diff --git a/libft/libft.h b/libft/libft.h
index 3011865..60cb00b 100644
--- a/libft/libft.h
+++ b/libft/libft.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 /*   By: jguelen <marvin@42.fr>                     +#+  +:+       +#+        */
 /*                                                +#+#+#+#+#+   +#+           */
 /*   Created: 2024/10/17 16:06:09 by jguelen           #+#    #+#             */
-/*   Updated: 2025/02/20 14:44:53 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
+/*   Updated: 2025/02/20 14:48:28 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
 /*                                                                            */
 /* ************************************************************************** */
 
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ size_t	ft_strlcat(char *dst, const char *src, size_t size);
 int		ft_toupper(int c);
 int		ft_tolower(int c);
 char	*ft_strchr(const char *s, int c);
+size_t	ft_strchridx(const char *s, char c);
+size_t	ft_strnchridx(const char *s, char c);
 char	*ft_strrchr(const char *s, int c);
 int		ft_strcmp(const char *s1, const char *s2);
 int		ft_strncmp(const char *s1, const char *s2, size_t n);
diff --git a/libft/libft/Makefile b/libft/libft/Makefile
index cebfad2..4eb2890 100644
--- a/libft/libft/Makefile
+++ b/libft/libft/Makefile
@@ -4,14 +4,57 @@ ifeq ($(CFLAGS),)
 	CFLAGS = -Wall -Wextra -Werror -g
 endif
 NAME = libft.a
-SOURCES = free2.c \
-	ft_atoi.c ft_itoa.c ft_putendl_fd.c ft_strlcat.c ft_substr.c \
-	ft_bzero.c ft_putnbr_fd.c ft_strlcpy.c ft_tolower.c ft_calloc.c \
-	ft_memchr.c ft_putstr_fd.c ft_strlen.c ft_toupper.c ft_isalnum.c \
-	ft_memcmp.c ft_split.c ft_strmapi.c ft_isalpha.c ft_memcpy.c ft_strchr.c \
-	ft_strcmp.c ft_strncmp.c ft_isascii.c ft_memmove.c ft_strdup.c ft_strnstr.c \
-	ft_isdigit.c ft_memset.c ft_striteri.c ft_strrchr.c ft_isprint.c \
-	ft_putchar_fd.c ft_strjoin.c ft_strtrim.c ft_min_max.c ft_strjoin_sepc.c
+SOURCES = \
+	free2.c \
+	ft_atoi.c \
+	ft_bzero.c \
+	ft_calloc.c \
+	ft_isalnum.c \
+	ft_isalpha.c \
+	ft_isascii.c \
+	ft_isdigit.c \
+	ft_isprint.c \
+	ft_itoa.c \
+	ft_lstadd_back_bonus.c \
+	ft_lstadd_front_bonus.c \
+	ft_lstclear_bonus.c \
+	ft_lstdelone_bonus.c \
+	ft_lstiter_bonus.c \
+	ft_lstlast_bonus.c \
+	ft_lstmap_bonus.c \
+	ft_lstnew_bonus.c \
+	ft_lstsize_bonus.c \
+	ft_memchr.c \
+	ft_memcmp.c \
+	ft_memcpy.c \
+	ft_memmove.c \
+	ft_memset.c \
+	ft_min_max.c \
+	ft_putchar_fd.c \
+	ft_putendl_fd.c \
+	ft_putnbr_fd.c \
+	ft_putstr_fd.c \
+	ft_split.c \
+	ft_strchr.c \
+	ft_strchridx.c \
+	ft_strcmp.c \
+	ft_strdup.c \
+	ft_striteri.c \
+	ft_strjoin.c \
+	ft_strjoin_sepc.c \
+	ft_strlcat.c \
+	ft_strlcpy.c \
+	ft_strlen.c \
+	ft_strmapi.c \
+	ft_strnchridx.c \
+	ft_strncmp.c \
+	ft_strnstr.c \
+	ft_strrchr.c \
+	ft_strtrim.c \
+	ft_substr.c \
+	ft_tolower.c \
+	ft_toupper.c \
+
 BONUSSOURCES = ft_lstnew_bonus.c ft_lstadd_back_bonus.c ft_lstsize_bonus.c \
 	ft_lstadd_front_bonus.c ft_lstclear_bonus.c ft_lstdelone_bonus.c \
 	ft_lstiter_bonus.c ft_lstlast_bonus.c ft_lstmap_bonus.c
diff --git a/libft/libft/ft_strchridx.c b/libft/libft/ft_strchridx.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57f70f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libft/libft/ft_strchridx.c
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/* ************************************************************************** */
