diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/unit/lib/emoji-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/unit/lib/emoji-test.js
index 77ce2d61d1d..8be1a2a50ac 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/unit/lib/emoji-test.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/unit/lib/emoji-test.js
@@ -158,4 +158,11 @@ discourseModule("Unit | Utility | emoji", function () {
 
     assert.deepEqual(matches, ["bowing_man"]);
   });
+
+  test("search does partial-match on emoji aliases", function (assert) {
+    const matches = emojiSearch("instru");
+
+    assert.ok(matches.includes("woman_teacher"));
+    assert.ok(matches.includes("violin"));
+  });
 });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/addon/emoji.js b/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/addon/emoji.js
index 9d79a6ce61b..16d4b31aea2 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/addon/emoji.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/addon/emoji.js
@@ -222,9 +222,11 @@ export function emojiSearch(term, options) {
     }
   }
 
-  if (searchAliases[term]) {
-    for (const emoji of searchAliases[term]) {
-      addResult(emoji);
+  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(searchAliases)) {
+    if (key.startsWith(term)) {
+      for (const emoji of value) {
+        addResult(emoji);
+      }
     }
   }