diff --git a/packages/slate/src/utils/punctuation.ts b/packages/slate/src/utils/punctuation.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..76819ac995
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/slate/src/utils/punctuation.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+function generateForRange(
+  startUnicode: string,
+  endUnicode: string
+): { [key: string]: true } {
+  const start = startUnicode.charCodeAt(0)
+  const end = endUnicode.charCodeAt(0)
+  const entries: { [key: string]: true } = {}
+  for (let i = start; i <= end; i++) {
+    entries[String.fromCharCode(i)] = true
+  }
+  return entries
+}
+
+export const PUNCTUATION_MAP: { [key: string]: true } = {
+  // Typical puncutation per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Unicode_characters#Basic_Latin
+  ...generateForRange('\u0021', '\u002F'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u003A', '\u0040'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u005B', '\u0060'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u007B', '\u007E'),
+
+  '\u00A1': true,
+  '\u00A7': true,
+  '\u00AB': true,
+  '\u00B6': true,
+  '\u00B7': true,
+  '\u00BB': true,
+  '\u00BF': true,
+  '\u037E': true,
+  '\u0387': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u055A', '\u055F'),
+  '\u0589': true,
+  '\u058A': true,
+  '\u05BE': true,
+  '\u05C0': true,
+  '\u05C3': true,
+  '\u05C6': true,
+  '\u05F3': true,
+  '\u05F4': true,
+  '\u0609': true,
+  '\u060A': true,
+  '\u060C': true,
+  '\u060D': true,
+  '\u061B': true,
+  '\u061E': true,
+  '\u061F': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u066A', '\u066D'),
+  '\u06D4': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u0700', '\u070D'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u07F7', '\u07F9'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u0830', '\u083E'),
+  '\u085E': true,
+  '\u0964': true,
+  '\u0965': true,
+  '\u0970': true,
+  '\u0AF0': true,
+  '\u0DF4': true,
+  '\u0E4F': true,
+  '\u0E5A': true,
+  '\u0E5B': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u0F04', '\u0F12'),
+  '\u0F14': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u0F3A', '\u0F3D'),
+  '\u0F85': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u0FD0', '\u0FD4'),
+  '\u0FD9': true,
+  '\u0FDA': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u104A', '\u104F'),
+  '\u10FB': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u1360', '\u1368'),
+  '\u1400': true,
+  '\u166D': true,
+  '\u166E': true,
+  '\u169B': true,
+  '\u169C': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u16EB', '\u16ED'),
+  '\u1735': true,
+  '\u1736': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u17D4', '\u17D6'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u17D8', '\u17DA'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u1800', '\u180A'),
+  '\u1944': true,
+  '\u1945': true,
+  '\u1A1E': true,
+  '\u1A1F': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u1AA0', '\u1AA6'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u1AA8', '\u1AAD'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u1B5A', '\u1B60'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u1BFC', '\u1BFF'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u1C3B', '\u1C3F'),
+  '\u1C7E': true,
+  '\u1C7F': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u1CC0', '\u1CC7'),
+  '\u1CD3': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u2010', '\u2027'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u2030', '\u2043'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u2045', '\u2051'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u2053', '\u205E'),
+  '\u207D': true,
+  '\u207E': true,
+  '\u208D': true,
+  '\u208E': true,
+  '\u2329': true,
+  '\u232A': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u2768', '\u2775'),
+  '\u27C5': true,
+  '\u27C6': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u27E6', '\u27EF'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u2983', '\u2998'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u29D8', '\u29DB'),
+  '\u29FC': true,
+  '\u29FD': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u2CF9', '\u2CFC'),
+  '\u2CFE': true,
+  '\u2CFF': true,
+  '\u2D70': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\u2E00', '\u2E2E'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u2E30', '\u2E3B'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u3001', '\u3003'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u3008', '\u3011'),
+  ...generateForRange('\u3014', '\u301F'),
+  '\u3030': true,
+  '\u303D': true,
+  '\u30A0': true,
+  '\u30FB': true,
+  '\uA4FE': true,
+  '\uA4FF': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\uA60D', '\uA60F'),
+  '\uA673': true,
+  '\uA67E': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\uA6F2', '\uA6F7'),
+  ...generateForRange('\uA874', '\uA877'),
+  '\uA8CE': true,
+  '\uA8CF': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\uA8F8', '\uA8FA'),
+  '\uA92E': true,
+  '\uA92F': true,
+  '\uA95F': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\uA9C1', '\uA9CD'),
+  '\uA9DE': true,
+  '\uA9DF': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\uAA5C', '\uAA5F'),
+  '\uAADE': true,
+  '\uAADF': true,
+  '\uAAF0': true,
+  '\uAAF1': true,
+  '\uABEB': true,
+  '\uFD3E': true,
+  '\uFD3F': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\uFE10', '\uFE19'),
+  ...generateForRange('\uFE30', '\uFE52'),
+  ...generateForRange('\uFE54', '\uFE61'),
+  '\uFE63': true,
+  '\uFE68': true,
+  '\uFE6A': true,
+  '\uFE6B': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\uFF01', '\uFF03'),
+  ...generateForRange('\uFF05', '\uFF0A'),
+  ...generateForRange('\uFF0C', '\uFF0F'),
+  '\uFF1A': true,
+  '\uFF1B': true,
+  '\uFF1F': true,
+  '\uFF20': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\uFF3B', '\uFF3D'),
+  '\uFF3F': true,
+  '\uFF5B': true,
+  '\uFF5D': true,
+  ...generateForRange('\uFF5F', '\uFF65'),
+}
diff --git a/packages/slate/src/utils/string.ts b/packages/slate/src/utils/string.ts
index 83b0f86591..4b5cf87bf8 100644
--- a/packages/slate/src/utils/string.ts
+++ b/packages/slate/src/utils/string.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 // [3] https://www.unicode.org/Public/UCD/latest/ucd/auxiliary/GraphemeBreakTest.html
 // [4] https://www.unicode.org/Public/UCD/latest/ucd/auxiliary/GraphemeBreakTest.txt
 
