string.IndexOf search for whole word match

You can use Regex

string str = "SUBTOTAL 34.37 TAX TOTAL 37.43";
var indx = Regex.Match(str, @"\WTOTAL\W").Index; // will be 18

My method is faster than the accepted answer because it does not use Regex.

string str = "SUBTOTAL 34.37 TAX TOTAL 37.43";
var indx = str.IndexOfWholeWord("TOTAL");

public static int IndexOfWholeWord(this string str, string word)
{
    for (int j = 0; j < str.Length && 
        (j = str.IndexOf(word, j, StringComparison.Ordinal)) >= 0; j++)
        if ((j == 0 || !char.IsLetterOrDigit(str, j - 1)) && 
            (j + word.Length == str.Length || !char.IsLetterOrDigit(str, j + word.Length)))
            return j;
    return -1;
}