#!/usr/local/bin/perl -w use strict; open FILE, "; close FILE; print $text; my @ands = $text =~/\b(and)\b/ig; print scalar @ands; __END__ But now I know that twenty centuries of stony sleep were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle. And what rough beast, it's hour come round at last, slouches towards Betlehem to be born? And the world turned around the sun. 2