1. In a computing system, a method for determining a word input by a gesture stroke on a virtual keyboard, the method comprising: receiving data representing the gesture stroke; analyzing, via a processor, the received data to identify a set of dwell points in the gesture stroke; generating a simplified stroke polyline, wherein the simplified stroke polyline comprises vertices corresponding with the set of dwell points; determining an initial-line segment of the simplified stroke polyline, wherein the initial-line segment defines a segment from a landing location of the gesture stroke to a first identified dwell point from the set of dwell points; comparing the simplified stroke polyline with a plurality of predefined polylines each representing a respective word, to determine a closest matching predefined polyline, wherein the comparing comprises (i) adding the initial line-segment to each of the predefined polylines to generate enhanced predefined polylines and (ii) comparing the simplified stroke polyline with the enhanced predefined polylines; and the computing system outputting the word represented by the closest matching predefined polyline.