How to check if a word exists in a Python string?

General Discussions
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1

How can I check if a word is in a string in Python?
I’m working with Python and I want to know if there’s a way to check if a specific word exists within a string. I’ve seen that .find can be used for this, but I’m wondering if there’s a way to incorporate it directly into an if statement. For example, I would like to do something like this:

if string.find(word):
    print("success")

Is this the correct approach to check for the presence of a word in a string, or is there a better way to do this?

2

You know, one way I’ve approached checking if a word exists in a Python string is by using the find() method. It returns the index of the first occurrence of the substring. If the word isn’t found, it returns -1. Here’s a quick example:

if string.find(word) != -1:
    print("success")

This method works, but the thing to keep in mind is that it gives you -1 when the word is not found. So, you have to check for -1 specifically rather than just relying on a truthy or falsy value. It’s a good, simple way to check if a word exists, but there are some other approaches that might be more Pythonic. Keep reading!

3

Ah, I totally agree with @dimplesaini.230’s approach, but if you’re looking for a more Pythonic and readable way to check if a word exists in a string, you can use the in keyword. It’s straightforward and easy to read:

if word in string:
    print("success")

This is generally considered the preferred method because it’s clean, efficient, and intuitive. It just checks whether the word is a substring of the string, and the logic is pretty clear. If you’re thinking about the “python find word in string” approach, this is often the go-to for most situations. But there are still a few other methods, especially if you want to handle errors or need more control, like when using index(). Let me explain!

4

Yeah, @dimplesaini.230, the in keyword is awesome, but if you’re after a slightly different approach, you can also use the index() method. It’s a bit like find(), but with a twist – it raises a ValueError if the word isn’t found in the string. If you want to catch that and handle it explicitly, here’s how:

try:
    string.index(word)
    print("success")
except ValueError:
    pass

This method is useful if you want to raise an exception when the word is not found, giving you more control. It’s particularly handy if you’re looking for a more robust solution and want to handle errors in a specific way. So, depending on the situation, you can pick between find(), in, or index() based on your needs. All are solid methods to “python find word in string” — just choose the one that fits your code style best!