diff --git a/core/parser/parser-docs.factor b/core/parser/parser-docs.factor
index edaeb21a4c..b036f68db4 100644
--- a/core/parser/parser-docs.factor
+++ b/core/parser/parser-docs.factor
@@ -140,12 +140,20 @@ HELP: no-word
 { $values { "name" string } { "newword" word } }
 { $description "Throws a " { $link no-word-error } "." } ;
 
+HELP: parse-word
+{ $values { "string" string } { "word/number" "a word or number" } }
+{ $description "If " { $snippet "string" } " is a valid number literal, it is converted to a number, otherwise the current vocabulary search path is searched for a word named by the string." }
+{ $errors "Throws an error if the token does not name a word, and does not parse as a number." }
+{ $notes "This word is used to implement " { $link scan-word } "." } ;
+
 HELP: scan-word
 { $values { "word/number/f" "a word, number or " { $link f } } }
 { $description "Reads the next token from parser input. If the token is a valid number literal, it is converted to a number, otherwise the dictionary is searched for a word named by the token. Outputs " { $link f } " if the end of the input has been reached." }
 { $errors "Throws an error if the token does not name a word, and does not parse as a number." }
 $parsing-note ;
 
+{ scan-word parse-word } related-words
+
 HELP: parse-step
 { $values { "accum" vector } { "end" word } { "?" "a boolean" } }
 { $description "Parses a token. If the token is a number or an ordinary word, it is added to the accumulator. If it is a parsing word, calls the parsing word with the accumulator on the stack. Outputs " { $link f } " if " { $snippet "end" } " is encountered, " { $link t } " otherwise." }
diff --git a/core/parser/parser.factor b/core/parser/parser.factor
index 276030d770..3152afc093 100644
--- a/core/parser/parser.factor
+++ b/core/parser/parser.factor
@@ -40,12 +40,13 @@ SYMBOL: auto-use?
     [ <no-word-error> throw-restarts no-word-restarted ]
     if ;
 
+: parse-word ( string -- word/number )
+    dup search [ ] [
+        dup string>number [ ] [ no-word ] ?if
+    ] ?if ;
+
 : scan-word ( -- word/number/f )
-    scan dup [
-        dup search [ ] [
-            dup string>number [ ] [ no-word ] ?if
-        ] ?if
-    ] when ;
+    scan dup [ parse-word ] when ;
 
 ERROR: staging-violation word ;