diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/LatinIME.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/LatinIME.java
index 62d4778..ae09231 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/LatinIME.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/LatinIME.java
@@ -1695,7 +1695,8 @@
 
     private SuggestedWords updateSuggestions(final CharSequence typedWord) {
         // TODO: May need a better way of retrieving previous word
-        final CharSequence prevWord = mConnection.getPreviousWord(mCurrentSettings.mWordSeparators);
+        final CharSequence prevWord =
+                mConnection.getNthPreviousWord(mCurrentSettings.mWordSeparators, 2);
         // getSuggestedWords handles gracefully a null value of prevWord
         final SuggestedWords suggestedWords = mSuggest.getSuggestedWords(mWordComposer,
                 prevWord, mKeyboardSwitcher.getKeyboard().getProximityInfo(),
@@ -1889,7 +1890,8 @@
     }
 
     private SuggestedWords updateBigramPredictions() {
-        final CharSequence prevWord = mConnection.getThisWord(mCurrentSettings.mWordSeparators);
+        final CharSequence prevWord =
+                mConnection.getNthPreviousWord(mCurrentSettings.mWordSeparators, 1);
         return mSuggest.getSuggestedWords(mWordComposer,
                 prevWord, mKeyboardSwitcher.getKeyboard().getProximityInfo(),
                 mCurrentSettings.mCorrectionEnabled, true);
@@ -1916,7 +1918,7 @@
         final UserHistoryDictionary userHistoryDictionary = mUserHistoryDictionary;
         if (userHistoryDictionary != null) {
             final CharSequence prevWord
-                    = mConnection.getPreviousWord(mCurrentSettings.mWordSeparators);
+                    = mConnection.getNthPreviousWord(mCurrentSettings.mWordSeparators, 2);
             final String secondWord;
             if (mWordComposer.isAutoCapitalized() && !mWordComposer.isMostlyCaps()) {
                 secondWord = suggestion.toString().toLowerCase(
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/RichInputConnection.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/RichInputConnection.java
index a37f480..5786978 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/RichInputConnection.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/RichInputConnection.java
@@ -139,12 +139,11 @@
         if (null != mIC) mIC.commitCompletion(completionInfo);
     }
 
-    public CharSequence getPreviousWord(final String sentenceSeperators) {
+    public CharSequence getNthPreviousWord(final String sentenceSeperators, final int n) {
         mIC = mParent.getCurrentInputConnection();
-        //TODO: Should fix this. This could be slow!
         if (null == mIC) return null;
-        CharSequence prev = mIC.getTextBeforeCursor(LOOKBACK_CHARACTER_NUM, 0);
-        return getPreviousWord(prev, sentenceSeperators);
+        final CharSequence prev = mIC.getTextBeforeCursor(LOOKBACK_CHARACTER_NUM, 0);
+        return getNthPreviousWord(prev, sentenceSeperators, n);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -177,56 +176,35 @@
         return sep.indexOf(code) != -1;
     }
 
-    // Get the word before the whitespace preceding the non-whitespace preceding the cursor.
-    // Also, it won't return words that end in a separator.
+    // Get the nth word before cursor. n = 1 retrieves the word immediately before the cursor,
+    // n = 2 retrieves the word before that, and so on. This splits on whitespace only.
+    // Also, it won't return words that end in a separator (if the nth word before the cursor
+    // ends in a separator, it returns null).
     // Example :
-    // "abc def|" -> abc
-    // "abc def |" -> abc
-    // "abc def. |" -> abc
-    // "abc def . |" -> def
-    // "abc|" -> null
-    // "abc |" -> null
-    // "abc. def|" -> null
-    public static CharSequence getPreviousWord(CharSequence prev, String sentenceSeperators) {
+    // (n = 1) "abc def|" -> def
+    // (n = 1) "abc def |" -> def
+    // (n = 1) "abc def. |" -> null
+    // (n = 1) "abc def . |" -> null
+    // (n = 2) "abc def|" -> abc
+    // (n = 2) "abc def |" -> abc
+    // (n = 2) "abc def. |" -> abc
+    // (n = 2) "abc def . |" -> def
+    // (n = 2) "abc|" -> null
+    // (n = 2) "abc |" -> null
+    // (n = 2) "abc. def|" -> null
+    public static CharSequence getNthPreviousWord(final CharSequence prev,
+            final String sentenceSeperators, final int n) {
         if (prev == null) return null;
         String[] w = spaceRegex.split(prev);
 
-        // If we can't find two words, or we found an empty word, return null.
-        if (w.length < 2 || w[w.length - 2].length() <= 0) return null;
+        // If we can't find n words, or we found an empty word, return null.
+        if (w.length < n || w[w.length - n].length() <= 0) return null;
 
