Spizhen

for ($i = $start ; $i <= $amount && $currentCount < $step; $i++) {
        $str = trim($viewFile[$i]); //обрезаем пробелы
        $haystack = strlen($str);   //считаем количество символов в слове

        if ($middleChars != "" ){
            if ($str != "" && strcasecmp(substr($str, 0, $startingChars), $starting) == 0 && strcasecmp(mb_substr($str, $haystack - $endingChars), $ending) == 0 && stripos($str, $middle) )
            {
                $currentCount++;
                echo '<span class="badge">' . ($currentCount+$curr) . '</span> ';
                echo $viewFile[$i];
                echo '<br>';
            }
        }
        else
        {
           if ($str != "" && strcasecmp(substr($str, 0, $startingChars), $starting) == 0 && strcasecmp(mb_substr($str, $haystack - $endingChars), $ending) == 0 )
            {
                $currentCount++;
                echo '<span class="badge">' . ($currentCount+$curr) . '</span> ';
                echo $viewFile[$i];
                echo '<br>';
            } 
        }
    }