+import { PUNCTUATION_MAP } from './punctuation'
+
 /**
  * Get the distance to the end of the first character in a string of text.
  */
@@ -75,7 +77,6 @@ export const getCharacterDistance = (str: string, isRTL = false): number => {
 }
 
 const SPACE = /\s/
-const PUNCTUATION = /[\u0021-\u0023\u0025-\u002A\u002C-\u002F\u003A\u003B\u003F\u0040\u005B-\u005D\u005F\u007B\u007D\u00A1\u00A7\u00AB\u00B6\u00B7\u00BB\u00BF\u037E\u0387\u055A-\u055F\u0589\u058A\u05BE\u05C0\u05C3\u05C6\u05F3\u05F4\u0609\u060A\u060C\u060D\u061B\u061E\u061F\u066A-\u066D\u06D4\u0700-\u070D\u07F7-\u07F9\u0830-\u083E\u085E\u0964\u0965\u0970\u0AF0\u0DF4\u0E4F\u0E5A\u0E5B\u0F04-\u0F12\u0F14\u0F3A-\u0F3D\u0F85\u0FD0-\u0FD4\u0FD9\u0FDA\u104A-\u104F\u10FB\u1360-\u1368\u1400\u166D\u166E\u169B\u169C\u16EB-\u16ED\u1735\u1736\u17D4-\u17D6\u17D8-\u17DA\u1800-\u180A\u1944\u1945\u1A1E\u1A1F\u1AA0-\u1AA6\u1AA8-\u1AAD\u1B5A-\u1B60\u1BFC-\u1BFF\u1C3B-\u1C3F\u1C7E\u1C7F\u1CC0-\u1CC7\u1CD3\u2010-\u2027\u2030-\u2043\u2045-\u2051\u2053-\u205E\u207D\u207E\u208D\u208E\u2329\u232A\u2768-\u2775\u27C5\u27C6\u27E6-\u27EF\u2983-\u2998\u29D8-\u29DB\u29FC\u29FD\u2CF9-\u2CFC\u2CFE\u2CFF\u2D70\u2E00-\u2E2E\u2E30-\u2E3B\u3001-\u3003\u3008-\u3011\u3014-\u301F\u3030\u303D\u30A0\u30FB\uA4FE\uA4FF\uA60D-\uA60F\uA673\uA67E\uA6F2-\uA6F7\uA874-\uA877\uA8CE\uA8CF\uA8F8-\uA8FA\uA92E\uA92F\uA95F\uA9C1-\uA9CD\uA9DE\uA9DF\uAA5C-\uAA5F\uAADE\uAADF\uAAF0\uAAF1\uABEB\uFD3E\uFD3F\uFE10-\uFE19\uFE30-\uFE52\uFE54-\uFE61\uFE63\uFE68\uFE6A\uFE6B\uFF01-\uFF03\uFF05-\uFF0A\uFF0C-\uFF0F\uFF1A\uFF1B\uFF1F\uFF20\uFF3B-\uFF3D\uFF3F\uFF5B\uFF5D\uFF5F-\uFF65]/
 const CHAMELEON = /['\u2018\u2019]/
 
 /**
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ const isWordCharacter = (
     }
   }
 
-  if (PUNCTUATION.test(char)) {
+  if (PUNCTUATION_MAP[char]) {
     return false
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/slate/test/utils/punctuation.ts b/packages/slate/test/utils/punctuation.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0ed4fb6ca5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/slate/test/utils/punctuation.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import assert from 'assert'
+import { PUNCTUATION_MAP } from '../../src/utils/punctuation'
+
+describe('PUNCTUATION_MAP', () => {
+  it('should have the correct config for simple entries', () => {
+    assert.equal(PUNCTUATION_MAP['\ua95f'], true) // aka '꥟'
+    assert.equal(PUNCTUATION_MAP['꥟'], true) // aka '\ua95f'
+  })
+
+  it('should have the correct config for ranges', () => {
+    assert.equal(PUNCTUATION_MAP['\u0021'], true) // aka '!'
+    assert.equal(PUNCTUATION_MAP['!'], true) // aka '\u0021'
+
+    assert.equal(PUNCTUATION_MAP['\u0022'], true) // aka '"'
+    assert.equal(PUNCTUATION_MAP['"'], true) // aka '\u0022'
+  })
+
+  it('should not consider alphabet characters as punctuation', () => {
+    assert.equal(PUNCTUATION_MAP.a, undefined)
+  })
+})