diff --git a/levenshtein.go b/levenshtein.go
index 260b69c..861f409 100644
--- a/levenshtein.go
+++ b/levenshtein.go
@@ -41,6 +41,25 @@ func ComputeDistance(a, b string) int {
 	if len(s1) > len(s2) {
 		s1, s2 = s2, s1
 	}
+
+	// remove trailing identical runes.
+	for i := 0; i < len(s1); i++ {
+		if s1[len(s1)-1-i] != s2[len(s2)-1-i] {
+			s1 = s1[:len(s1)-i]
+			s2 = s2[:len(s2)-i]
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Remove leading identical runes.
+	for i := 0; i < len(s1); i++ {
+		if s1[i] != s2[i] {
+			s1 = s1[i:]
+			s2 = s2[i:]
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
 	lenS1 := len(s1)
 	lenS2 := len(s2)