diff --git a/hyphenate/info.rkt b/hyphenate/info.rkt
index 669b1011..329e1fdc 100644
--- a/hyphenate/info.rkt
+++ b/hyphenate/info.rkt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #lang info
 (define collection "hyphenate")
-
 (define scribblings '(("scribblings/hyphenate.scrbl" ())))
+(define deps '("txexpr"))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hyphenate/main.rkt b/hyphenate/main.rkt
index 3d7d2289..c10259a2 100644
--- a/hyphenate/main.rkt
+++ b/hyphenate/main.rkt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #lang racket/base
+(require (for-syntax racket/base))
 (require racket/string racket/list racket/contract racket/vector)
-(require "patterns.rkt" "exceptions.rkt")
+(require "patterns.rkt" "exceptions.rkt" txexpr xml)
 
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 ;;; Hyphenate module
@@ -12,20 +13,20 @@
 ;;; (also in the public domain)
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 
-(provide (contract-out 
-          [hyphenate 
-           ((string?) ((or/c char? string?) #:exceptions (listof exception-word?) #:min-length (or/c integer? #f)) . ->* . string?)])
-         (contract-out 
-          [hyphenatef
-           ((string? procedure?) ((or/c char? string?) #:exceptions (listof exception-word?) #:min-length (or/c integer? #f)) . ->* . string?)])
-         (contract-out 
-          [unhyphenate 
-           ((string?) ((or/c char? string?)) . ->* . string?)]))
-
-;; global data, define now but set! them later (because they're potentially big & slow)
+(define-syntax (define+provide/contract stx)
+  (syntax-case stx ()
+    [(_ (proc arg ... . rest-arg) contract body ...)
+     #'(define+provide/contract proc contract
+         (λ(arg ... . rest-arg) body ...))]
+    [(_ name contract body ...)
+     #'(begin
+         (provide (contract-out [name contract]))
+         (define name body ...))]))
+
+;; module data, define now but set! them later (because they're potentially big & slow)
 (define exceptions #f)
 (define pattern-tree #f)
-;; global default values
+;; module default values
 (define default-min-length 5)
 (define default-joiner (integer->char #x00AD))
 
@@ -40,8 +41,6 @@
   
   (make-hash (map (λ(x) (cons (make-key x) (make-value x))) exn-strings)))
 
-
-
 ;; An exception-word is a string of word characters or hyphens.
 (define (exception-word? x)
   (if (regexp-match #px"^[\\w-]+$" x) #t #f))
@@ -147,11 +146,22 @@
 (define (joiner->string joiner)
   (if (char? joiner) (format "~a" joiner) joiner))
 
+;; helper macro that applies proc to all strings found in xexpr input
+(define-syntax (apply-xexpr-strings stx)
+  (syntax-case stx ()
+    [(_ proc val) #'(let loop ([x val])
+                      (cond
+                        [(string? x) (proc x)]
+                        [(txexpr? x) (map-elements loop x)]
+                        [else x]))]))
+
 ;; Hyphenate using a filter procedure.
-;; Theoretically possible to do this externally,
-;; but it would just mean doing the regexp-replace twice.
-(define (hyphenatef text proc [joiner default-joiner] #:exceptions [extra-exceptions '()]  #:min-length [min-length default-min-length])
-  
+(define+provide/contract (hyphenatef x proc [joiner default-joiner] 
+                                     #:exceptions [extra-exceptions '()]  
+                                     #:min-length [min-length default-min-length])
+  ((xexpr? procedure?) ((or/c char? string?) 
+                        #:exceptions (listof exception-word?) 
+                        #:min-length (or/c integer? #f)) . ->* . xexpr/c)
   
   ;; set up module data
   ;; todo?: change set! to parameterize
@@ -161,15 +171,29 @@
   (define joiner-string (joiner->string joiner))
   (define word-pattern #px"\\w+") ;; more restrictive than exception-word
   ;; todo?: connect this regexp pattern to the one used in word? predicate
-  (regexp-replace* word-pattern text (λ(word) (if (proc word) (string-join (word->hyphenation-points word min-length) joiner-string) word))))
+  (define (insert-hyphens text)
+    (regexp-replace* word-pattern text (λ(word) (if (proc word) (string-join (word->hyphenation-points word min-length) joiner-string) word))))
+  
+  (apply-xexpr-strings insert-hyphens x))
 
