diff --git a/autosyl/assUtils.py b/autosyl/assUtils.py
index 57dc0448c465f76ac10128d14d3dc3cdfa518088..5f5959a20b6a2fb1a7011a14f9fb5146fabf00ef 100644
--- a/autosyl/assUtils.py
+++ b/autosyl/assUtils.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ def getSyls(ass_file):
     META = []
     with open(ass_file, 'r') as f:
         CONTENT = f.read()
+        strip_regex = re.compile('[^a-zA-Z]')
         LINES_KARA = re.compile(r"Comment:.*(\d+:\d{2}:\d{2}.\d{2}),(\d+:\d{2}:\d{2}.\d{2}),([^,]*),([^,]*),(\d+),(\d+),(\d+),karaoke,(.*)\n");
         RGX_TAGS = re.compile(r"\{\\k(\d+)\}([^\{\n\r]*)")
         for line in LINES_KARA.findall(CONTENT):
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ def getSyls(ass_file):
             lastTime = dateToTime(line[0])
             syl_line_index = 0
             for couple in RGX_TAGS.findall(line[7]):
-                if couple[1] != '' and not couple[1].isspace():
+                if couple[1] != '' and not strip_regex.sub('', couple[1]) == '':
                     syl_line.append([lastTime, couple[1], int(couple[0])])
                     syl_line_index += 1
                 if couple[1].isspace() and len(couple[1]) > 0 and syl_line_index > 0: