diff --git a/frontend/__tests__/utils/strings.spec.ts b/frontend/__tests__/utils/strings.spec.ts
index eaa0cd72ffbe..062eefd46e0b 100644
--- a/frontend/__tests__/utils/strings.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/__tests__/utils/strings.spec.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,156 @@ import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from "vitest";
 import * as Strings from "../../src/ts/utils/strings";
 
 describe("string utils", () => {
+  describe("highlightMatches", () => {
+    const shouldHighlight = [
+      {
+        description: "word at the beginning",
+        text: "Start here.",
+        matches: ["Start"],
+        expected: '<span class="highlight">Start</span> here.',
+      },
+      {
+        description: "word at the end",
+        text: "reach the end",
+        matches: ["end"],
+        expected: 'reach the <span class="highlight">end</span>',
+      },
+      {
+        description: "mutliple matches",
+        text: "one two three",
+        matches: ["one", "three"],
+        expected:
+          '<span class="highlight">one</span> two <span class="highlight">three</span>',
+      },
+      {
+        description: "repeated matches",
+        text: "one two two",
+        matches: ["two"],
+        expected:
+          'one <span class="highlight">two</span> <span class="highlight">two</span>',
+      },
+      {
+        description: "longest possible  match",
+        text: "abc ab",
+        matches: ["ab", "abc"],
+        expected:
+          '<span class="highlight">abc</span> <span class="highlight">ab</span>',
+      },
+      {
+        description: "if wrapped in parenthesis",
+        text: "(test)",
+        matches: ["test"],
+        expected: '(<span class="highlight">test</span>)',
+      },
+      {
+        description: "if wrapped in commas",
+        text: ",test,",
+        matches: ["test"],
+        expected: ',<span class="highlight">test</span>,',
+      },
+      {
+        description: "if wrapped in underscores",
+        text: "_test_",
+        matches: ["test"],
+        expected: '_<span class="highlight">test</span>_',
+      },
+      {
+        description: "words in russian",
+        text: "Привет, мир!",
+        matches: ["Привет", "мир"],
+        expected:
+          '<span class="highlight">Привет</span>, <span class="highlight">мир</span>!',
+      },
+      {
+        description: "words with chinese punctuation",
+        text: "你好，世界！",
+        matches: ["你好", "世界"],
+        expected:
+          '<span class="highlight">你好</span>，<span class="highlight">世界</span>！',
+      },
+      {
+        description: "words with arabic punctuation",
+        text: "؟مرحبا، بكم؛",
+        matches: ["مرحبا", "بكم"],
+        expected:
+          '؟<span class="highlight">مرحبا</span>، <span class="highlight">بكم</span>؛',
+      },
+      {
+        description: "standalone numbers",
+        text: "My number is 1234.",
+        matches: ["1234"],
+        expected: 'My number is <span class="highlight">1234</span>.',
+      },
+    ];
+    const shouldNotHighlight = [
+      {
+        description: "a match within a longer word",
+        text: "together",
+        matches: ["get"],
+      },
+      {
+        description: "a match with leading letters",
+        text: "welcome",
+        matches: ["come"],
+      },
+      {
+        description: "a match with trailing letters",
+        text: "comets",
+        matches: ["come"],
+      },
+      {
+        description: "japanese matches within longer words",
+        text: "こんにちは世界",
+        matches: ["こんにちは"],
+      },
+      {
+        description: "numbers within words",
+        text: "abc1234def",
+        matches: ["1234"],
+      },
+    ];
+    const returnOriginal = [
+      {
+        description: "if matches is an empty array",
+        text: "Nothing to match.",
+        matches: [],
+      },
+      {
+        description: "if matches has an empty string only",
+        text: "Nothing to match.",
+        matches: [""],
+      },
+      {
+        description: "if no matches found in text",
+        text: "Hello world.",
+        matches: ["absent"],
+      },
+      {
+        description: "if text is empty",
+        text: "",
+        matches: ["anything"],
+      },
+    ];
+    it.each(shouldHighlight)(
+      "should highlight $description",
+      ({ text, matches, expected }) => {
+        expect(Strings.highlightMatches(text, matches)).toBe(expected);
+      }
+    );
+    it.each(shouldNotHighlight)(
+      "should not highlight $description",
+      ({ text, matches }) => {
+        expect(Strings.highlightMatches(text, matches)).toBe(text);
+      }
+    );
+    it.each(returnOriginal)(
+      "should return original text $description",
+      ({ text, matches }) => {
+        expect(Strings.highlightMatches(text, matches)).toBe(text);
+      }
+    );
+  });
+
   describe("splitIntoCharacters", () => {
     it("splits regular characters", () => {
       expect(Strings.splitIntoCharacters("abc")).toEqual(["a", "b", "c"]);
diff --git a/frontend/src/ts/modals/quote-search.ts b/frontend/src/ts/modals/quote-search.ts
index 04880f0b6068..1d2c15df679d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ts/modals/quote-search.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/ts/modals/quote-search.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import {
   SearchService,
   TextExtractor,
 } from "../utils/search-service";
-import { splitByAndKeep } from "../utils/strings";
 import QuotesController, { Quote } from "../controllers/quotes-controller";
 import { isAuthenticated } from "../firebase";
 import { debounce } from "throttle-debounce";
@@ -21,6 +20,7 @@ import * as TestState from "../test/test-state";
 import AnimatedModal, { ShowOptions } from "../utils/animated-modal";
 import * as TestLogic from "../test/test-logic";
 import { createErrorMessage } from "../utils/misc";
+import { highlightMatches } from "../utils/strings";
 
