Question

is it possible to insert the word that was found into the replace ?

$(function() {

    content = 'hallo mein name ist peter und ich komme aus berlin. Und du?';

    words = 'mein na,berlin'

    words = words.replace(/,/,'\|');
    words = words.replace(/\s/,'\\s');

    regex = new RegExp(words,'gi');

    content = content.replace(regex,'<strong>*insert here the word that was found*</strong>');

    alert(''+content+'');

});

working example
http://www.jsfiddle.net/V9Euk/227/

Thanks in advance!
Peter

Answer 1

Try this:

content.replace(regex,'<strong>$&</strong>');

$& is replaced with the full match.
Working example: http://www.jsfiddle.net/V9Euk/228/

If you are more comfortable with it, you can add a group and replace it with $1 (this one will raise less questions):

words = words.replace(/,/g,'\|');
words = words.replace(/\s/g,'\\s');
words = '(' + words + ')';

regex = new RegExp(words, 'gi');

content = content.replace(regex,'<strong>$1</strong>');

Note that you probably want the g flag on these replaces, or you only change the first space and comma.
If you also want to avoid partial matching (so “mein na” doesn’t capture), add \b:

words = '\\b(' + words + ')\\b';