+/*                                                                            */
+/*                                                        :::      ::::::::   */
+/*   ft_strchridx.c                                     :+:      :+:    :+:   */
+/*                                                    +:+ +:+         +:+     */
+/*   By: khais <marvin@42.fr>                       +#+  +:+       +#+        */
+/*                                                +#+#+#+#+#+   +#+           */
+/*   Created: 2025/02/14 14:02:34 by khais             #+#    #+#             */
+/*   Updated: 2025/02/14 15:12:01 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
+/*                                                                            */
+/* ************************************************************************** */
+
+#include <stddef.h>
+
+/*
+** return the index of the character c in the string s, or 0 if s is null, or
+** length of s if c is not found.
+*/
+size_t	ft_strchridx(const char *s, char c)
+{
+	size_t	i;
+
+	if (s == NULL)
+		return (0);
+	i = 0;
+	while (s[i] != c && s[i] != '\0')
+		i++;
+	return (i);
+}
diff --git a/libft/libft/ft_strnchridx.c b/libft/libft/ft_strnchridx.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b62e91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libft/libft/ft_strnchridx.c
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/* ************************************************************************** */
+/*                                                                            */
+/*                                                        :::      ::::::::   */
+/*   ft_strnchridx.c                                    :+:      :+:    :+:   */
+/*                                                    +:+ +:+         +:+     */
+/*   By: khais <marvin@42.fr>                       +#+  +:+       +#+        */
+/*                                                +#+#+#+#+#+   +#+           */
+/*   Created: 2025/02/14 14:16:32 by khais             #+#    #+#             */
+/*   Updated: 2025/02/14 15:12:19 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
+/*                                                                            */
+/* ************************************************************************** */
+
+#include <stddef.h>
+
+/*
+** return the index of the first character that is not c in the string s, or 0
+** if not found or s is null.
+*/
+size_t	ft_strnchridx(const char *s, char c)
+{
+	size_t	i;
+
+	if (s == NULL)
+		return (0);
+	i = 0;
+	while (s[i] == c && s[i] != '\0')
+		i++;
+	if (s[i] == '\0')
+		return (0);
+	return (i);
+}
diff --git a/src/parser/worddesc/worddesc.c b/src/parser/worddesc/worddesc.c
index e46f617..f7f7081 100644
--- a/src/parser/worddesc/worddesc.c
+++ b/src/parser/worddesc/worddesc.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 /*   By: khais <marvin@42.fr>                       +#+  +:+       +#+        */
 /*                                                +#+#+#+#+#+   +#+           */
 /*   Created: 2025/02/13 17:20:36 by khais             #+#    #+#             */
-/*   Updated: 2025/02/13 17:23:11 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
+/*   Updated: 2025/02/14 15:23:44 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
 /*                                                                            */
 /* ************************************************************************** */
 
