diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index bde3aa47..d9705d7c 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -758,12 +758,12 @@ std::unordered_map<Key, std::function<void (Editor& editor, int count)>> keymap
     { { Key::Modifiers::None, '|' }, do_pipe },
     { { Key::Modifiers::None, ' ' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { if (count == 0) editor.clear_selections();
                                                                      else editor.keep_selection(count-1); } },
-    { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'w' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_word); } while(--count > 0); } },
-    { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'e' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_word_end); } while(--count > 0); } },
-    { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'b' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_previous_word); } while(--count > 0); } },
-    { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'W' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_word, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
-    { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'E' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_word_end, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
-    { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'B' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_previous_word, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'w' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_word<false>); } while(--count > 0); } },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'e' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_word_end<false>); } while(--count > 0); } },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'b' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_previous_word<false>); } while(--count > 0); } },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'W' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_word<false>, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'E' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_word_end<false>, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'B' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_previous_word<false>, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
     { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'x' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_line, false); } while(--count > 0); } },
     { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'X' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_line, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
     { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'm' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { editor.select(select_matching); } },
@@ -785,12 +785,12 @@ std::unordered_map<Key, std::function<void (Editor& editor, int count)>> keymap
     { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'T' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { editor.select(std::bind(select_to_reverse, _1, get_key().key, count, false), true); } },
     { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'F' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { editor.select(std::bind(select_to_reverse, _1, get_key().key, count, true), true); } },
 
-    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'w' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_WORD); } while(--count > 0); } },
-    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'e' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_WORD_end); } while(--count > 0); } },
-    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'b' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_previous_WORD); } while(--count > 0); } },
-    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'W' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_WORD, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
-    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'E' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_WORD_end, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
-    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'B' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_previous_WORD, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'w' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_word<true>); } while(--count > 0); } },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'e' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_word_end<true>); } while(--count > 0); } },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'b' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_previous_word<true>); } while(--count > 0); } },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'W' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_word<true>, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'E' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_next_word_end<true>, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'B' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_previous_word<true>, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
 
     { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'l' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_eol, false); } while(--count > 0); } },
     { { Key::Modifiers::Alt, 'L' }, [](Editor& editor, int count) { do { editor.select(select_to_eol, true); } while(--count > 0); } },
diff --git a/src/selectors.cc b/src/selectors.cc
index 5567de0c..bb88697f 100644
--- a/src/selectors.cc
+++ b/src/selectors.cc
@@ -6,17 +6,24 @@
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
-static bool is_eol(char c)
+namespace
+{
+
+bool is_eol(char c)
 {
     return c == '\n';
 }
 
-static bool is_blank(char c)
+bool is_blank(char c)
 {
     return c == ' ' or c == '\t';
 }
 
-static bool is_word(char c)
+template<bool punctuation_is_word = false>
+bool is_word(char c);
+
+template<>
+bool is_word<false>(char c)
 {
     if (c >= '0' and c <= '9')
         return true;
@@ -29,6 +36,12 @@ static bool is_word(char c)
     return false;
 }
 
+template<>
+bool is_word<true>(char c)
+{
+    return !is_blank(c) and !is_eol(c);
+}
+
 static bool is_punctuation(char c)
 {
     return not (is_word(c) or is_blank(c) or is_eol(c));
@@ -42,8 +55,8 @@ enum class CharCategories
     Punctuation,
 };
 
-template<bool punctuation_is_not_word = true>
-static CharCategories categorize(char c)
+template<bool punctuation_is_word = false>
+CharCategories categorize(char c)
 {
     if (is_word(c))
         return CharCategories::Word;
@@ -51,8 +64,8 @@ static CharCategories categorize(char c)
         return CharCategories::EndOfLine;
     if (is_blank(c))
         return CharCategories::Blank;
-    return punctuation_is_not_word ? CharCategories::Punctuation
-                                   : CharCategories::Word;
+    return punctuation_is_word ? CharCategories::Word
+                               : CharCategories::Punctuation;
 }
 
 template<typename T>
@@ -71,30 +84,37 @@ bool skip_while_reverse(BufferIterator& it, T condition)
     return not it.is_end() and condition(*it);
 }
 
+}
+
+template<bool punctuation_is_word>
 SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_word(const Selection& selection)
 {
     BufferIterator begin = selection.last();
-    if (categorize(*begin) != categorize(*(begin+1)))
+    if (categorize<punctuation_is_word>(*begin) !=
+        categorize<punctuation_is_word>(*(begin+1)))
         ++begin;
 
     skip_while(begin, is_eol);
-
     BufferIterator end = begin+1;
 
-    if (is_punctuation(*begin))
+    if (not punctuation_is_word and is_punctuation(*begin))
         skip_while(end, is_punctuation);
-    else if (is_word(*begin))
-        skip_while(end, is_word);
+    else if (is_word<punctuation_is_word>(*begin))
+        skip_while(end, is_word<punctuation_is_word>);
 
     bool with_end = skip_while(end, is_blank);
 
     return Selection(begin, with_end ? end : end-1);
 }
+template SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_word<false>(const Selection&);
+template SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_word<true>(const Selection&);
 
