# split(separator:maxSplits:omittingEmptySubsequences:) Returns the longest possible subsequences of the sequence, in order, around elements equal to the given element. ``` func split(separator: Self.Element, maxSplits: Int = Int.max, omittingEmptySubsequences: Bool = true) -> [ArraySlice] ``` ## Parameters `separator` The element that should be split upon. `maxSplits` The maximum number of times to split the sequence, or one less than the number of subsequences to return. If `maxSplits + 1` subsequences are returned, the last one is a suffix of the original sequence containing the remaining elements. `maxSplits` must be greater than or equal to zero. The default value is `Int.max`. `omittingEmptySubsequences` If `false`, an empty subsequence is returned in the result for each consecutive pair of `separator` elements in the sequence and for each instance of `separator` at the start or end of the sequence. If `true`, only nonempty subsequences are returned. The default value is `true`. ## Return Value An array of subsequences, split from this sequence’s elements. ## Discussion The resulting array consists of at most `maxSplits + 1` subsequences. Elements that are used to split the sequence are not returned as part of any subsequence. The following examples show the effects of the `maxSplits` and `omittingEmptySubsequences` parameters when splitting a string at each space character (” “). The first use of `split` returns each word that was originally separated by one or more spaces. ``` let line = "BLANCHE: I don't want realism. I want magic!" print(line.split(separator: " ") .map(String.init)) // Prints "["BLANCHE:", "I", "don\'t", "want", "realism.", "I", "want", "magic!"]" ``` The second example passes `1` for the `maxSplits` parameter, so the original string is split just once, into two new strings. ``` print(line.split(separator: " ", maxSplits: 1) .map(String.init)) // Prints "["BLANCHE:", " I don\'t want realism. I want magic!"]" ``` The final example passes `false` for the `omittingEmptySubsequences` parameter, so the returned array contains empty strings where spaces were repeated. ``` print(line.split(separator: " ", omittingEmptySubsequences: false) .map(String.init)) // Prints "["BLANCHE:", "", "", "I", "don\'t", "want", "realism.", "I", "want", "magic!"]" ``` > Complexity: O(*n*), where *n* is the length of the sequence. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)