diff --git a/spec/atom/vim-mode-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/vim-mode-spec.coffee
index 1010a9da6..6c20bd508 100644
--- a/spec/atom/vim-mode-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/atom/vim-mode-spec.coffee
@@ -77,6 +77,15 @@ describe "VimMode", ->
           editor.trigger keydownEvent('j')
           expect(editor.getCursor()).toEqual(column: 1, row: 0)
 
+      describe "the w keybinding", ->
+        it "moves the cursor to the beginning of the next word", ->
+          editor.buffer.setText("ab cde 123+- \n xyz")
+          editor.setCursor(column: 0, row: 0)
+
+          editor.trigger keydownEvent('w')
+          expect(editor.getCursor()).toEqual(column: 3, row: 0)
+
+
     describe "numeric prefix bindings", ->
       it "repeats the following operation N times", ->
         editor.buffer.setText("12345")
diff --git a/src/atom/buffer.coffee b/src/atom/buffer.coffee
index 97ef12441..b334a85c4 100644
--- a/src/atom/buffer.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/buffer.coffee
@@ -41,3 +41,7 @@ class Buffer
   save: ->
     if not @url then throw new Error("Tried to save buffer with no url")
     fs.write @url, @getText()
+
+  getLine: (row) ->
+    @aceDocument.getLine(row)
+
diff --git a/src/atom/editor.coffee b/src/atom/editor.coffee
index 9ddacc090..27bc6b772 100644
--- a/src/atom/editor.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/editor.coffee
@@ -56,11 +56,18 @@ class Editor extends Template
         @buffer.save()
 
     setCursor: ({column, row}) ->
-      @aceEditor.moveCursorToPosition({column, row})
+      @aceEditor.navigateTo(row, column)
 
     getCursor: ->
       @getAceSession().getSelection().getCursor()
 
+    getLineText: ->
+      @buffer.getLine(@getRow())
+
+    getRow: ->
+      { row } = @getCursor()
+      row
+
     deleteChar: ->
       @aceEditor.remove 'right'
 
diff --git a/src/atom/vim-mode-operators.coffee b/src/atom/vim-mode-operators.coffee
index 386f9b762..cb8c5b5c1 100644
--- a/src/atom/vim-mode-operators.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/vim-mode-operators.coffee
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 _ = require 'underscore'
 
+getWordRegex = -> /(\w+)|([^\w\s]+)/g
+
 module.exports =
   NumericPrefix: class
     count: null
@@ -48,3 +50,18 @@ module.exports =
 
     isComplete: -> true
 
+  MoveToNextWord: class
+    execute: (editor) ->
+      regex = getWordRegex()
+      { row, column } = editor.getCursor()
+      rightOfCursor = editor.getLineText().substring(column)
+
+      match = regex.exec(rightOfCursor)
+      # If we're on top of part of a word, match the next one.
+      match = regex.exec(rightOfCursor) if match?.index is 0
+      column += match.index
+
+      editor.setCursor { row, column }
+
+    isComplete: -> true
+
diff --git a/src/atom/vim-mode.coffee b/src/atom/vim-mode.coffee
index cfb37b045..8d10267f7 100644
--- a/src/atom/vim-mode.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/vim-mode.coffee
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ class VimMode
       'x': 'delete-char'
       'h': 'move-left'
       'j': 'move-up'
+      'w': 'move-to-next-word'
 
     @handleCommands
       'insert': => @activateInsertMode()
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ class VimMode
       'delete-char': => new op.DeleteChar
       'move-left': => new op.MoveLeft
       'move-up': => new op.MoveUp
+      'move-to-next-word': => new op.MoveToNextWord
       'numeric-prefix': (e) => @numericPrefix(e)
 
   bindCommandModeKeys: (bindings) ->