  Fuzzy automata, whose input alphabet is a set of numbers or symbols, are a
formal model of computing with values. Motivated by Zadeh's paradigm of
computing with words rather than numbers, Ying proposed a kind of fuzzy
automata, whose input alphabet consists of all fuzzy subsets of a set of
symbols, as a formal model of computing with all words. In this paper, we
introduce a somewhat general formal model of computing with (some special)
words. The new features of the model are that the input alphabet only comprises
some (not necessarily all) fuzzy subsets of a set of symbols and the fuzzy
transition function can be specified arbitrarily. By employing the methodology
of fuzzy control, we establish a retraction principle from computing with words
to computing with values for handling crisp inputs and a generalized extension
principle from computing with words to computing with all words for handling
fuzzy inputs. These principles show that computing with values and computing
with all words can be respectively implemented by computing with words. Some
algebraic properties of retractions and generalized extensions are addressed as
well.
