.matcher(getStringAfterCursor());
-		} else {
-			// In other languages, special characters in words will cause automatic word break to fail,
-			// resulting in unexpected suggestions. Therefore, they are not allowed.
-			before = beforeCursorWordRegex.matcher(getStringBeforeCursor());
-			after = afterCursorWordRegex.matcher(getStringAfterCursor());
+		// emoji
+		boolean beforeEndsWithGraphics = before.endsWithGraphic();
+		boolean afterStartsWithGraphics = after.startsWithGraphic();
+
+		if (beforeEndsWithGraphics && afterStartsWithGraphics) {
+			return before.leaveEndingGraphics() + after.leaveStartingGraphics();
 		}
 
-		return (before.find() ? before.group(1) : "") + (after.find() ? after.group(1) : "");
+		if (afterStartsWithGraphics) {
+			return after.leaveStartingGraphics();
+		}
+
+		if (beforeEndsWithGraphics) {
+			return before.leaveEndingGraphics();
+		}
+
+		// text
+		boolean keepApostrophe = false;
+		boolean keepQuote = false;
+		if (language != null) {
+			// Hebrew and Ukrainian use the respective special characters as letters
+			keepApostrophe = language.isHebrew() || language.isUkrainian();
+			keepQuote = language.isHebrew();
+		}
+
+		return before.subStringEndingWord(keepApostrophe, keepQuote) + after.subStringStartingWord(keepApostrophe, keepQuote);
 	}
 
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/languages/Characters.java b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/languages/Characters.java
index 60898b9e..46686f81 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/languages/Characters.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/languages/Characters.java
@@ -58,20 +58,9 @@ public class Characters {
 		))
 	));
 
-	public static boolean isGraphic(String str) {
-		if (str == null) {
-			return false;
-		}
 
-		for (int i = 0, end = str.length(); i < end; i++) {
-			char ch = str.charAt(i);
-
-			if (ch < 256 || Character.isLetterOrDigit(ch) || Character.isAlphabetic(ch)) {
-				return false;
-			}
-		}
-
-		return true;
+	public static boolean isGraphic(char ch) {
+		return !(ch < 256 || Character.isLetterOrDigit(ch) || Character.isAlphabetic(ch));
 	}
 
 	public static boolean noEmojiSupported() {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/languages/EmojiLanguage.java b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/languages/EmojiLanguage.java
index f3c7b93e..1f3ff458 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/languages/EmojiLanguage.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/languages/EmojiLanguage.java
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ public class EmojiLanguage extends Language {
 
 	@Override
 	public String getDigitSequenceForWord(String word) {
-		return Characters.isGraphic(word) ? CUSTOM_EMOJI_SEQUENCE : null;
+		return Text.isGraphic(word) ? CUSTOM_EMOJI_SEQUENCE : null;
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/languages/Text.java b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/languages/Text.java
index 42507c6c..7f60ed41 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/languages/Text.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/languages/Text.java
@@ -45,10 +45,28 @@ public class Text {
 		return str != null && containsOtherThan1.matcher(str).find();
 	}
 
+	public boolean endsWithGraphic() {
+		return text != null && !text.isEmpty() && Characters.isGraphic(text.charAt(text.length() - 1));
+	}
+
 	public boolean isEmpty() {
 		return text == null || text.isEmpty();
 	}
 
+	public static boolean isGraphic(String str) {
+		if (str == null || str.isEmpty()) {
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		for (int i = 0, end = str.length(); i < end; i++) {
+			if (!Characters.isGraphic(str.charAt(i))) {
+				return false;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	public boolean isMixedCase() {
 		return
 			language != null
@@ -69,6 +87,46 @@ public class Text {
 		return language != null && text != null && text.toUpperCase(language.getLocale()).equals(text);
 	}
 
+	public String leaveEndingGraphics() {
+		if (text == null) {
+			return "";
+		}
+
+		StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(text.length());
+
+		for (int i = text.length() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+			char ch = text.charAt(i);
+
+			if (Characters.isGraphic(ch)) {
+				sb.insert(0, ch);
+			} else {
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return sb.toString();
+	}
+
+	public String leaveStartingGraphics() {
+		if (text == null) {
+			return "";
+		}
+
+		StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(text.length());
+
+		for (int i = 0, end = text.length(); i < end; i++) {
+			char ch = text.charAt(i);
+
+			if (Characters.isGraphic(ch)) {
+				sb.append(ch);
+			} else {
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return sb.toString();
+	}
+
 	public boolean nextIsPunctuation() {
 		return text != null && !text.isEmpty() && nextIsPunctuation.matcher(text).find();
 	}
@@ -85,6 +143,50 @@ public class Text {
 		return text != null && !text.isEmpty() && Character.isDigit(text.charAt(0));
 	}
 
+	public boolean startsWithGraphic() {
+		return text != null && !text.isEmpty() && Characters.isGraphic(text.charAt(0));
+	}
+
+	public String subStringEndingWord(boolean keepApostrophe, boolean keepQuote) {
+		if (text == null) {
+			return "";
+		}
+
+		StringBuilder sub = new StringBuilder();
+
+		for (int i = text.length() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+			char ch = text.charAt(i);
+
+			if (Character.isAlphabetic(ch) || (keepApostrophe && ch == '\'') || (keepQuote && ch == '"')) {
+				sub.insert(0, ch);
+			} else {
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return sub.toString();
+	}
+
+	public String subStringStartingWord(boolean keepApostrophe, boolean keepQuote) {
+		if (text == null) {
+			return "";
+		}
+
+		StringBuilder sub = new StringBuilder();
+
+		for (int i = 0, end = text.length(); i < end; i++) {
+			char ch = text.charAt(i);
+
+			if (Character.isAlphabetic(ch) || (keepApostrophe && ch == '\'') || (keepQuote && ch == '"')) {
+				sub.append(ch);
+			} else {
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return sub.toString();
+	}
+
 	public String toLowerCase() {
 		if (text == null) {
 			return "";