Regex: Match Entire Words Only - Simple Guide

When it comes to regex, matching entire words only can be a common requirement. Luckily, it's not too difficult to do with the right syntax.

One way to match entire words only is to use the word boundary anchor, represented by the "b" character. This tells the regex engine to match only at the beginning or end of a word.

For example, to match the word "cat" but not "catapult", you could use the regex pattern "bcatb". This will match "cat" when it appears as its own separate word, but not when it's part of another word.

Another option is to use lookarounds, which allow you to specify additional conditions for the match. For example, to match the word "cat" only when it's not preceded by the letter "a", you could use the regex pattern "(?