A nice plain tex macro for tryin control sequences in math mode.

trymathwords.tex

\magnification=1200
\def\endmathwords{$$}
\def\trymathwords#1{%
    $$
    \begingroup
    \edef\@tempa{#1\space}%
    \expandafter\endgroup
    \expandafter\readwords\@tempa\relax
}
\def\readwords#1 #2\relax{%
      \doword{#1}%  #1 = substr, #2 = rest of string
      \begingroup
      \ifx\relax#2\relax  % is #2 empty?
         \def\next{\endgroup\endmathwords}% your own end-macro if required
      \else
         \def\next{\endgroup\readwords#2\relax}%
      \fi
      \next
}
\def\doword#1{\csname#1\endcsname\quad}

\trymathwords{
    alpha beta gamma
    delta epsilon varepsilon 
    zeta eta theta 
    vartheta pi rho
    varrho sigma varsigma
    tau upsilon phi
    varphi chi psi
    omega
}
\trymathwords{
    aleph prime
    hbar emptyset
    forall exists
    imath jmath
    nabla neg
    surd
    ell wp
    top bot
}
\trymathwords{
    flat natural sharp
    Re Im partial infty
    | angle triangle backslash 
    clubsuit diamondsuit heartsuit spadesuit
}
\bye