diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fbaa716..f06d9a1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ const result = [
 
 **Input:** `(mango banana lemon) OR apple -pineapple`
 
-**Explanation:** One of the word: "mango", "banana", "lemon" OR "apple"; exclude all results
-containing "pineapple"
+**Explanation:** Either one of the words: "mango", "banana", or "lemon"; OR the word "apple";
+exclude all results containing "pineapple"
 
 **Output**:
 
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ This is the comprehensive list of operators and their object results:
 - **Word:** `example`
 
   Any single word. Only alpha-numeric characters, dashes and underscores are considered a word. The
-  rest is ignored.
+  rest is considered whitespace, which is ignored by the parser, but will cause the surrounding
+  tokens to be broken apart.
 
   **Object:**
 
diff --git a/src/lexer.ts b/src/lexer.ts
index 7abc844..56855c7 100644
--- a/src/lexer.ts
+++ b/src/lexer.ts
@@ -110,11 +110,7 @@ export class Lexer implements ILexer {
       case lexerState.default:
         // whitespace
         if (this.isWhitespace(nextChar)) {
-          this.afterWhitespace = true
-          return {
-            value: this.reader.consume(),
-            token: LexerToken.whitespace,
-          }
+          return this.consumeWhitespace()
         }
 
         // quote
@@ -154,8 +150,8 @@ export class Lexer implements ILexer {
           return this.consumeGroup()
         }
 
-        // other, consume normally
-        return this.consumeWord()
+        // other, consider as whitespace
+        return this.consumeWhitespace()
       case lexerState.inPhrase:
         this.afterWhitespace = false
 
@@ -172,6 +168,14 @@ export class Lexer implements ILexer {
     }
   }
 
+  private consumeWhitespace() {
+    this.afterWhitespace = true
+    return {
+      value: this.reader.consume(),
+      token: LexerToken.whitespace,
+    }
+  }
+
   private consumeQuote(): LexerTokenValue {
     return {
       value: this.reader.consume(),