 const searchServiceCache: Record<string, SearchService<Quote>> = {};
 
@@ -43,23 +43,6 @@ function getSearchService<T>(
   return newSearchService;
 }
 
-function highlightMatches(text: string, matchedText: string[]): string {
-  if (matchedText.length === 0) {
-    return text;
-  }
-  const words = splitByAndKeep(text, `.,"/#!$%^&*;:{}=-_\`~() `.split(""));
-
-  const normalizedWords = words.map((word) => {
-    const shouldHighlight =
-      matchedText.find((match) => {
-        return word.startsWith(match);
-      }) !== undefined;
-    return shouldHighlight ? `<span class="highlight">${word}</span>` : word;
-  });
-
-  return normalizedWords.join("");
-}
-
 function applyQuoteLengthFilter(quotes: Quote[]): Quote[] {
   if (!modal.isOpen()) return [];
   const quoteLengthFilterValue = $(
diff --git a/frontend/src/ts/utils/strings.ts b/frontend/src/ts/utils/strings.ts
index 669b2503e6c5..264d54560633 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ts/utils/strings.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/ts/utils/strings.ts
@@ -96,6 +96,28 @@ export function splitByAndKeep(text: string, delimiters: string[]): string[] {
   return splitString;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Highlights all occurrences of specified words within a given text.
+ * Each match is wrapped in a <span class="highlight"> element.
+ * Matches are ignored if they appear as part of a larger word
+ * not included in the matches array.
+ * @param text The full text in which to highlight words.
+ * @param matches An array of words to highlight.
+ * @return The full text with all matching words highlighted.
+ */
+export function highlightMatches(text: string, matches: string[]): string {
+  matches = matches.filter((match) => match !== "");
+  if (matches.length === 0) return text;
+
+  // matches that don't have a letter before or after them
+  const pattern = new RegExp(
+    `(?<!\\p{L})(?:${matches.join("|")})(?!\\p{L})`,
+    "gu"
+  );
+
+  return text.replace(pattern, '<span class="highlight">$&</span>');
+}
+
 /**
  * Returns a display string for the given language, optionally removing the size indicator.
  * @param language The language string.