diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/polish/spell.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/polish/spell.py
index 47c20f9e38..c460bf8bc9 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/polish/spell.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/polish/spell.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ __copyright__ = '2014, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
 import sys
 from collections import defaultdict
 
-from calibre.spell.break_iterator import has_break_iterator, split_into_words
+from calibre.spell.break_iterator import split_into_words
 from calibre.spell.dictionary import parse_lang_code
 from calibre.ebooks.oeb.base import barename
 from calibre.ebooks.oeb.polish.container import OPF_NAMESPACES, get_container
@@ -56,17 +56,12 @@ def filter_words(word):
         return False
     return True
 
-if has_break_iterator:
-    def get_words(text, lang):
-        try:
-            ans = split_into_words(unicode(text), lang)
-        except (TypeError, ValueError):
-            return ()
-        return filter(filter_words, ans)
-else:
-    def get_words(text, lang):
-        p = patterns()
-        return filter(filter_words, p.split_pat.split(text))
+def get_words(text, lang):
+    try:
+        ans = split_into_words(unicode(text), lang)
+    except (TypeError, ValueError):
+        return ()
+    return filter(filter_words, ans)
 
 def add_words(text, sourceline, words, file_name, locale):
     candidates = get_words(text, locale.langcode)
diff --git a/src/calibre/spell/break_iterator.py b/src/calibre/spell/break_iterator.py
index 5cca65630e..16f4da4110 100644
--- a/src/calibre/spell/break_iterator.py
+++ b/src/calibre/spell/break_iterator.py
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ from calibre.utils.localization import lang_as_iso639_1
 _iterators = {}
 _lock = Lock()
 
-has_break_iterator = hasattr(_icu, 'BreakIterator')
-
 def split_into_words(text, lang='en'):
     with _lock:
         it = _iterators.get(lang, None)