 
-;; Default hyphenate function.
-(define (hyphenate text [joiner default-joiner]  #:exceptions [extra-exceptions '()] #:min-length [min-length default-min-length])
-  (hyphenatef text (λ(x) #t) joiner #:exceptions extra-exceptions #:min-length min-length))
+;; Default hyphenate is a special case of hyphenatef.
+(define+provide/contract (hyphenate x [joiner default-joiner]  
+                                    #:exceptions [extra-exceptions '()] 
+                                    #:min-length [min-length default-min-length])
+  ((xexpr/c) ((or/c char? string?) 
+              #:exceptions (listof exception-word?) 
+              #:min-length (or/c integer? #f)) . ->* . xexpr/c)
+  (hyphenatef x (λ(x) #t) joiner #:exceptions extra-exceptions #:min-length min-length))
 
-(define (unhyphenate text [joiner default-joiner])
-  (string-replace text (joiner->string joiner) ""))
 
+;; Remove hyphens.
+(define+provide/contract (unhyphenate x [joiner default-joiner])
+  ((xexpr/c) ((or/c char? string?)) . ->* . xexpr/c)
+  
+  (define (remove-hyphens text)
+    (string-replace text (joiner->string joiner) ""))
+  
+  (apply-xexpr-strings remove-hyphens x))  
 
 
diff --git a/hyphenate/scribblings/hyphenate.scrbl b/hyphenate/scribblings/hyphenate.scrbl
index e40c0cce..832fffa0 100644
--- a/hyphenate/scribblings/hyphenate.scrbl
+++ b/hyphenate/scribblings/hyphenate.scrbl
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 #lang scribble/manual
 
-@(require scribble/eval (for-label racket "../main.rkt"))
+@(require scribble/eval (for-label racket "../main.rkt" xml))
 
 @(define my-eval (make-base-eval))
-@(my-eval `(require hyphenate))
+@(my-eval `(require hyphenate xml))
 
 
 @title{Hyphenate}
@@ -14,12 +14,12 @@ A simple hyphenation engine that uses the Knuth–Liang hyphenation algorithm or
 
 I originally put together this module to handle hyphenation for my web-based book @link["http://practicaltypography.com"]{Butterick's Practical Typography} (which I made with Racket & Scribble). Though support for CSS-based hyphenation in web browsers is @link["http://caniuse.com/#search=hyphen"]{still iffy}, soft hyphens work reliably well. But putting them into the text manually is a drag. Thus a module was born.
 
-@section{Installation & updates}
+@section{Installation}
 
 At the command line:
 @verbatim{raco pkg install hyphenate}
 
-After that, you can update the package from the command line:
+After that, you can update the package like so:
 @verbatim{raco pkg update hyphenate}
 
 
@@ -27,17 +27,16 @@ After that, you can update the package from the command line:
 
 @defmodule[hyphenate]
 
-
 @defproc[
 (hyphenate 
-[text string?] 
+[xexpr xexpr/c] 
 [joiner (or/c char? string?) (integer->char #x00AD)]
 [#:exceptions exceptions (listof string?) empty]
 [#:min-length length (or/c integer? false?) 5])
-string?]
-Hyphenate @racket[_text] by calculating hyphenation points and inserting @racket[_joiner] at those points. By default, @racket[_joiner] is the soft hyphen (Unicode 00AD = decimal 173). Words shorter than @racket[#:min-length] @racket[_length] will not be hyphenated. To hyphenate words of any length, use @racket[#:min-length] @racket[#f].
+xexpr/c]
+Hyphenate @racket[_xexpr] by calculating hyphenation points and inserting @racket[_joiner] at those points. By default, @racket[_joiner] is the soft hyphen (Unicode 00AD = decimal 173). Words shorter than @racket[#:min-length] @racket[_length] will not be hyphenated. To hyphenate words of any length, use @racket[#:min-length] @racket[#f].
 
