diff --git a/notcl.js b/notcl.js
index 43eb6a9..6ae8e6e 100644
--- a/notcl.js
+++ b/notcl.js
@@ -5,6 +5,94 @@
  * @property {string} text
  */
 
+/**
+ * A Pattern is a function that matches against a string starting at a given index.
+ *
+ * If it matches successfully, it returns some captured value, and the index following the match.
+ *
+ * @template T
+ * @typedef {(source: string, index: number) => ([T, number] | null)} Pattern
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Creates a pattern that wraps another pattern, transforming the returned value on a match
+ * @template T, U
+ * @param {Pattern<T>} pattern
+ * @param {(value: T)=> U} map
+ * @return {Pattern<U>}
+ */
+function MapPattern(pattern, map) {
+  return function (source, index) {
+    const match = pattern(source, index);
+    return match ? [map(match[0]), match[1]] : null;
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Creates a pattern matching a regex & returning any captures. The regex needs to be sticky (using the //y modifier)
+ * @param {RegExp} regex
+ * @return {Pattern<RegExpExecArray>}
+ */
+function RegexPattern(regex) {
+  return function (source, index) {
+    regex.lastIndex = index;
+    const matches = regex.exec(source);
+    return matches ? [matches, regex.lastIndex] : null;
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * @template T
+ * @param {...Pattern<T>} patterns
+ * @return {Pattern<T>}
+ */
+function Choose(...patterns) {
+  return function (source, index) {
+    for (const pattern of patterns) {
+      const match = pattern(source, index);
+      if (match) {
+        return match;
+      }
+    }
+    return null;
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * @template {unknown[]} T
+ * @param {{[K in keyof T]: Pattern<T[K]>}} patterns
+ * @return {Pattern<T>}
+ */
+function Sequence(...patterns) {
+  return function (source, index) {
+    const values = /** @type {T} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ ([]));
+    for (const pattern of patterns) {
+      const match = pattern(source, index);
+      if (match == null) {
+        return null;
+      }
+      values.push(match[0]);
+      index = match[1];
+    }
+    return [values, index];
+  };
+}
+
+const InterCommandWhitespace = RegexPattern(/[^\S\n;]*/y);
+
+const CommentPattern = RegexPattern(/#.*\n/y);
+
+const PreWordWhitespace = RegexPattern(/[^\S\n;]*/y);
+
+const BasicWord = MapPattern(RegexPattern(/[^\s;]+/y), ([word]) => ({
+  text: word,
+}));
+
+const WordPattern = MapPattern(
+  Sequence(PreWordWhitespace, BasicWord),
+  ([_, word]) => word
+);
+
 /**
  * Parse out a Notcl script into an easier-to-interpret representation.
  * No script is actually executed yet.
@@ -18,20 +106,18 @@ function parseNotcl(code) {
   code = code.replace(/(?<!\\)((\\\\)*)\\\n/g, "$1");
 
   /* Parse */
-  function nextWord(/* TODO: null/] terminator */) {
-    // Strip whitespace
-    code = code.replace(/^[^\S\n;]*/, "");
+  function nextWord(/* TODO: null/]/" terminator */) {
     // TODO: handle all kinds of brace/substitution stuff
-    const word = code.match(/^[^\s;]+/);
+    const [word, nextIndex] = WordPattern(code, 0) ?? [null, 0];
     if (word) {
-      code = code.substring(word[0].length);
-      return { text: word[0] };
+      code = code.substring(nextIndex);
+      return word;
     } else {
       return null;
     }
   }
 
-  function nextCommand(/* TODO: null/] terminator */) {
+  function nextCommand(/* TODO: null/]/" terminator */) {
     const command = /** @type {Word[]} */ ([]);
     while (true) {
       // Strip whitespace