diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7a8d988
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+ rm -rf build
+ mkdir build
+ cd build
+ cmake -Wno-dev ..
+ cmake --build . --config Release
+
+ # Additionally, either copy the nsearch file from build/nsearch to /usr/local/bin or add the directory to path
+ # sudo cp nsearch/nsearch /usr/local/bin/
+ # something like echo $PATH:$PWD/build/nsearch added to bashrc or something
diff --git a/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Alnout/Writer.h b/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Alnout/Writer.h
index 3c4740b..d024e79 100644
--- a/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Alnout/Writer.h
+++ b/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Alnout/Writer.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include "../Alphabet/DNA.h"
 #include "../Alphabet/Protein.h"
+#include "../Alphabet/English.h"
 
 #include <fstream>
 
@@ -331,4 +332,22 @@ inline std::string Writer< Protein >::Unit() {
   return "aa";
 }
 
+// English specializations
+template <>
+inline char Writer< English >::MatchSymbol( const char A, const char B ) {
+  auto score = ScorePolicy< English >::Score( A, B );
+  if( score >= 10 )
+    return '|';
+  if( score >= 5 )
+    return ':';
+  if( score > 0 )
+    return '.';
+  return ' ';
+}
+
+template <>
+inline std::string Writer< English >::Unit() {
+  return "Letter";
+}
+
 } // namespace Alnout
diff --git a/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Alphabet/English.h b/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Alphabet/English.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a16a456
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Alphabet/English.h
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "../Alphabet.h"
+
+struct English {
+  typedef char CharType;
+};
+
+// Scoring: First Try. Looking for exact match.
+// Collapse letters into 5 bits
+template <>
+struct BitMapPolicy< English > {
+  static const size_t NumBits = 5;
+
+  inline static int8_t BitMap( const char letter ) {
+    static const uint8_t BitMapping[] = {
+      0b000000, // 'A'
+      0b000001, // 'B'
+      0b000010, // 'C'
+      0b000011, // 'D'
+      0b000100, // 'E'
+      0b000101, // 'F'
+      0b000110, // 'G'
+      0b000111, // 'H'
+      0b001000, // 'I'
+      0b001001, // 'J'
+      0b001010, // 'K'
+      0b001011, // 'L'
+      0b001100, // 'M'
+      0b001101, // 'N'
+      0b001110, // 'O'
+      0b001111, // 'P'
+      0b010000, // 'Q'
+      0b010001, // 'R'
+      0b010010, // 'S'
+      0b010011, // 'T'
+      0b010101, // 'U'
+      0b010110, // 'V'
+      0b010111, // 'W'
+      0b011000, // 'X'
+      0b011001, // 'Y'
+      0b011010, // 'Z'
+      0b011011, // ' ' space
+    };
+
+    auto val = BitMapping[ letter - 'A' ];
+    // if( ( val & 0b010000 ) > 0 )
+    //   return -1; // ambiguity
+
+    return ( val & 0b01111 );
+  }
+};
+
+// BLOSUM62
+template <>
+struct ScorePolicy< English > {
+  inline static int8_t Score( const char letterA, const char letterB ) {
+    static const int ScoreMatrixSize = 27; // 'A'...'Z' and ' '
+    static const int8_t ScoreMatrix[ ScoreMatrixSize ][ ScoreMatrixSize ] = {
+      /* A,   B,   C,   D,   E,   F,   G,   H,   I,   J,   K,   L,   M,   N,   O,   P,   Q,   R,   S,   T,   U,   V,   W,   X,   Y,   Z,     */
+      {  1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // A
+      {  0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // B
+      {  0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // C
+      {  0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // D
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // E
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // F
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // G
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // H
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // I
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // J
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // K
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // L
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // M
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // N
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // O
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // P
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // Q
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // R
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // S
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // T
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // U
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // V
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0,   0}, // W
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0,   0}, // X
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0,   0}, // Y
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1,   0}, // Z
+      {  0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   0,   1}, //  
+    };
+
+    return ScoreMatrix[ letterA - 'A' ][ letterB - 'A' ];
+  }
+};
+
+template <>
+struct MatchPolicy< English > {
+  inline static bool Match( const char letterA, const char letterB ) {
+    return ScorePolicy< English >::Score( letterA, letterB ) >= 4;
+  }
+};
diff --git a/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Database/GlobalSearch.h b/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Database/GlobalSearch.h
index 7e7be29..ad8ff4b 100644
--- a/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Database/GlobalSearch.h
+++ b/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Database/GlobalSearch.h
@@ -140,6 +140,20 @@ void GlobalSearch< A >::SearchForHits( const Sequence< A >&              query,
     for( auto& sp : sps ) {
       size_t queryPos, candidatePos;
 
