diff --git a/cast_test.go b/cast_test.go
index d9b0b01..92d3cd2 100644
--- a/cast_test.go
+++ b/cast_test.go
@@ -974,6 +974,10 @@ func TestToStringSliceE(t *testing.T) {
 		{[]string{"a", "b"}, []string{"a", "b"}, false},
 		{[]interface{}{1, 3}, []string{"1", "3"}, false},
 		{interface{}(1), []string{"1"}, false},
+		{"a", []string{"a"}, false},
+		{"a b", []string{"a", "b"}, false},
+		{"a,b", []string{"a", "b"}, false},
+		{"a b,c", []string{"a", "b,c"}, false},
 		// errors
 		{nil, nil, true},
 		{testing.T{}, nil, true},
diff --git a/caste.go b/caste.go
index 4fe1928..c136906 100644
--- a/caste.go
+++ b/caste.go
@@ -1049,7 +1049,14 @@ func ToStringSliceE(i interface{}) ([]string, error) {
 	case []string:
 		return v, nil
 	case string:
-		return strings.Fields(v), nil
+		slice := strings.Fields(v)
+		// if the string can be splited by white space
+		// return slice immediately
+		if len(slice) > 1 {
+			return slice, nil
+		}
+		// otherwise, try to split string by comma
+		return strings.Split(v, ","), nil
 	case interface{}:
 		str, err := ToStringE(v)
 		if err != nil {