diff --git a/basis/unicode/breaks/breaks-tests.factor b/basis/unicode/breaks/breaks-tests.factor
index 493c2db0c2..3a26b01213 100644
--- a/basis/unicode/breaks/breaks-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/unicode/breaks/breaks-tests.factor
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ IN: unicode.breaks.tests
 [ 3 ] [ "\u001112\u001161\u0011abA\u000300a"
         dup last-grapheme head last-grapheme ] unit-test
 
+[ 3 ] [ 2 "hello" first-grapheme-from ] unit-test
+[ 1 ] [ 2 "hello" last-grapheme-from ] unit-test
+
 : grapheme-break-test ( -- filename )
     "vocab:unicode/breaks/GraphemeBreakTest.txt" ;
 
diff --git a/basis/unicode/breaks/breaks.factor b/basis/unicode/breaks/breaks.factor
index 12314505d9..1b1d9434f8 100644
--- a/basis/unicode/breaks/breaks.factor
+++ b/basis/unicode/breaks/breaks.factor
@@ -101,6 +101,16 @@ PRIVATE>
     [ grapheme-class [ nip ] [ grapheme-break? ] 2bi ] find drop
     nip swap length or 1+ ;
 
+: first-grapheme-from ( start str -- i )
+    over tail-slice first-grapheme + ;
+
+: last-grapheme ( str -- i )
+    unclip-last-slice grapheme-class swap
+    [ grapheme-class dup rot grapheme-break? ] find-last drop ?1+ nip ;
+
+: last-grapheme-from ( end str -- i )
+    swap head-slice last-grapheme ;
+
 <PRIVATE
 
 : >pieces ( str quot: ( str -- i ) -- graphemes )
@@ -114,10 +124,6 @@ PRIVATE>
 : string-reverse ( str -- rts )
     >graphemes reverse concat ;
 
-: last-grapheme ( str -- i )
-    unclip-last-slice grapheme-class swap
-    [ grapheme-class dup rot grapheme-break? ] find-last drop ?1+ nip ;
-
 <PRIVATE
 
 graphemes init-table table