-@margin-note{The REPL displays a soft hyphen as \u00AD. But in ordinary use, you'll only see a soft hyphen when it appears at the end of a line or page as part of a hyphenated word. Otherwise it's not displayed. In most of the examples here, I use a standard hyphen for clarity.}
+@margin-note{The REPL displays a soft hyphen as @code{\u00AD}. But in ordinary use, you'll only see a soft hyphen when it appears at the end of a line or page as part of a hyphenated word. Otherwise it's not displayed. In most of the examples here, I use a standard hyphen for clarity (by adding @code{#\-} as an argument).}
 
 @examples[#:eval my-eval
      (hyphenate "ergo polymorphic")
@@ -50,7 +49,7 @@ Because the hyphenation is based on an algorithm rather than a dictionary, it ma
 
 @examples[#:eval my-eval
     (hyphenate "scraunched strengths" #\-)
-     (hyphenate "Racketcon" #\-)
+     (hyphenate "RacketCon" #\-)
      (hyphenate "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" #\-)
    ]
 
@@ -80,23 +79,31 @@ For this reason, certain words can't be hyphenated algorithmically, because the
    
 This is the right result. If you used @italic{adder} to mean the machine, it would be hyphenated @italic{add-er}; if you meant the snake, it would be @italic{ad-der}. Better to avoid hyphenation than to hyphenate incorrectly.
 
+You can send HTML-style X-expressions through @racket[hyphenate]. It will recursively hyphenate the text strings, while leaving the tags and attributes alone, as well as non-hyphenatable material (like character entities and CDATA).
+
+@examples[#:eval my-eval
+     (hyphenate '(p "strangely" (em "formatted" (strong "snowmen"))) #\-)
+     (hyphenate '(headline [[class "headline"]] "headline") #\-)
+      (hyphenate '(div "The (span epsilon) entity:" epsilon) #\-) 
+   ]
 
-Don't send raw HTML through @racket[hyphenate]. It can't distinguish HTML tags and attributes from textual content, so it will hyphenate everything, which will goof up your file.
+Don't send raw HTML or XML through @racket[hyphenate]. It can't distinguish tags and attributes from textual content, so everything will be hyphenated, thus goofing up your file. But you can easily convert HTML or XML to an X-expression, hyphenate it, and then convert back.
 
 @examples[#:eval my-eval
-     (hyphenate "<body style=\"background: yellow\">Hello world</body>") 
+    (define html "<body style=\"background: yellow\">Hello</body>")
+    (hyphenate html #\-)
+    (xexpr->string (hyphenate (string->xexpr html) #\-)) 
    ]
    
-Instead, send your textual content through @racket[hyphenate] @italic{before} you put it into your HTML template. Or convert your HTML to an X-expression and process it selectively (e.g., with @racket[match]).
 
 @defproc[
 (hyphenatef
-[text string?] 
+[xexpr xexpr/c] 
 [pred procedure?]
 [joiner (or/c char? string?) (integer->char \#x00AD)]
 [#:exceptions exceptions (listof string?) empty]
 [#:min-length length (or/c integer? false?) 5])
-string?]
+xexpr/c]
 Like @racket[hyphenate], but only words matching @racket[_pred] are hyphenated. Convenient if you want to prevent hyphenation of certain sets of words, like proper names:
 
 @examples[#:eval my-eval
@@ -118,15 +125,21 @@ Sometimes you need @racket[hyphenatef] to prevent unintended consequences. For i
 (hyphenatef "Hufflepuff golfing final on Tuesday" no-ligs? #\-) 
 ]
  
+@margin-note{``Wouldn't it be better to exclude certain pairs of letters rather than whole words?'' Yes. But for now, that's not supported.}
 
 It's possible to do fancier kinds of hyphenation restrictions that take account of context, like not hyphenating the last word of a paragraph. But @racket[hyphenatef] only operates on words. So you'll have to write some fancier code. Separate out the words eligible for hyphenation, and then send them through good old @racket[hyphenate].
 
