diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 115fc7e..ad2392a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ Hi, read the `README.md` first (starting with [Install](#-install)). This emoji
 | `feat` | | ✨ | introduced a new feature |
 | `test` | | 🧪 | worked on tests |
 | `refactor` | | ♻️ | refactored code, achieved the same with less |
-| `init` | | 🎉 | started a new project! |
-| `initial` | | 🎉 | this is for the default GitHub commit message (untested) |
+| `init` | `initial` | | 🎉 | started a new project! |
 | `perf` | | ⚡ | improved performance, achieve the same faster |
 | `config` | | ⚙️ | changed configuration files |
 | `style` | | 🎨 | design changes, style changes |
@@ -208,31 +207,37 @@ Commit message:
 
 #### Nested emojis
 
-You can also nest emojis to create subtypes. After finding the type, `eemoji` will look for subtypes in the commit message.
+You can also nest emojis to create subtypes.
 
-Either using conventional commit scopes or just including the subtype in the commit message will work.
+After finding the type, `eemoji` will look for subtypes in the commit message.
 
-You can specify multiple emojis by separating them with commas and a **random** one will be chosen.
+This is useful for conventional commit scopes, but you can include the subtype anywhere in the commit message.
+
+Notes:
+
+- the `'.'` is the fallback subtype
+- specify multiple aliases for a type by separating them with pipes: `feat|feature`
+- specify multiple emojis by separating them with commas and a **random** one will be chosen: `💎,💲,💸,💰`
 
 ```ts
 import { defineConfig } from 'eemoji'
 
 export default defineConfig({
   emojis: {
-    fix: {
+    'fix': {
       '.': '🔧',
       'typo': '✏️',
       'bug': '🐛'
     },
-    chore: {
+    'chore': {
       '.': '🗑️',
       'release': '🔖',
       'cleanup': '🧹',
       'license': '📜',
       'deps': '📦'
     },
-    feat: '✨',
-    bounty: '💎,💲,💸,💰'
+    'feat|feature': '✨',
+    'bounty': '💎,💲,💸,💰'
   }
 })
 ```
diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index d69d14e..51cb712 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@ import process from 'node:process'
 import { name } from '../package.json'
 import emojis from './emojis.json'
 
+type EmojiConfig = Partial<typeof emojis> & {
+  [key: string]: string | Record<string, string>
+}
+
 export interface Config {
   format: string
-  emojis: {
-    [key: string]: string | Record<string, string>
-  }
+  emojis: EmojiConfig
 }
 
 export const configTypes = [
@@ -21,10 +23,10 @@ export type JsFiles = typeof ConfigObject.prototype.jsFiles[number]
 export type JsonFiles = typeof ConfigObject.prototype.jsonFiles[number]
 
 export class ConfigObject {
-  defaultConfig: Config = {
+  defaultConfig = {
     format: '{emoji} {type}: {subject}',
     emojis,
-  }
+  } satisfies Config
 
   defaultTsConfig = `import { defineConfig } from 'eemoji'
 
diff --git a/src/emojis.json b/src/emojis.json
index 5e82969..f4f5e27 100644
--- a/src/emojis.json
+++ b/src/emojis.json
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@
   "feat": "✨",
   "test": "🧪",
   "refactor": "♻️",
-  "init": "🎉",
-  "initial": "🎉",
+  "init|initial": "🎉",
   "up": "⬆️",
   "down": "⬇️",
   "perf": "⚡",
diff --git a/src/utils/emoji.ts b/src/utils/emoji.ts
index 7d53c42..43c8628 100644
--- a/src/utils/emoji.ts
+++ b/src/utils/emoji.ts
@@ -21,23 +21,10 @@ export function eemojify(text: string, config: Config, DEBUG?: number): string {
   if (!type || !subject)
     throw new Error('Invalid commit message.')
 
-  let emoji: string | Record<string, string> | undefined
+  let emoji = getEmoji(type, text, config, DEBUG)
 
-  // if there is an exclamatory mark, then it's a breaking change
-  if (text.includes('!') && config.emojis.breaking)
-    emoji = config.emojis.breaking
-  else
-    emoji = config.emojis[type.toLowerCase().replace(/\(.*\)/, '')]
-
-  // if the emoji is an object, then it's a nested emoji
-  if (typeof emoji === 'object') {
-    emoji = getNestedEmoji(text, emoji)
-    if (DEBUG)
-      consola.log(`nested emoji: "${emoji}"`)
-  }
-  else if (DEBUG) {
+  if (DEBUG)
     consola.log(`emoji: "${emoji}"`)
-  }
 
   if (!emoji)
     throw new Error(`Emoji for type "${type}" not found.`)
@@ -51,13 +38,34 @@ export function eemojify(text: string, config: Config, DEBUG?: number): string {
     .replace('{subject}', subject)
 }
 
-function getNestedEmoji(text: string, emoji: Record<string, string>): string | undefined {
-  const entries = Object.entries(emoji).filter(([key]) => key !== '.')
+function getEmoji(type: string, text: string, config: Config, DEBUG?: number): string | undefined {
+  if (text.includes('!') && config.emojis.breaking)
+    return config.emojis.breaking
+
+  const emojiKey = Object.keys(config.emojis).find(key => key.split('|').includes(type.toLowerCase().replace(/\(.*\)/, '').trim()))
 
-  for (const [key, value] of entries) {
-    if (text.includes(key))
-      return value
-  }
+  if (!emojiKey)
+    return undefined
 
-  return emoji['.']
+  const emoji = config.emojis[emojiKey]
+
+  if (typeof emoji === 'object') {
+    if (DEBUG)
+      consola.log(`nested emoji: ${JSON.stringify(emoji)}`)
+
+    const entries = Object.entries(emoji).filter(([key]) => key !== '.')
+
+    for (const [key, value] of entries) {
+      if (key.split('|').some(k => text.toLowerCase().includes(k.toLowerCase())))
+        return value
+    }
+
+    return emoji['.']
+  }
+  else if (typeof emoji === 'string') {
+    return emoji
+  }
+  else {
+    return undefined
+  }
 }