diff --git a/example.config.yml b/example.config.yml
index 5479b1e..df668d8 100644
--- a/example.config.yml
+++ b/example.config.yml
@@ -13,21 +13,21 @@ ban_message: "You have been banned from The Coding Den. Reason: `%s`.\nTo appeal
 groups:
   - name: badware
     mode: delete
-    words:
-      - skype
-      - teamspeak
+    phrases:
+      - \w*skype\w*
+      - \w*teamspeak\w*
     whitelist:
       - discord
   - name: spam
     mode: softban
-    words:
-      - somepornsite101010.com
+    phrases:
+      - \w*somepornsite101010.com\w*
     whitelist:
       - discord
   - name: slurs
     mode: log
-    words:
-      - jap
+    phrases:
+      - \w*jap\w*
     whitelist:
       - japan
 message_cache_config:
@@ -38,4 +38,4 @@ message_cache_config:
   similarity_threshold: 60
   max_time_diff_minutes: 3
   max_size_diff_percentage: 30
-  ignored_channels: [856970378545725463]
+  ignored_channels: [856970378545725463]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/command.cr b/src/command.cr
index a999726..aafca50 100644
--- a/src/command.cr
+++ b/src/command.cr
@@ -175,17 +175,26 @@ class Slash
       when "word"
         case cmd[1]?
         when "add"
-          # `word add [group] [phrase]`
+          # `word add [group] [phrase] [regex=false]`
+          # eg `word add log abc|test regex=true`
           group = cmd[2]?
           phrase_existence = cmd[3]?
 
           if group && !@groups.has_key? group
             m = "Group does not exist"
-          elsif group && phrase_existence && @groups[group].add_phrase(cmd[3..].join(" "))
-            write
-            m = "Successfully added `#{cmd[3..].join(" ")}` to group `#{group}`."
+          elsif group && phrase_existence
+            raw_phrase = cmd[3..]
+            if raw_phrase.last.ends_with?("regex=true")
+              phrase = raw_phrase[..-2].join(" ")
+            else
+              phrase = "\\w*#{Regex.escape(raw_phrase.join(" "))}\\w*"
+            end
+            if @groups[group].add_phrase(phrase)
+              write
+              m = "Successfully added `#{phrase}` to group `#{group}`."
+            end
           else
-            m = "Unable to add phrase. Syntax: `word add [group] [phrase]`"
+            m = "Unable to add phrase. Syntax: `word add [group] [phrase] [regex=false]`"
           end
         when "delete", "remove"
           # `word delete [group] [phrase]`
diff --git a/src/slash.cr b/src/slash.cr
index e8c9b20..0995f22 100644
--- a/src/slash.cr
+++ b/src/slash.cr
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ class Slash
     @groups.each_value do |group|
       word = nil
       group.phrases.each do |y|
-        if matchdata = content.match(/\w*#{y}\w*/i)
+        if matchdata = content.match(/#{y}/i)
           match = matchdata[0]?
           next if group.whitelist.any?(match.downcase) if match
           word = y