diff --git a/src/text.cpp b/src/text.cpp
index 74566671e..be5d16fb7 100644
--- a/src/text.cpp
+++ b/src/text.cpp
@@ -215,6 +215,30 @@ std::string unquoteText (const std::string& input)
   return output;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+int longestWord (const std::string& input)
+{
+  int longest = 0;
+  int length = 0;
+  std::string::size_type i;
+  int character;
+
+  while (character = utf8_next_char (input, i))
+  {
+    if (character == ' ')
+    {
+      if (length > longest)
+        longest = length;
+
+      length = 0;
+    }
+    else
+      ++length;
+  }
+
+  return longest;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void extractLine (std::string& text, std::string& line, int length)
 {
diff --git a/src/text.h b/src/text.h
index 669e80464..dcb3dfd23 100644
--- a/src/text.h
+++ b/src/text.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ std::string trimLeft (const std::string& in, const std::string& t = " ");
 std::string trimRight (const std::string& in, const std::string& t = " ");
 std::string trim (const std::string& in, const std::string& t = " ");
 std::string unquoteText (const std::string&);
+int longestWord (const std::string&);
 void extractLine (std::string&, std::string&, int);
 void split (std::vector<std::string>&, const std::string&, const char);
 void split (std::vector<std::string>&, const std::string&, const std::string&);
diff --git a/test/text.t.cpp b/test/text.t.cpp
index 709f3ac89..9ebd13f7c 100644
--- a/test/text.t.cpp
+++ b/test/text.t.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ Context context;
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 int main (int argc, char** argv)
 {
-  UnitTest t (223);
+  UnitTest t (227);
 
   // void wrapText (std::vector <std::string>& lines, const std::string& text, const int width)
   std::string text = "This is a test of the line wrapping code.";
@@ -239,6 +239,12 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
   t.is (unquoteText ("'x'"),      "x",    "unquoteText ''x'' -> 'x'");
   t.is (unquoteText ("\"x\""),    "x",    "unquoteText '\"x\"' -> 'x'");
 
+  // int longestWord (const std::string&)
+  t.is (longestWord ("    "),                  0, "longestWord (    ) --> 0");
+  t.is (longestWord ("this is a test"),        4, "longestWord (this is a test) --> 4");
+  t.is (longestWord ("this is a better test"), 6, "longestWord (this is a better test) --> 6");
+  t.is (longestWord ("house Çirçös clown"),    6, "longestWord (Çirçös) --> 6");
+
   // std::string commify (const std::string& data)
   t.is (commify (""),           "",              "commify '' -> ''");
   t.is (commify ("1"),          "1",             "commify '1' -> '1'");