diff --git a/lib/parfait/word.rb b/lib/parfait/word.rb
index e8e4804f..1dd123c6 100644
--- a/lib/parfait/word.rb
+++ b/lib/parfait/word.rb
@@ -192,16 +192,19 @@ module Parfait
     def padded_length
       Object.padded( 4 * get_type().instance_length + @char_length  )
     end
-    def start_with(str1,prefix1)
-        @str=str1
-        @prefix=prefix1
+    def start_with(other)
+      return false if other.length > self.length
+        @str=self.to_string
+        @prefix=other.to_string
         s = @str.size()
         temp=""
-        for i in 0..s-1
+        i=0
+        while i<=s-1
           temp=temp+@str[i]
           if temp==@prefix
             return true
           end
+          i=i+1
         end
         return false
       end
diff --git a/test/parfait/test_word2.rb b/test/parfait/test_word2.rb
index de533dac..9908d24e 100644
--- a/test/parfait/test_word2.rb
+++ b/test/parfait/test_word2.rb
@@ -6,11 +6,7 @@ module Parfait
       super
       @word = Parfait::Word.new(5)
     end
-    def test_start_with
-      assert_equal true , @word.start_with("hello","hell")
-      assert_equal true , @word.start_with("Adbfgsj","Adbf")
-      assert_equal false , @word.start_with("Vanila","van")
-    end
+
     def test_len
       assert_equal 5 , @word.length
     end
@@ -88,6 +84,30 @@ module Parfait
       two = Parfait.new_word("one")
       assert one.compare(two)
     end
+
+    def test_start_with
+      one = Parfait.new_word("Hello")
+      two = Parfait.new_word("Hel")
+      assert one.start_with(two)
+      one = Parfait.new_word("Vanilla")
+      two = Parfait.new_word("Va")
+      assert one.start_with(two)
+      one = Parfait.new_word("hello")
+      two = Parfait.new_word("hellooo")
+      assert_equal false, one.start_with(two)
+      one = Parfait.new_word("bajjs")
+      two = Parfait.new_word("bgjj")
+      assert_equal false, one.start_with(two)
+      #one = Parfait.new_word("hel")
+      #two = Parfait.new_word("hellooo")
+      #assert_equal false, one.start_with(two)
+      #one = Parfait.new_word("Vanilla")
+      #two = Parfait.new_word("vani")
+      #assert one.start_with(two)
+      #assert_equal true , @word.start_with("hello","hell")
+      #assert_equal true , @word.start_with("Adbfgsj","Adbf")
+      #assert_equal false , @word.start_with("Vanila","van")
+    end
     def test_first_char
       one = Parfait.new_word("one")
       one.set_char(0 , "T".ord)