diff --git a/src/SharpEquations/Internal/LaTeX/LaTeXReader.cs b/src/SharpEquations/Internal/LaTeX/LaTeXReader.cs
index 30118c1..ee9d7d8 100644
--- a/src/SharpEquations/Internal/LaTeX/LaTeXReader.cs
+++ b/src/SharpEquations/Internal/LaTeX/LaTeXReader.cs
@@ -1432,6 +1432,10 @@ private string Convert(string latex)
                         }
                         if (symbol.Length > 0 && Js.Ch(symbol, 0) != "\"")
                             uniTeX.Append(symbol);
+                        // a control word not known ends where its letters do: a space ends it for UnicodeMath too, which
+                        // would otherwise read the letters or digits after it as part of it (\sgn r, \sgn2)
+                        else if (symbol.Length > 0)
+                            uniTeX.Append('\\').Append(cw).Append(tex[i] != null && tex[i].Length == 1 && IsAsciiLetterOrDigit(tex[i][0]) ? " " : "");
                         else if (cw.Length > 0)
                             uniTeX.Append('\\').Append(cw);
                         break;
diff --git a/src/SharpEquations/Internal/UnicodeMath/UnicodeMathInput.cs b/src/SharpEquations/Internal/UnicodeMath/UnicodeMathInput.cs
index c024c4e..17090da 100644
--- a/src/SharpEquations/Internal/UnicodeMath/UnicodeMathInput.cs
+++ b/src/SharpEquations/Internal/UnicodeMath/UnicodeMathInput.cs
@@ -128,7 +128,9 @@ private static int ClosingQuote(List<string> chars, int open)
 
         /// <summary>resolveCW: replaces control words (\alpha) with the characters they stand for.</summary>
         /// <param name="unknown">Called with each control word that is not one (as \foo), which is kept as text.</param>
-        public static string ResolveControlWords(string unicodemath, Action<string> unknown = null)
+        /// <param name="tex">Whether the text was read from LaTeX, where the space after a control word only ends it and
+        /// is not kept in the text of one not known.</param>
+        public static string ResolveControlWords(string unicodemath, Action<string> unknown = null, bool tex = false)
         {
             string previous = "";
             return ControlWord().Replace(unicodemath, match =>
@@ -215,7 +217,7 @@ public static string ResolveControlWords(string unicodemath, Action<string> unkn
                     return GetUnicodeFraction(Js.Ch(cw, 4), Js.Ch(cw, 5));
                 // not a control word: upright text
                 unknown?.Invoke("\\" + cw);
-                return "\"" + match.Value + "\"";
+                return "\"" + (tex ? "\\" + cw : match.Value) + "\"";
             });
         }
 
diff --git a/src/SharpEquations/Internal/UnicodeMath/UnicodeMathTranslator.cs b/src/SharpEquations/Internal/UnicodeMath/UnicodeMathTranslator.cs
index e60a170..5db738b 100644
--- a/src/SharpEquations/Internal/UnicodeMath/UnicodeMathTranslator.cs
+++ b/src/SharpEquations/Internal/UnicodeMath/UnicodeMathTranslator.cs
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ private static string ToMathML(string unicodemath, bool display, bool alignmentM
             unicodemath = unicodemath.Trim();
             var resolved = UnicodeMathInput.ResolveControlWords(unicodemath, strict
                 ? unknown => throw new FormatException("Unknown control word " + unknown + (tex ? " in the LaTeX." : "."))
-                : null);
+                : null, tex);
             // macros (\def, \newcommand: ⓜ) apply in the equation that defines them
             if (!tex && LaTeXReader.HasMacros(resolved))
                 resolved = LaTeXReader.ExpandMacros(resolved);
diff --git a/tests/SharpEquations.Tests/LaTeX/LaTeXReaderTests.cs b/tests/SharpEquations.Tests/LaTeX/LaTeXReaderTests.cs
index bf94513..22ee7be 100644
--- a/tests/SharpEquations.Tests/LaTeX/LaTeXReaderTests.cs
+++ b/tests/SharpEquations.Tests/LaTeX/LaTeXReaderTests.cs
@@ -355,14 +355,35 @@ public async Task RejectsEnvironmentsThatExpandForever()
         }
 
         [Test]
-        [Arguments(@"\foo x", @"Unknown control word \foox in the LaTeX.")]
+        [Arguments(@"\foo x", @"Unknown control word \foo in the LaTeX.")]
         [Arguments(@"a+\undefinedcommand", @"Unknown control word \undefinedcommand in the LaTeX.")]
+        [Arguments(@"\sgn r", @"Unknown control word \sgn in the LaTeX.")]
+        [Arguments(@"\lg d", @"Unknown control word \lg in the LaTeX.")]
+        [Arguments(@"\liminf v", @"Unknown control word \liminf in the LaTeX.")]
+        [Arguments(@"a \backslash b", @"Unknown control word \backslash in the LaTeX.")]
+        [Arguments(@"\sgn2", @"Unknown control word \sgn in the LaTeX.")]
         public async Task RejectsUnknownControlWordsWhenStrict(string latex, string message)
         {
             await Assert.That(() => Equation.Parse(latex, EquationFormat.LaTeX, Strict)).Throws<FormatException>().WithMessage(message);
             await Assert.That(Equation.Parse(latex, EquationFormat.LaTeX).ToMathML().Descendants(MathMLNamespaces.MathML + "mtext")).IsNotEmpty();
         }
 
+        [Test]
+        [Arguments(@"\sgn r", @"\sgn", "r")]
+        [Arguments(@"\lg d", @"\lg", "d")]
+        [Arguments(@"\liminf v", @"\liminf", "v")]
+        [Arguments(@"a \backslash b", @"\backslash", "b")]
+        [Arguments(@"\sgn  r", @"\sgn", "r")]
+        [Arguments(@"\sgn{r}", @"\sgn", "r")]
+        [Arguments(@"\text{\sgn} r", @"\sgn", "r")]
+        [Arguments(@"\sgn2", @"\sgn", "2")]
+        public async Task EndsUnknownControlWordsAtTheirLetters(string latex, string text, string after)
+        {
+            var math = Equation.Parse(latex, EquationFormat.LaTeX).ToMathML();
+            await Assert.That(math.Descendants(MathMLNamespaces.MathML + "mtext").Select(e => e.Value).ToList()).IsEquivalentTo(new[] { text });
+            await Assert.That(math.Descendants().Where(e => e.Name.LocalName is "mi" or "mn").Select(e => e.Value).Last()).IsEqualTo(after);
+        }
+
         [Test]
         public async Task KeepsKnownControlWordsWhenStrict()
         {