+        // check if we already have a HSP which this SP is part of
+      bool isContained = false;
+      for( auto it = hsps.cbegin(); it != hsps.cend(); ++it ) {
+        const HSP& hsp = *it;
+        if (sp.IsFullyContainedWithin(hsp)) {
+          isContained = true;
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+
+      // do not extend this, since it's part of an HSP already
+      if (isContained)
+        continue;
+
       size_t a1 = sp.a1, a2 = sp.a2, b1 = sp.b1, b2 = sp.b2;
 
       Cigar leftCigar;
diff --git a/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Database/HSP.h b/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Database/HSP.h
index 9774586..ac5ad83 100644
--- a/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Database/HSP.h
+++ b/libnsearch/include/nsearch/Database/HSP.h
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ class HSP {
     return ( a1 <= other.a2 && other.a1 <= a2 )     // overlap in A direction
            || ( b1 <= other.b2 && other.b1 <= b2 ); // overlap in B direction
   }
+  bool IsFullyContainedWithin( const HSP& other) const {
+    return (other.a1 <= a1 && other.a2 >= a2) &&
+      (other.b1 <= b1 && other.b2 >= b2);
+  }
+
 
   size_t DistanceTo( const HSP& other ) const {
     size_t dx = ( a1 > other.a2 ? a1 - other.a2 : other.a1 - a2 );
diff --git a/nsearch/src/Main.cpp b/nsearch/src/Main.cpp
index a5f8546..fb67390 100644
--- a/nsearch/src/Main.cpp
+++ b/nsearch/src/Main.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <nsearch/Sequence.h>
 #include <nsearch/Alphabet/DNA.h>
 #include <nsearch/Alphabet/Protein.h>
+#include <nsearch/Alphabet/English.h>
 
 #include "Common.h"
 #include "Filter.h"
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ static const char USAGE[] = R"(
 
   Usage:
     nsearch search --query=<queryfile> --db=<databasefile>
-      --out=<outputfile> --min-identity=<minidentity> [--max-hits=<maxaccepts>] [--max-rejects=<maxrejects>] [--protein] [--strand=<strand>]
+      --out=<outputfile> --min-identity=<minidentity> [--max-hits=<maxaccepts>] [--max-rejects=<maxrejects>] [--protein] [--english] [--strand=<strand>]
     nsearch merge --forward=<forwardfile> --reverse=<reversefile> --out=<outputfile>
     nsearch filter --in=<inputfile> --out=<outputfile> [--max-expected-errors=<maxee>]
 
@@ -100,6 +101,8 @@ int main( int argc, const char** argv ) {
 
     if( args[ "--protein" ].asBool() ) {
       DoSearch< Protein >( query, db, out, ParseSearchParams< Protein >( args ) );
+    } else if ( args[ "--english" ].asBool() ) {
+      DoSearch< English >( query, db, out, ParseSearchParams< English >( args ) );
     } else {
       DoSearch< DNA >( query, db, out, ParseSearchParams< DNA >( args ) );
     }
diff --git a/nsearch/src/Search.cpp b/nsearch/src/Search.cpp
index 7dd10d3..67568d3 100644
--- a/nsearch/src/Search.cpp
+++ b/nsearch/src/Search.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <nsearch/Sequence.h>
 #include <nsearch/Alphabet/DNA.h>
 #include <nsearch/Alphabet/Protein.h>
+#include <nsearch/Alphabet/English.h>
 
 #include <memory>
 
@@ -105,6 +106,11 @@ struct WordSize< Protein > {
   static const int VALUE = 5;
 };
 
+template <>
+struct WordSize< English > {
+  static const int VALUE = 5;
+};
+
 template < typename A >
 bool DoSearch( const std::string& queryPath, const std::string& databasePath,
                const std::string&       outputPath,
@@ -202,3 +208,6 @@ template bool DoSearch< DNA >( const std::string&, const std::string&,
 template bool DoSearch< Protein >( const std::string&, const std::string&,
                                    const std::string&,
                                    const SearchParams< Protein >& );
+template bool DoSearch< English >( const std::string&, const std::string&,
+                                   const std::string&,
+                                   const SearchParams< English >& );