diff --git a/src/main/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/TextLineWrapImpl.java b/src/main/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/TextLineWrapImpl.java
index 001b5f3..7ad68c2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/TextLineWrapImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/TextLineWrapImpl.java
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ class TextLineWrapImpl implements WordWrapper {
                             lineQ.forEach(wordQ::push);
                             return removeBlankLines(lines);
                         }
+                        if (end == 0 && word.width > width) {
+                            throw new WordTooLong(word.word);
+                        }
                         if ((end + word.width) > width) {
                             lines.add(wordsAsString((Deque<Word>) lineQ));
                             lineQ.clear();
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/WordTooLong.java b/src/main/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/WordTooLong.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f0c826
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/WordTooLong.java
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+package net.kemitix.text.fit;
+
+import lombok.Getter;
+import lombok.RequiredArgsConstructor;
+
+@Getter
+@RequiredArgsConstructor
+public class WordTooLong extends RuntimeException {
+    private final String longWord;
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/WordWrapper.java b/src/main/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/WordWrapper.java
index cd41e7f..ed71c1b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/WordWrapper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/WordWrapper.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ public interface WordWrapper {
      * @return a list of the each line of text
      * @throws NotEnoughSpace if there are more than {@link Integer#MAX_VALUE}
      * lines - so not likely.
+     * @throws WordTooLong if there is a word that is too long to fit on a line
+     * by itself.
      */
     List<String> wrap(
             String text,
@@ -35,6 +37,8 @@ public interface WordWrapper {
      * @return a list of the each line of text
      * @throws NotEnoughSpace if there are more lines than can be fitted in the
      * boxes provided.
+     * @throws WordTooLong if there is a word that is too long to fit on a line
+     * by itself. Not likely as this would simply force smaller fonts.
      */
     List<List<String>> wrap(
             String text,
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/TextLineWrapTest.java b/src/test/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/TextLineWrapTest.java
index 30ac6b8..aa885d5 100644
--- a/src/test/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/TextLineWrapTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/net/kemitix/text/fit/TextLineWrapTest.java
@@ -107,6 +107,18 @@ public class TextLineWrapTest
                             oneLinesWorthOfWords,
                             WORD);
         }
+
+        @Test
+        @DisplayName("A word that can't fit on a line by itself throws")
+        public void overLongWordThrows() {
+            String longWord = words(wordsPerLine * 2, WORD)
+                    .replace(" ", "");
+            assertThatExceptionOfType(WordTooLong.class)
+                    .isThrownBy(() -> invoke(longWord))
+                    .satisfies(error ->
+                            assertThat(error.getLongWord())
+                                    .isEqualTo(longWord));
+        }
     }
 
     private String words(int number, String word) {