diff --git a/pixelocr/page.py b/pixelocr/page.py
index 0ac82f8..bcef204 100644
--- a/pixelocr/page.py
+++ b/pixelocr/page.py
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ class Line(PageObject):
 
     @cached_property
     @collect_iterable
-    def glyphs(self):
+    def words(self):
         labels, max_label = ndimage.label(self.image.bitmap, CONNECTIVITY8)
         blob_slices = enumerate(ndimage.find_objects(labels, max_label), 1)
         glyph_images = (
@@ -204,7 +204,15 @@ class Line(PageObject):
         )
         glyphs = sorted(glyphs, key=lambda glyph: (glyph.left, -glyph.bottom))
         glyphs = self._combine_diacritics(glyphs)
-        return self._insert_spaces(glyphs)
+        return self._detect_words(glyphs)
+
+    @property
+    @collect_iterable
+    def glyphs(self):
+        for word in self.words:
+            yield from word.glyphs
+            if word.space_after is not None:
+                yield word.space_after
 
     def _combine_diacritics(self, glyphs):
         def find_correspondence(glyphs):
@@ -227,13 +235,18 @@ class Line(PageObject):
                 if glyph not in bodies: # freestanding diacritic-like glyph without a body
                     yield glyph
 
-    def _insert_spaces(self, glyphs, min_distance=15):
+    def _detect_words(self, glyphs, min_distance=15):
+        current_word_glyphs = []
         for glyph, next_glyph in pairwise(glyphs):
-            yield glyph
+            current_word_glyphs.append(glyph)
             if next_glyph is not None:
                 distance = glyph.optical_distance(next_glyph)
                 if distance >= min_distance:
-                    yield Space(self, self.image.space(glyph.right, self.top, distance, self.height), self.baseline - self.top)
+                    space_after = Space(self, self.image.space(glyph.right, self.top, distance, self.height), self.baseline - self.top)
+                    yield Word(self, current_word_glyphs, space_after)
+                    current_word_glyphs = []
+        if current_word_glyphs:
+            yield Word(self, current_word_glyphs)
 
     def _extract_blob(self, blob_slice, label, labels):
         image = self.image[blob_slice]
@@ -245,7 +258,21 @@ class Line(PageObject):
         return distance + self._optical_correction(other, T=True)
 
 
+class Word(PageObject):
+    def __init__(self, line, glyphs, space_after=None):
+        self.glyphs = glyphs
+        for glyph in glyphs:
+            glyph.word = self
+        self.space_after = space_after
+        beginning = self.glyphs[0]
+        end = space_after if space_after is not None else self.glyphs[-1]
+        image = line.image[:, beginning.left:end.right]
+        super().__init__(line.document, image)
+
+
 class Glyph(PageObject):
+    word = None
+
     def __init__(self, line, image, elevation):
         super().__init__(line.document, image)
         self.elevation = elevation