dwdiff

word-by-word file comparison

TLDR

Compare two files word by word

$ dwdiff [file1.txt] [file2.txt]

Use color output

$ dwdiff -c [file1.txt] [file2.txt]

Show only the changes, suppressing words common to both files

$ dwdiff -3 [file1.txt] [file2.txt]

Show line numbers

$ dwdiff -L [file1.txt] [file2.txt]

Ignore case differences

$ dwdiff -i [file1.txt] [file2.txt]

Treat punctuation as delimiters so words are split more finely

$ dwdiff -P [file1.txt] [file2.txt]

Print statistics about how much changed

$ dwdiff -s [file1.txt] [file2.txt]

Page the diff with less-style highlighting

$ dwdiff -l [file1.txt] [file2.txt] | less -R

dwdiff compares files word-by-word rather than line-by-line, making it easier to spot small changes in prose or documentation. It highlights deleted words (from the first file) and inserted words (in the second file).The tool is particularly useful for comparing text documents, translations, or any content where line-based diffs produce confusing output. It shows exactly which words changed between versions.

PARAMETERS

-c[spec], --color[=spec]

Color the output. An optional spec overrides the delete and insert colors.

-l, --less-mode

Use overstriking (underline for deletions, bold for insertions), suitable for piping to less -R.

-L[width], --line-numbers[=width]

Show line numbers at the start of each line.

-s, --statistics

Print word counts and change percentages when done.

-i, --ignore-case

Ignore differences in case when comparing words.

-I, --ignore-formatting

Ignore formatting changes such as bold or underline markup.

-d chars, --delimiters=chars

Characters to treat as word delimiters.

-P, --punctuation

Use punctuation characters as delimiters.

-W chars, --white-space=chars

Characters to treat as whitespace.

-1, --no-deleted

Suppress words deleted from the first file.

-2, --no-inserted

Suppress words inserted in the second file.

-3, --no-common

Suppress words common to both files, leaving only the changes.

-C num, --context=num

Show num lines of context around each change.

-A algo, --algorithm=algo

Comparison algorithm: best, normal or fast.

-w string, --start-delete=string

String marking the start of deleted text (default `[-`).

-x string, --stop-delete=string

String marking the end of deleted text (default `-]`).

-y string, --start-insert=string

String marking the start of inserted text (default `{+`).

-z string, --stop-insert=string

String marking the end of inserted text (default `+}`).

--diff-input

Read unified diff output instead of two files.

--wdiff-output

Produce wdiff-compatible output.

OUTPUT FORMAT

$ [-removed-] {+added+}

Deleted text is shown in brackets with minus, inserted text in braces with plus.

INSTALL

sudo apt install dwdiff

brew install dwdiff

nix profile install nixpkgs#dwdiff

CAVEATS

Best suited for prose, not code. Large files may be slow to process. Word boundaries depend on delimiter settings. May need adjustment for non-English text or special characters.

HISTORY

dwdiff was written by G.P. Halkes as an improved alternative to the older wdiff utility. It provides better handling of Unicode, color output, and more flexible word delimiting options.

RESOURCES

Homepage