         // If ends in a separator, return null
-        char lastChar = w[w.length - 2].charAt(w[w.length - 2].length() - 1);
+        char lastChar = w[w.length - n].charAt(w[w.length - n].length() - 1);
         if (sentenceSeperators.contains(String.valueOf(lastChar))) return null;
 
-        return w[w.length - 2];
-    }
-
-    public CharSequence getThisWord(String sentenceSeperators) {
-        mIC = mParent.getCurrentInputConnection();
-        if (null == mIC) return null;
-        final CharSequence prev = mIC.getTextBeforeCursor(LOOKBACK_CHARACTER_NUM, 0);
-        return getThisWord(prev, sentenceSeperators);
-    }
-
-    // Get the word immediately before the cursor, even if there is whitespace between it and
-    // the cursor - but not if there is punctuation.
-    // Example :
-    // "abc def|" -> def
-    // "abc def |" -> def
-    // "abc def. |" -> null
-    // "abc def . |" -> null
-    public static CharSequence getThisWord(CharSequence prev, String sentenceSeperators) {
-        if (prev == null) return null;
-        String[] w = spaceRegex.split(prev);
-
-        // No word : return null
-        if (w.length < 1 || w[w.length - 1].length() <= 0) return null;
-
-        // If ends in a separator, return null
-        char lastChar = w[w.length - 1].charAt(w[w.length - 1].length() - 1);
-        if (sentenceSeperators.contains(String.valueOf(lastChar))) return null;
-
-        return w[w.length - 1];
+        return w[w.length - n];
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/RichInputConnectionTests.java b/tests/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/RichInputConnectionTests.java
index 7bd7b0e..ad99379 100644
--- a/tests/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/RichInputConnectionTests.java
+++ b/tests/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/RichInputConnectionTests.java
@@ -102,31 +102,26 @@
      */
     public void testGetPreviousWord() {
         // If one of the following cases breaks, the bigram suggestions won't work.
-        assertEquals(RichInputConnection.getPreviousWord("abc def", sSeparators), "abc");
-        assertNull(RichInputConnection.getPreviousWord("abc", sSeparators));
-        assertNull(RichInputConnection.getPreviousWord("abc. def", sSeparators));
+        assertEquals(RichInputConnection.getNthPreviousWord("abc def", sSeparators, 2), "abc");
+        assertNull(RichInputConnection.getNthPreviousWord("abc", sSeparators, 2));
+        assertNull(RichInputConnection.getNthPreviousWord("abc. def", sSeparators, 2));
 
         // The following tests reflect the current behavior of the function
-        // RichInputConnection#getPreviousWord.
+        // RichInputConnection#getNthPreviousWord.
         // TODO: However at this time, the code does never go
         // into such a path, so it should be safe to change the behavior of
         // this function if needed - especially since it does not seem very
         // logical. These tests are just there to catch any unintentional
         // changes in the behavior of the RichInputConnection#getPreviousWord method.
-        assertEquals(RichInputConnection.getPreviousWord("abc def ", sSeparators), "abc");
-        assertEquals(RichInputConnection.getPreviousWord("abc def.", sSeparators), "abc");
-        assertEquals(RichInputConnection.getPreviousWord("abc def .", sSeparators), "def");
-        assertNull(RichInputConnection.getPreviousWord("abc ", sSeparators));
-    }
+        assertEquals(RichInputConnection.getNthPreviousWord("abc def ", sSeparators, 2), "abc");
+        assertEquals(RichInputConnection.getNthPreviousWord("abc def.", sSeparators, 2), "abc");
+        assertEquals(RichInputConnection.getNthPreviousWord("abc def .", sSeparators, 2), "def");
+        assertNull(RichInputConnection.getNthPreviousWord("abc ", sSeparators, 2));
 
-    /**
-     * Test for getting the word before the cursor (for bigram)
-     */
-    public void testGetThisWord() {
-        assertEquals(RichInputConnection.getThisWord("abc def", sSeparators), "def");
-        assertEquals(RichInputConnection.getThisWord("abc def ", sSeparators), "def");
-        assertNull(RichInputConnection.getThisWord("abc def.", sSeparators));
-        assertNull(RichInputConnection.getThisWord("abc def .", sSeparators));
+        assertEquals(RichInputConnection.getNthPreviousWord("abc def", sSeparators, 1), "def");
+        assertEquals(RichInputConnection.getNthPreviousWord("abc def ", sSeparators, 1), "def");
+        assertNull(RichInputConnection.getNthPreviousWord("abc def.", sSeparators, 1));
+        assertNull(RichInputConnection.getNthPreviousWord("abc def .", sSeparators, 1));
     }
 
     /**