diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 0ba39b90..d3861d5b 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ src_libespeak_ng_la_SOURCES = \
 	src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.c \
 	src/libespeak-ng/synth_mbrola.c \
 	src/libespeak-ng/translate.c \
+	src/libespeak-ng/translateword.c \
 	src/libespeak-ng/tr_languages.c \
 	src/libespeak-ng/voices.c \
 	src/libespeak-ng/wavegen.c
@@ -205,6 +206,7 @@ noinst_HEADERS = \
 	src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.h \
 	src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.h \
 	src/libespeak-ng/translate.h \
+	src/libespeak-ng/translateword.h \
 	src/libespeak-ng/voice.h \
 	src/libespeak-ng/wavegen.h \
 	src/speechPlayer/include/speechPlayer.h \
diff --git a/android/jni/Android.mk b/android/jni/Android.mk
index b9c5c231..9c9f3dba 100644
--- a/android/jni/Android.mk
+++ b/android/jni/Android.mk
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ ESPEAK_SOURCES := \
   src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.c \
   src/libespeak-ng/synth_mbrola.c \
   src/libespeak-ng/translate.c \
+  src/libespeak-ng/translateword.c \
   src/libespeak-ng/tr_languages.c \
   src/libespeak-ng/voices.c \
   src/libespeak-ng/wavegen.c
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/translate.c b/src/libespeak-ng/translate.c
index 81e9e4f9..fe0dd48b 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/translate.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/translate.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include "ucd/ucd.h"              // for ucd_toupper
 #include "voice.h"                // for voice, voice_t
 #include "speech.h"               // for MAKE_MEM_UNDEFINED
+#include "translateword.h"
 
 Translator *translator = NULL; // the main translator
 Translator *translator2 = NULL; // secondary translator for certain words
@@ -388,31 +389,6 @@ static void addPluralSuffixes(int flags, Translator *tr, char last_char, char *w
 	}
 }
 
-static char *SpeakIndividualLetters(Translator *tr, char *word, char *phonemes, int spell_word)
-{
-	int posn = 0;
-	int capitals = 0;
-	bool non_initial = false;
-
-	if (spell_word > 2)
-		capitals = 2; // speak 'capital'
-	if (spell_word > 1)
-		capitals |= 4; // speak character code for unknown letters
-
-	while ((*word != ' ') && (*word != 0)) {
-		word += TranslateLetter(tr, word, phonemes, capitals | non_initial, current_alphabet);
-		posn++;
-		non_initial = true;
-		if (phonemes[0] == phonSWITCH) {
-			// change to another language in order to translate this word
-			strcpy(word_phonemes, phonemes);
-			return NULL;
-		}
-	}
-	SetSpellingStress(tr, phonemes, spell_word, posn);
-	return word;
-}
-
 static int CheckDottedAbbrev(char *word1)
 {
 	int wc;
@@ -665,7 +641,7 @@ static int TranslateWord3(Translator *tr, char *word_start, WORD_TAB *wtab, char
 		// Speak as individual letters
 		phonemes[0] = 0;
 
-		if (SpeakIndividualLetters(tr, word1, phonemes, spell_word) == NULL) {
+		if (SpeakIndividualLetters(tr, word1, phonemes, spell_word, current_alphabet, word_phonemes) == NULL) {
 			if (word_length > 1)
 				return FLAG_SPELLWORD; // a mixture of languages, retranslate as individual letters, separated by spaces
 			return 0;
@@ -737,7 +713,7 @@ static int TranslateWord3(Translator *tr, char *word_start, WORD_TAB *wtab, char
 				// ?? should we say super/sub-script numbers and letters here?
 				utf8_in(&wc, wordx);
 				if ((word_length == 1) && (IsAlpha(wc) || IsSuperscript(wc))) {
-					if ((wordx = SpeakIndividualLetters(tr, wordx, phonemes, spell_word)) == NULL)
+					if ((wordx = SpeakIndividualLetters(tr, wordx, phonemes, spell_word, current_alphabet, word_phonemes)) == NULL)
 						return 0;
 					strcpy(word_phonemes, phonemes);
 					return 0;
@@ -824,7 +800,7 @@ static int TranslateWord3(Translator *tr, char *word_start, WORD_TAB *wtab, char
 						strcpy(prefix_phonemes, phonemes);
 					if (dictionary_flags[0] & FLAG_ABBREV) {
 						prefix_phonemes[0] = 0;
-						SpeakIndividualLetters(tr, wordpf, prefix_phonemes, 1);
+						SpeakIndividualLetters(tr, wordpf, prefix_phonemes, 1, current_alphabet, word_phonemes);
 					}
 				} else
 					strcat(prefix_phonemes, end_phonemes);
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/translateword.c b/src/libespeak-ng/translateword.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2eb1dcd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/translateword.c
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005 to 2014 by Jonathan Duddington
+ * email: jonsd@users.sourceforge.net
+ * Copyright (C) 2015-2017 Reece H. Dunn
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, see: <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <ctype.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <wchar.h>
+#include <wctype.h>
+
+#include <espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h>
+#include <espeak-ng/speak_lib.h>
+#include <espeak-ng/encoding.h>
+
+#include "translate.h"
+#include "dictionary.h"           // for TranslateRules, LookupDictList, Cha...
+#include "numbers.h"              // for SetSpellingStress, TranslateLetter
+#include "phoneme.h"              // for phonSWITCH, PHONEME_TAB, phonPAUSE_...
+#include "phonemelist.h"          // for MakePhonemeList
+#include "readclause.h"           // for towlower2, Eof, ReadClause, is_str_...
+#include "synthdata.h"            // for SelectPhonemeTable, LookupPhonemeTable
+#include "synthesize.h"           // for PHONEME_LIST2, N_PHONEME_LIST, PHON...
+#include "ucd/ucd.h"              // for ucd_toupper
+#include "voice.h"                // for voice, voice_t
+#include "speech.h"               // for MAKE_MEM_UNDEFINED
+
+char *SpeakIndividualLetters(Translator *tr, char *word, char *phonemes, int spell_word, ALPHABET *current_alphabet, char word_phonemes[])
+{
+	int posn = 0;
+	int capitals = 0;
+	bool non_initial = false;
+
+	if (spell_word > 2)
+		capitals = 2; // speak 'capital'
+	if (spell_word > 1)
+		capitals |= 4; // speak character code for unknown letters
+
+	while ((*word != ' ') && (*word != 0)) {
+		word += TranslateLetter(tr, word, phonemes, capitals | non_initial, current_alphabet);
+		posn++;
+		non_initial = true;
+		if (phonemes[0] == phonSWITCH) {
+			// change to another language in order to translate this word
+			strcpy(word_phonemes, phonemes);
+			return NULL;
+		}
+	}
+	SetSpellingStress(tr, phonemes, spell_word, posn);
+	return word;
+}
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/translateword.h b/src/libespeak-ng/translateword.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..873ed179
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/translateword.h
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005 to 2014 by Jonathan Duddington
+ * email: jonsd@users.sourceforge.net
+ * Copyright (C) 2015-2017, 2020 Reece H. Dunn
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, see: <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#ifndef ESPEAK_NG_TRANSLATEWORD_H
+#define ESPEAK_NG_TRANSLATEWORd_H
+
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
+#include <espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h>
+#include <espeak-ng/encoding.h>
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+{
+#endif
+
+char *SpeakIndividualLetters(Translator *tr, char *word, char *phonemes, int spell_word, ALPHABET *current_alphabet, char word_phonemes[]);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif