diff --git a/manimlib/utils/tex.py b/manimlib/utils/tex.py
index 719d228a..7c2d7ecc 100644
--- a/manimlib/utils/tex.py
+++ b/manimlib/utils/tex.py
@@ -1,40 +1,38 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import re
+from functools import lru_cache
 
 from manimlib.utils.tex_to_symbol_count import TEX_TO_SYMBOL_COUNT
 
 
+@lru_cache
 def num_tex_symbols(tex: str) -> int:
+    tex = remove_tex_environments(tex)
+    commands_pattern = r"""
+        (?P<sqrt>\\sqrt\[[0-9]+\])|    # Special sqrt with number
+        (?P<cmd>\\[a-zA-Z!,-/:;<>]+)   # Regular commands
     """
-    This function attempts to estimate the number of symbols that
-    a given string of tex would produce.
-
-    Warning, it may not behave perfectly
-    """
-    # First, remove patterns like \begin{align}, \phantom{thing},
-    # \begin{array}{cc}, etc.
-    pattern = "|".join(
-        rf"(\\{s})" + r"(\{\w+\})?(\{\w+\})?(\[\w+\])?"
-        for s in ["begin", "end", "phantom"]
-    )
-    tex = re.sub(pattern, "", tex)
-
-    # Progressively count the symbols associated with certain tex commands,
-    # and remove those commands from the string, adding the number of symbols
-    # that command creates
     total = 0
+    pos = 0
+    for match in re.finditer(commands_pattern, tex, re.VERBOSE):
+        # Count normal characters up to this command
+        total += sum(1 for c in tex[pos:match.start()] if c not in "^{} \n\t_$\\&")
 
-    # Start with the special case \sqrt[number]
-    for substr in re.findall(r"\\sqrt\[[0-9]+\]", tex):
-        total += len(substr) - 5  # e.g. \sqrt[3] is 3 symbols
-        tex = tex.replace(substr, " ")
-
-    general_command = r"\\[a-zA-Z!,-/:;<>]+"
-    for substr in re.findall(general_command, tex):
-        total += TEX_TO_SYMBOL_COUNT.get(substr, 1)
-        tex = tex.replace(substr, " ")
+        if match.group("sqrt"):
+            total += len(match.group()) - 5
+        else:
+            total += TEX_TO_SYMBOL_COUNT.get(match.group(), 1)
+        pos = match.end()
 
     # Count remaining characters
-    total += sum(map(lambda c: c not in "^{} \n\t_$\\&", tex))
+    total += sum(1 for c in tex[pos:] if c not in "^{} \n\t_$\\&")
     return total
+
+
+def remove_tex_environments(tex: str) -> str:
+    # Handle \phantom{...} with any content
+    tex = re.sub(r"\\phantom\{[^}]*\}", "", tex)
+    # Handle other environment commands
+    tex = re.sub(r"\\(begin|end)(\{\w+\})?(\{\w+\})?(\[\w+\])?", "", tex)
+    return tex