 @defproc[
 (unhyphenate
-[text string?] 
+[xexpr xexpr/c] 
 [joiner (or/c char? string?) @(integer->char #x00AD)])
-string?]
-Remove @racket[_joiner] from @racket[_text] using @racket[string-replace].
+xexpr/c]
+Remove @racket[_joiner] from @racket[_xexpr]. Like @racket[hyphenate], it works on nested X-expressions.
+
+@examples[#:eval my-eval
+     (hyphenate '(p "strangely" (em "formatted" (strong "snowmen"))) #\-)
+     (unhyphenate '(p "strange-ly" (em "for-mat-ted" (strong "snow-men"))) #\-)
+]
 
 A side effect of using @racket[hyphenate] is that soft hyphens (or whatever the @racket[_joiner] is) will be embedded in the output text. If you need to support copying of text, for instance in a GUI application, you'll probably want to strip out the hyphenation before the copied text is moved to the clipboard.
 
@@ -142,7 +155,7 @@ Use this function cautiously — if @racket[_joiner] appeared in the original in
      (unhyphenate (hyphenate "ribbon-cutting ceremony" #\-) #\-)
     ]
     
-It's also possible that soft hyphens could appear in your input string. Certain word processors allow users to @link["http://practicaltypography.com/optional-hyphens.html"]{insert soft hyphens} in their text.
+Keep in mind that soft hyphens could appear in your input string. Certain word processors allow users to @link["http://practicaltypography.com/optional-hyphens.html"]{insert soft hyphens} in their text.
 
 @examples[#:eval my-eval
      (hyphenate "True\u00ADType typefaces")
diff --git a/hyphenate/tests.rkt b/hyphenate/tests.rkt
index 37aeeede..6e5a4aad 100644
--- a/hyphenate/tests.rkt
+++ b/hyphenate/tests.rkt
@@ -1,16 +1,7 @@
 #lang racket/base
-(require rackunit)
+(require "main.rkt" rackunit)
 
-(require "main.rkt")
-
-(require/expose "main.rkt" (word->hyphenation-points))
-(require/expose "main.rkt" (exception-word?))
-
-(check-true (exception-word? "Foobar"))
-(check-true (exception-word? "foobar"))
-(check-false (exception-word? "foobar!"))
-(check-true (exception-word? "foo-bar"))
-(check-false (exception-word? "foo bar"))
+(require/expose "main.rkt" (word->hyphenation-points exception-word?))
 
 (check-equal? (hyphenate "polymorphism") "poly\u00ADmor\u00ADphism")
 (check-equal? (hyphenate "polymorphism" #:min-length 100) "polymorphism")
@@ -22,7 +13,14 @@
 (check-equal? (unhyphenate "polyfoomorfoophism" "foo") "polymorphism")
 (check-equal? (hyphenate "polymorphism" #\* #:exceptions '("polymo-rphism")) "polymo*rphism")
 (check-equal? (hyphenate "circular polymorphism squandering") "cir\u00ADcu\u00ADlar poly\u00ADmor\u00ADphism squan\u00ADder\u00ADing")
+(check-equal? (hyphenate '(p "circular polymorphism" amp (em "squandering"))) '(p "cir\u00ADcu\u00ADlar poly\u00ADmor\u00ADphism" amp (em "squan\u00ADder\u00ADing")))
 (check-equal? (hyphenate "present project") "present project") ; exception words
 ;; test these last so exceptions have been set up already
 (check-equal? (word->hyphenation-points "polymorphism") '("poly" "mor" "phism"))
 (check-equal? (word->hyphenation-points "present") '("present")) ; exception word
+
+(check-true (exception-word? "Foobar"))
+(check-true (exception-word? "foobar"))
+(check-false (exception-word? "foobar!"))
+(check-true (exception-word? "foo-bar"))
+(check-false (exception-word? "foo bar"))