diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index ea75cc342..d33ab750e 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ exts = [
     Extension("spacy.lang", ["spacy/lang.pyx"], language="c++", include_dirs=includes),
     Extension("spacy.word", ["spacy/word.pyx"], language="c++",
               include_dirs=includes),
+    Extension("spacy.lexeme", ["spacy/lexeme.pyx"], language="c++",
+              include_dirs=includes),
     Extension("spacy.ptb3", ["spacy/ptb3.pyx"], language="c++", include_dirs=includes),
     Extension("spacy.en", ["spacy/en.pyx"], language="c++",
               include_dirs=includes),
diff --git a/spacy/lexeme.pxd b/spacy/lexeme.pxd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..887ed0e59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spacy/lexeme.pxd
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+from .typedefs cimport hash_t, utf8_t, flag_t, id_t
+
+
+cdef struct LexemeC:
+    size_t length
+    double prob
+    size_t cluster
+
+    char* string
+
+    char** views
+
+    flag_t flags
+
+
+cdef LexemeC* lexeme_init(unicode string, double prob, size_t cluster,
+                     list views, set flags)
+cdef int lexeme_free(LexemeC* lexeme) except -1
+
+cdef bint lexeme_check_flag(LexemeC* lexeme, size_t flag_id)
+cdef unicode lexeme_string_view(LexemeC* lexeme, size_t view_id)
diff --git a/spacy/lexeme.pyx b/spacy/lexeme.pyx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4d5d08f52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spacy/lexeme.pyx
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+from libc.stdlib cimport calloc, free
+
+
+cdef LexemeC* lexeme_init(unicode string, double prob, size_t cluster,
+                     list views, set flags):
+    cdef LexemeC* lexeme = <LexemeC*>calloc(1, sizeof(LexemeC))
+    lexeme.cluster = cluster
+    lexeme.prob = prob
+    lexeme.length = len(string)
+    lexeme.string = intern_and_encode(string)
+
+    lexeme.views = <char**>calloc(len(views), sizeof(char*))
+    for i, string in enumerate(views):
+        lexeme.views[i] = intern_and_encode(string)
+
+    for active_flag in flags:
+        lexeme.flags |= (1 << active_flag)
+    return lexeme
+
+
+cdef int lexeme_free(LexemeC* lexeme) except -1:
+    free(lexeme.views)
+    free(lexeme)
+    
+
+cdef set _strings = set()
+cdef char* intern_and_encode(unicode string):
+    global _strings
+    cdef bytes utf8_string = intern(string.encode('utf8'))
+    _strings.add(utf8_string)
+    return <char*>utf8_string
+
+
+cdef bint lexeme_check_flag(LexemeC* lexeme, size_t flag_id):
+    return lexeme.flags & (1 << flag_id)
+
+
+cdef unicode lexeme_string_view(LexemeC* lexeme, size_t view_id):
+    cdef bytes byte_string = lexeme.views[view_id]
+    return byte_string.decode('utf8')