diff --git a/layout/base/SelectionCarets.cpp b/layout/base/SelectionCarets.cpp
index b29b4600cd5f..37434e236d5a 100644
--- a/layout/base/SelectionCarets.cpp
+++ b/layout/base/SelectionCarets.cpp
@@ -577,6 +577,7 @@ SelectionCarets::SelectWord()
   bool selectable;
   ptFrame->IsSelectable(&selectable, nullptr);
   if (!selectable) {
+    SELECTIONCARETS_LOG(" frame %p is not selectable", ptFrame);
     return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
   }
 
@@ -593,6 +594,17 @@ SelectionCarets::SelectWord()
     if (elt) {
       fm->SetFocus(elt, 0);
     }
+
+    if (!nsContentUtils::HasNonEmptyTextContent(
+          editingHost, nsContentUtils::eRecurseIntoChildren)) {
+      SELECTIONCARETS_LOG("Select a editable content %p with empty text",
+                          editingHost);
+      // Long tap on the content with empty text, no action for
+      // selectioncarets but need to dispatch the touchcarettap event
+      // to support the short cut mode
+      DispatchCustomEvent(NS_LITERAL_STRING("touchcarettap"));
+      return NS_OK;
+    }
   } else {
     nsIContent* focusedContent = GetFocusedContent();
     if (focusedContent && focusedContent->GetTextEditorRootContent()) {
@@ -1038,6 +1050,21 @@ SelectionCarets::GetSelectionBoundingRect(Selection* aSel)
   return res;
 }
 
+void
+SelectionCarets::DispatchCustomEvent(const nsAString& aEvent)
+{
+  SELECTIONCARETS_LOG("dispatch %s event", NS_ConvertUTF16toUTF8(aEvent).get());
+  bool defaultActionEnabled = true;
+  nsIDocument* doc = mPresShell->GetDocument();
+  MOZ_ASSERT(doc);
+  nsContentUtils::DispatchTrustedEvent(doc,
+                                       ToSupports(doc),
+                                       aEvent,
+                                       true,
+                                       false,
+                                       &defaultActionEnabled);
+}
+
 void
 SelectionCarets::DispatchSelectionStateChangedEvent(Selection* aSelection,
                                                     SelectionState aState)
diff --git a/layout/base/SelectionCarets.h b/layout/base/SelectionCarets.h
index 36a984c7d5e8..be06daa3273f 100644
--- a/layout/base/SelectionCarets.h
+++ b/layout/base/SelectionCarets.h
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ private:
                                           dom::SelectionState aState);
   void DispatchSelectionStateChangedEvent(dom::Selection* aSelection,
                                           const dom::Sequence<dom::SelectionState>& aStates);
+  void DispatchCustomEvent(const nsAString& aEvent);
   nsRect GetSelectionBoundingRect(dom::Selection* aSel);
 
   /**