diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 390a8e3..6478f2e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -89,6 +89,41 @@ The following options may be passed to the `highlight` function.
 }
 ```
 
+**Get segments for custom highlighter**
+```js
+const { getSegments } = require('sql-highlight')
+
+const sqlString = "SELECT `id`, `username` FROM `users` WHERE `email` = 'test@example.com'"
+
+const segments = getSegments(sqlString)
+
+console.log(segments)
+```
+
+**Output:**
+```js
+[
+    { name: 'keyword', content: 'SELECT' },
+    { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+    { name: 'string', content: '`id`' },
+    { name: 'special', content: ',' },
+    { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+    { name: 'string', content: '`username`' },
+    { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+    { name: 'keyword', content: 'FROM' },
+    { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+    { name: 'string', content: '`users`' },
+    { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+    { name: 'keyword', content: 'WHERE' },
+    { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+    { name: 'string', content: '`email`' },
+    { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+    { name: 'special', content: '=' },
+    { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+    { name: 'string', content: "'test@example.com'" }
+]
+```
+
 ## Contributing
 
 See the [contribution guidelines](CONTRIBUTING.md).
diff --git a/index.test.js b/index.test.js
index 39ebb41..caf7909 100644
--- a/index.test.js
+++ b/index.test.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const { highlight } = require('./lib')
+const { highlight, getSegments } = require('./lib')
 
 const OPTIONS = {
   colors: {
@@ -182,3 +182,49 @@ describe('html', () => {
       .toBe('<span class="sql-hl-keyword">SELECT</span> id <span class="sql-hl-keyword">FROM</span> users')
   })
 })
+
+describe('getSegments', () => {
+  it('complex query', () => {
+    expect(getSegments("SELECT COUNT(id), `id`, `username` FROM `users` WHERE `email` = 'test@example.com' AND `foo` = 'BAR' OR 1=1"))
+      .toStrictEqual([
+        { name: 'keyword', content: 'SELECT' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'function', content: 'COUNT' },
+        { name: 'bracket', content: '(' },
+        { name: 'default', content: 'id' },
+        { name: 'bracket', content: ')' },
+        { name: 'special', content: ',' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'string', content: '`id`' },
+        { name: 'special', content: ',' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'string', content: '`username`' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'keyword', content: 'FROM' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'string', content: '`users`' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'keyword', content: 'WHERE' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'string', content: '`email`' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'special', content: '=' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'string', content: "'test@example.com'" },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'keyword', content: 'AND' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'string', content: '`foo`' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'special', content: '=' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'string', content: "'BAR'" },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'keyword', content: 'OR' },
+        { name: 'default', content: ' ' },
+        { name: 'number', content: '1' },
+        { name: 'special', content: '=' },
+        { name: 'number', content: '1' }
+      ])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/lib/index.d.ts b/lib/index.d.ts
index b5d8ada..c2da18e 100644
--- a/lib/index.d.ts
+++ b/lib/index.d.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ declare module 'sql-highlight' {
       clear: string;
     };
   }
+
+  export interface Segment {
+    name: string;
+    content: string;
+  }
   
+  export function getSegments(sqlString: string): Array<Segment>;
   export function highlight(sqlString: string, options?: HighlightOptions): string;
 }
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 245e97a..a62cd93 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ const DEFAULT_OPTIONS = {
 
 const SPLIT_CHARS = '[^a-zA-Z_]'
 
+const DEFAULT_KEYWORD = 'default'
+
 const highlighters = [
   {
     name: 'keyword',
@@ -47,9 +49,7 @@ const highlighters = [
   }
 ]
 
-function highlight (sqlString, options) {
-  options = Object.assign({}, DEFAULT_OPTIONS, options)
-
+function getSegments (sqlString) {
   const matches = []
 
   for (const hl of highlighters) {
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ function highlight (sqlString, options) {
 
     // This is probably the one time when an assignment inside a condition makes sense
     // eslint-disable-next-line no-cond-assign
-    while (match = hl.regex.exec(sqlString)) {
+    while ((match = hl.regex.exec(sqlString))) {
       let text = match[0]
       let boringLength = 0
 
@@ -73,7 +73,10 @@ function highlight (sqlString, options) {
       matches.push({
         name: hl.name,
         start: match.index + boringLength,
-        length: (hl.trimEnd ? text.substr(0, text.length - hl.trimEnd) : text).length
+        length: (hl.trimEnd
+          ? text.substring(0, text.length - hl.trimEnd)
+          : text
+        ).length
       })
     }
   }
@@ -81,42 +84,57 @@ function highlight (sqlString, options) {
   const sortedMatches = matches.slice().sort((a, b) => a.start - b.start)
 
   // filter/exclude nested matches (matches within the last match)
-  const filteredMatches = []
+  const segments = []
   let upperBound = 0
   for (let i = 0; i < sortedMatches.length; i++) {
     if (sortedMatches[i].start >= upperBound) {
-      filteredMatches.push(sortedMatches[i])
+      if (sortedMatches[i].start > upperBound) {
+        segments.push({
+          name: DEFAULT_KEYWORD,
+          content: sqlString.substring(upperBound, sortedMatches[i].start)
+        })
+      }
+
+      segments.push({
+        name: sortedMatches[i].name,
+        content: sqlString.substring(
+          sortedMatches[i].start,
+          sortedMatches[i].start + sortedMatches[i].length
+        )
+      })
       upperBound = sortedMatches[i].start + sortedMatches[i].length
     }
   }
 
-  let highlighted = ''
-
-  for (let i = 0; i < filteredMatches.length; i++) {
-    const match = filteredMatches[i]
-    const nextMatch = filteredMatches[i + 1]
-
-    const stringMatch = sqlString.substr(match.start, match.length)
-
-    if (options.html) {
-      highlighted += `<span class="${options.classPrefix}${match.name}">`
-      highlighted += stringMatch
-      highlighted += '</span>'
-    } else {
-      highlighted += options.colors[match.name]
-      highlighted += stringMatch
-      highlighted += options.colors.clear
-    }
-    if (nextMatch) {
-      highlighted += sqlString.substr(match.start + match.length, nextMatch.start - (match.start + match.length))
-    } else if (sqlString.length > (match.start + match.length)) {
-      highlighted += sqlString.substr(match.start + match.length)
-    }
+  if (upperBound < sqlString.length - 1) {
+    segments.push({
+      name: DEFAULT_KEYWORD,
+      content: sqlString.substring(
+        upperBound,
+        upperBound + sqlString.length + 1
+      )
+    })
   }
+  return segments
+}
 
-  return highlighted
+function highlight (sqlString, options) {
+  options = Object.assign({}, DEFAULT_OPTIONS, options)
+
+  return getSegments(sqlString)
+    .map(({ name, content }) => {
+      if (name === DEFAULT_KEYWORD) {
+        return content
+      }
+      if (options.html) {
+        return `<span class="${options.classPrefix}${name}">${content}</span>`
+      }
+      return options.colors[name] + content + options.colors.clear
+    })
+    .join('')
 }
 
 module.exports = {
+  getSegments,
   highlight
 }