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TextArray
100% local

Extract first word

Pull out the first word from each line instantly.

Input
Output

Extract first word

Extract the first word from every line in your text with a single click. This free online tool processes each line and pulls out the first word — defined as the first unbroken run of non-whitespace characters. Blank lines remain blank, preserving your original line structure, so the output stays aligned with your input layout. The extraction runs entirely in your browser with no uploads or server processing, meaning your data stays completely private and secure on your device.

This is especially useful for cleaning tabular data where you need only the first column, extracting headers or labels from lists, or quickly isolating the key term from each line of structured text. For example, if you have "apple red fruit" on one line and "banana yellow berry" on another, the tool produces "apple" and "banana" respectively. Empty or whitespace-only lines remain untouched — no phantom words are added to pad the output.

The live tally beneath your result displays the total number of lines in your input, how many words were successfully extracted, and the character count of the generated output. Copy the extracted words, download them as a plain text file, or pass them directly to another TextArray tool when finished.

FAQ

What counts as a word?
A word is any unbroken sequence of non-whitespace characters. Punctuation attached to a word is part of that word, so "hello!" is one word, not two.
What happens to blank lines?
Blank lines and lines with only spaces stay blank — the tool preserves your original line count so the output aligns with the input.
Can I extract a different word position?
This tool extracts the first word only. For other positions or columns, try the Extract Column tool for structured data or Split Camel Case for breaking apart compound words.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. The extraction runs entirely in your browser and your text never leaves your device.