diff --git a/pixelocr/gui/pageview.py b/pixelocr/gui/pageview.py
index ee7be4d..4033b26 100644
--- a/pixelocr/gui/pageview.py
+++ b/pixelocr/gui/pageview.py
@@ -64,12 +64,12 @@ class PageScene(QGraphicsScene):
         letterBrush = QBrush(QColor(255, 255, 0, 80))
         linePen = QPen(QColor(255, 50, 50, 100))
         for line in page:
-            for word in line:
-                for letter in word:
-                    if not letter.image.isspace:
-                        self.addRect(letter.x - 1, letter.y - 1, letter.width + 1, letter.height + 1, letterPen, letterBrush)
+            for letter in line:
+                if not letter.image.isspace:
+                    self.addRect(letter.x - 1, letter.y - 1, letter.width + 1, letter.height + 1, letterPen, letterBrush)
+                else:
+                    self.addRect(letter.x - 1, letter.y - 1, letter.width + 1, letter.height + 1, letterPen)
             self.addLine(line.left, line.baseline, line.right, line.baseline, linePen)
-#             self.addRect(line.x, line.y, line.width, line.height, Qt.red)
 
     def addPage(self, page):
         qimage = ndimage2qimage(page.image.data)
diff --git a/pixelocr/page.py b/pixelocr/page.py
index 5a7b9d1..76ef924 100644
--- a/pixelocr/page.py
+++ b/pixelocr/page.py
@@ -14,11 +14,13 @@
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 
+import itertools
+
 import numpy as np
 from scipy import ndimage
 from scipy.ndimage import filters
 
-from .utils import cached_property, collect_iterable
+from .utils import cached_property, collect_iterable, pairwise
 from .image import Image
 
 
@@ -82,18 +84,7 @@ class Page(PageObject):
 
 class Line(PageObject):
     def __iter__(self):
-        return iter(self.words)
-
-    @cached_property
-    @collect_iterable
-    def words(self):
-        for rotated_word_img in self.image.T._iter_lines(min_space=5):
-            yield Word(rotated_word_img.T, baseline=self.baseline)
-
-    @property
-    def letters(self):
-        for word in self.words:
-            yield from word.letters
+        return iter(self.letters)
 
     @cached_property
     def baseline(self):
@@ -105,17 +96,7 @@ class Line(PageObject):
         bottom = gradient.argmin()
         return self.y + bottom
 
-
-class Word(PageObject):
-    def __init__(self, image, baseline):
-        super().__init__(image)
-        self.baseline = baseline
-
-    def __iter__(self):
-        return iter(self.letters)
-
-    @cached_property
-    @collect_iterable
+    @property
     def letters(self):
         labels, max_label = ndimage.label(self.image.bitmap, CONNECTIVITY8)
         blob_slices = enumerate(ndimage.find_objects(labels, max_label), 1)
@@ -127,8 +108,34 @@ class Word(PageObject):
             Letter(image, self.baseline - image.bottom)
             for image in letter_images
         )
-        sorted_letters = sorted(letters, key=lambda letter: (letter.left, -letter.bottom))
-        return iter(sorted_letters)
+        letters = sorted(letters, key=lambda letter: (letter.left, -letter.bottom))
+        letters = self._combine_diacritics(letters)
+        return self._insert_spaces(letters)
+
+    def _combine_diacritics(self, letters):
+        def is_diacritic(glyph):
+            # XXX
+            return (
+                letter is not None
+                and glyph is not None
+                and glyph.elevation > 5
+            )
+
+        while letters:
+            letter, *letters = letters
+            diacritics = list(itertools.takewhile(is_diacritic, iter(letters)))
+            for diacritic in diacritics:
+                letter = Letter(letter.image.combine(diacritic.image), elevation=letter.elevation)
+            letters = letters[len(diacritics):]
+            yield letter
+
+    def _insert_spaces(self, letters):
+        for letter, next_letter in pairwise(letters):
+            yield letter
+            if next_letter is not None:
+                distance = next_letter.left - letter.right
+                if distance > 5:
+                    yield Space(self.image.space(letter.right, self.top, distance, self.baseline - self.top))
 
     def _extract_blob(self, blob_slice, label, labels):
         image = self.image[blob_slice]
@@ -136,8 +143,12 @@ class Word(PageObject):
         return image.mask(mask)
 
 
-
 class Letter(PageObject):
     def __init__(self, image, elevation):
         super().__init__(image)
         self.elevation = elevation
+
+
+class Space(Letter):
+    def __init__(self, image):
+        super().__init__(image, elevation=0)