diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 305c567..40fda2e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -54,6 +54,21 @@ regexp = expression.compile()
 result_re = regexp.sub('duck', replace_me)
 print result_re
 ```
+### Using named groups
+```python
+name = "Linus Torvalds"
+expression = VerEx()
+            .start_of_line()
+            .word(name='first_name')
+            .then(' ')
+            .word(name='last_name')
+            .end_of_line()
+            .regex()
+match = self.exp.match(name)
+
+print(match.group('first_name'))  # Linus
+print(match.group('last_name'))  # Torvalds
+```
 ### Shorthand for string replace
 ```python
 result = VerEx().find('red').replace('We have a red house', 'blue')
diff --git a/tests/verbal_expressions_test.py b/tests/verbal_expressions_test.py
index 5ed52d8..2d322d9 100644
--- a/tests/verbal_expressions_test.py
+++ b/tests/verbal_expressions_test.py
@@ -135,3 +135,21 @@ def test_should_match_email_address(self):
     def test_should_match_url(self):
         self.exp = self.v.start_of_line().then('http').maybe('s').then('://').maybe('www.').word().then('.').word().maybe('/').end_of_line().regex()
         self.assertRegexpMatches('https://www.google.com/', self.exp, 'Not a valid email')
+        
+    def test_should_find_number(self):
+        self.exp = self.v.start_of_line().number().end_of_line().regex()
+        self.assertRegexpMatches('123', self.exp, 'Number not found')
+        
+    def test_word_should_find_named_groups(self):
+        name = "Linus Torvalds"
+        self.exp = self.v.start_of_line().word(name='first_name').then(' ').word(name='last_name').end_of_line().regex()
+        match = self.exp.match(name)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(match)
+        self.assertEquals(match.group('first_name'), 'Linus')
+        self.assertEquals(match.group('last_name'), 'Torvalds')
+    
+    def test_number_should_find_named_groups(self):
+        self.exp = self.v.start_of_line().number('number').end_of_line().regex()
+        match = self.exp.match('123')
+        self.assertIsNotNone(match, self.exp.pattern)
+        self.assertEquals(match.group('number'), '123')
diff --git a/verbalexpressions/verbal_expressions.py b/verbalexpressions/verbal_expressions.py
index 1450186..d983105 100644
--- a/verbalexpressions/verbal_expressions.py
+++ b/verbalexpressions/verbal_expressions.py
@@ -2,11 +2,16 @@
 
 
 def re_escape(fn):
-    def arg_escaped(this, *args):
+    def arg_escaped(this, *args, **kwargs):
         t = [isinstance(a, VerEx) and a.s or re.escape(str(a)) for a in args]
-        return fn(this, *t)
+        return fn(this, *t, **kwargs)
     return arg_escaped
 
+    
+def group(val, name=None):
+    prefix = '?P<{0}>'.format(name) if name else ''
+    return '(' + prefix + val + ')'
+    
 
 class VerEx(object):
     '''
@@ -50,49 +55,52 @@ def source(self):
 
     # ---------------------------------------------
 
-    def anything(self):
-        return self.add('(.*)')
+    def anything(self, name=None):
+        return self.add(group('.*', name))
 
     @re_escape
     def anything_but(self, value):
-        return self.add('([^' + value + ']*)')
+        return self.add(group('[^' + value + ']*'))
 
     def end_of_line(self):
         return self.add('$')
 
     @re_escape
     def maybe(self, value):
-        return self.add("(" + value + ")?")
+        return self.add(group(value) + "?")
 
     def start_of_line(self):
         return self.add('^')
 
     @re_escape
     def find(self, value):
-        return self.add('(' + value + ')')
+        return self.add(group(value))
     then = find
 
     # special characters and groups
 
     @re_escape
     def any(self, value):
-        return self.add("([" + value + "])")
+        return self.add(group("[" + value + "]"))
     any_of = any
 
     def line_break(self):
-        return self.add(r"(\n|(\r\n))")
+        return self.add(group(r"\n|(\r\n)"))
     br = line_break
 
     @re_escape
     def range(self, *args):
         from_tos = [args[i:i+2] for i in range(0, len(args), 2)]
-        return self.add("([" + ''.join(['-'.join(i) for i in from_tos]) + "])")
+        return self.add(group("[" + ''.join(['-'.join(i) for i in from_tos]) + "]"))
 
     def tab(self):
         return self.add(r'\t')
 
-    def word(self):
-        return self.add(r"(\w+)")
+    def word(self, name=None):
+        return self.add(group(r"\w+", name))
+        
+    def number(self, name=None):
+        return self.add(group(r"\d+", name))
 
     def OR(self, value=None):
         ''' `or` is a python keyword so we use `OR` instead. '''