@@ -31,3 +31,14 @@ t_worddesc	*worddesc_create(char *word)
 	retvalue->word = word;
 	return (retvalue);
 }
+
+/*
+** free all memory associated with this worddesc
+*/
+void	worddesc_destroy(t_worddesc *worddesc)
+{
+	if (worddesc == NULL)
+		return ;
+	free(worddesc->word);
+	free(worddesc);
+}
diff --git a/src/parser/worddesc/worddesc.h b/src/parser/worddesc/worddesc.h
index fbcb86a..3fbf19b 100644
--- a/src/parser/worddesc/worddesc.h
+++ b/src/parser/worddesc/worddesc.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 /*   By: khais <marvin@42.fr>                       +#+  +:+       +#+        */
 /*                                                +#+#+#+#+#+   +#+           */
 /*   Created: 2025/02/13 15:47:58 by khais             #+#    #+#             */
-/*   Updated: 2025/02/13 17:20:25 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
+/*   Updated: 2025/02/14 13:57:10 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
 /*                                                                            */
 /* ************************************************************************** */
 
@@ -29,5 +29,6 @@ typedef struct s_worddesc
 }	t_worddesc;
 
 t_worddesc	*worddesc_create(char *word);
+void		worddesc_destroy(t_worddesc *worddesc);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/parser/wordlist/wordlist.c b/src/parser/wordlist/wordlist.c
index be888e3..1aebfea 100644
--- a/src/parser/wordlist/wordlist.c
+++ b/src/parser/wordlist/wordlist.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 /*   By: khais <marvin@42.fr>                       +#+  +:+       +#+        */
 /*                                                +#+#+#+#+#+   +#+           */
 /*   Created: 2025/02/13 17:07:01 by khais             #+#    #+#             */
-/*   Updated: 2025/02/14 13:29:16 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
+/*   Updated: 2025/02/14 13:56:45 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
 /*                                                                            */
 /* ************************************************************************** */
 
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ t_wordlist	*wordlist_create(t_worddesc *word)
 */
 void	wordlist_destroy(t_wordlist *wordlist)
 {
+	if (wordlist == NULL)
+		return ;
+	worddesc_destroy(wordlist->word);
 	free(wordlist);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/parser/wordsplit/wordsplit.c b/src/parser/wordsplit/wordsplit.c
index a497995..54b43ee 100644
--- a/src/parser/wordsplit/wordsplit.c
+++ b/src/parser/wordsplit/wordsplit.c
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@
 /*   By: khais <marvin@42.fr>                       +#+  +:+       +#+        */
 /*                                                +#+#+#+#+#+   +#+           */
 /*   Created: 2025/02/13 17:02:32 by khais             #+#    #+#             */
-/*   Updated: 2025/02/14 13:28:38 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
+/*   Updated: 2025/02/14 14:19:30 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
 /*                                                                            */
 /* ************************************************************************** */
 
 #include "wordsplit.h"
-#include <stdlib.h>
+#include "libft.h"
 
 /*
 ** split a string into words, respecting quotes etc.
@@ -21,5 +21,12 @@
 */
 t_wordlist	*minishell_wordsplit(char *original)
 {
-	return (wordlist_create(worddesc_create(original)));
+	size_t	start;
+	size_t	length;
+	char	*outstr;
+
+	start = ft_strnchridx(original, ' ');
+	length = ft_strchridx(original + start, ' ');
+	outstr = ft_substr(original, start, length);
+	return (wordlist_create(worddesc_create(outstr)));
 }
diff --git a/tests/word_splitting.c b/tests/word_splitting.c
index 12a50d8..205ff42 100644
--- a/tests/word_splitting.c
+++ b/tests/word_splitting.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 /*   By: khais <marvin@42.fr>                       +#+  +:+       +#+        */
 /*                                                +#+#+#+#+#+   +#+           */
 /*   Created: 2025/02/13 15:17:56 by khais             #+#    #+#             */
-/*   Updated: 2025/02/13 17:24:33 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
+/*   Updated: 2025/02/14 13:35:26 by khais            ###   ########.fr       */
 /*                                                                            */
 /* ************************************************************************** */
 
@@ -28,6 +28,16 @@ void	test_wordsplit_singleword(void)
 	wordlist_destroy(words);
 }
 
+void	test_wordsplit_singleword_with_spaces(void)
+{
+	t_wordlist	*words;
+
+	words = minishell_wordsplit("   echo   ");
+	assert_strequal("echo", wordlist_get(words, 0)->word);
+	assert(NULL == wordlist_get(words, 1));
+	wordlist_destroy(words);
+}
+
 void	test_wordsplit_basic(void)
 {
 	t_wordlist	*words;
@@ -45,5 +55,6 @@ void	test_wordsplit_basic(void)
 
 int main(void) {
 	test_wordsplit_singleword();
+	test_wordsplit_singleword_with_spaces();
 	return (0);
 }