+template<bool punctuation_is_word>
 SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_word_end(const Selection& selection)
 {
     BufferIterator begin = selection.last();
-    if (categorize(*begin) != categorize(*(begin+1)))
+    if (categorize<punctuation_is_word>(*begin) !=
+        categorize<punctuation_is_word>(*(begin+1)))
         ++begin;
 
     skip_while(begin, is_eol);
@@ -102,19 +122,23 @@ SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_word_end(const Selection& selection)
     skip_while(end, is_blank);
 
     bool with_end = false;
-    if (is_punctuation(*end))
+    if (not punctuation_is_word and is_punctuation(*end))
         with_end = skip_while(end, is_punctuation);
-    else if (is_word(*end))
-        with_end = skip_while(end, is_word);
+    else if (is_word<punctuation_is_word>(*end))
+        with_end = skip_while(end, is_word<punctuation_is_word>);
 
     return Selection(begin, with_end ? end : end-1);
 }
+template SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_word_end<false>(const Selection&);
+template SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_word_end<true>(const Selection&);
 
+template<bool punctuation_is_word>
 SelectionAndCaptures select_to_previous_word(const Selection& selection)
 {
     BufferIterator begin = selection.last();
 
-    if (categorize(*begin) != categorize(*(begin-1)))
+    if (categorize<punctuation_is_word>(*begin) !=
+        categorize<punctuation_is_word>(*(begin-1)))
         --begin;
 
     skip_while_reverse(begin, is_eol);
@@ -122,61 +146,15 @@ SelectionAndCaptures select_to_previous_word(const Selection& selection)
     skip_while_reverse(end, is_blank);
 
     bool with_end = false;
-    if (is_punctuation(*end))
+    if (not punctuation_is_word and is_punctuation(*end))
         with_end = skip_while_reverse(end, is_punctuation);
-    else if (is_word(*end))
-        with_end = skip_while_reverse(end, is_word);
-
-    return Selection(begin, with_end ? end : end+1);
-}
-
-SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_WORD(const Selection& selection)
-{
-    BufferIterator begin = selection.last();
-    if (categorize<false>(*begin) != categorize<false>(*(begin+1)))
-        ++begin;
-
-    skip_while(begin, is_eol);
-
-    BufferIterator end = begin+1;
-
-    skip_while(end, [] (char c) { return !is_blank(c) and !is_eol(c); });
-    bool with_end = skip_while(end, is_blank);
-
-    return Selection(begin, with_end ? end : end-1);
-}
-
-SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_WORD_end(const Selection& selection)
-{
-    BufferIterator begin = selection.last();
-    if (categorize<false>(*begin) != categorize<false>(*(begin+1)))
-        ++begin;
-
-    skip_while(begin, is_eol);
-
-    BufferIterator end = begin+1;
-
-    skip_while(end, is_blank);
-    bool with_end = skip_while(end, [] (char c) { return !is_blank(c)
-                                                     and !is_eol(c); });
-
-    return Selection(begin, with_end ? end : end-1);
-}
-
-SelectionAndCaptures select_to_previous_WORD(const Selection& selection)
-{
-    BufferIterator begin = selection.last();
-    if (categorize<false>(*begin) != categorize<false>(*(begin-1)))
-        --begin;
-
-    skip_while_reverse(begin, is_eol);
-    BufferIterator end = begin;
-    skip_while_reverse(end, is_blank);
-    bool with_end = skip_while_reverse(end, [] (char c) { return !is_blank(c)
-                                                             and !is_eol(c); });
+    else if (is_word<punctuation_is_word>(*end))
+        with_end = skip_while_reverse(end, is_word<punctuation_is_word>);
 
     return Selection(begin, with_end ? end : end+1);
 }
+template SelectionAndCaptures select_to_previous_word<false>(const Selection&);
+template SelectionAndCaptures select_to_previous_word<true>(const Selection&);
 
 SelectionAndCaptures select_line(const Selection& selection)
 {
diff --git a/src/selectors.hh b/src/selectors.hh
index 116af686..18588454 100644
--- a/src/selectors.hh
+++ b/src/selectors.hh
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
+template<bool punctuation_is_word>
 SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_word(const Selection& selection);
+template<bool punctuation_is_word>
 SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_word_end(const Selection& selection);
+template<bool punctuation_is_word>
 SelectionAndCaptures select_to_previous_word(const Selection& selection);
-SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_WORD(const Selection& selection);
-SelectionAndCaptures select_to_next_WORD_end(const Selection& selection);
-SelectionAndCaptures select_to_previous_WORD(const Selection& selection);
+
 SelectionAndCaptures select_line(const Selection& selection);
 SelectionAndCaptures select_matching(const Selection& selection);
 SelectionAndCaptures select_surrounding(const Selection& selection,