diff --git a/boilerplate.c b/boilerplate.c
index d4a9430..63a1564 100644
--- a/boilerplate.c
+++ b/boilerplate.c
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ extern uint32_t rawWC;
 #endif
 
 int compare(const void * a, const void * b) {
-    return ((signature *)a)->sign - ((signature *)b)->sign;
+    return ((signature*)a)->sign - ((signature*)b)->sign;
 }
 
-uint32_t getsig(char * word) {
+uint32_t getsig(char* restrict word) {
     uint32_t result = 0;
     for (uint32_t i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
         uint32_t bit = 1u << (word[i] & CHARMASK);
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ uint32_t getsig(char * word) {
     return result;
 }
 
-uint32_t rmdups(signature * arr, uint32_t nitems) {
+uint32_t rmdups(signature* restrict arr, uint32_t nitems) {
     // list is already sorted
     for (uint32_t i = 0; i < nitems; i++) {
         while (arr[i].sign == arr[i + 1].sign) {
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ signature* makeArray(FILE * f, uint32_t* arrlen) {
     return sigs;
 }
 
-void printDashed(uint32_t n) {
+void printDashed(const uint32_t n) {
     for (uint32_t i = A_BIT; i < Z_BIT; i <<= 1) {
         if (i & n) {
             char c = 'A';
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ void printDashed(uint32_t n) {
     }
 }
 
-void printsigs(signature* sigs, uint32_t nitems, ...) {
+void printsigs(signature* restrict sigs, uint32_t nitems, ...) {
     va_list args;
     va_start(args, nitems);
 
diff --git a/boilerplate.h b/boilerplate.h
index 86a9f32..9a6ef63 100644
--- a/boilerplate.h
+++ b/boilerplate.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ uint32_t rawWC = 0;
     #define CHARMASK ~0b1100000u
     #define A_BIT 0b10u
     #define Z_BIT (A_BIT << 26)
-    #define MAX(a,b) (a > b) ?a :b
+    #define MAX(a,b) ((a > b) ? a : b)
 
     #if PRINT_INTERMEDIATES
         #if FANCYPRINT
@@ -63,12 +63,12 @@ typedef struct signature {
 
 /* <declarations> */
     signature* makeArray(FILE *, uint32_t*);
-    uint32_t getsig(char*);
+    uint32_t getsig(char* restrict);
 
     int compare(const void*, const void*);
-    uint32_t rmdups(signature*, uint32_t);
+    uint32_t rmdups(signature* restrict, const uint32_t);
 
-    void findWords(signature*, uint32_t);
-    void printsigs(signature*, uint32_t, ...);
-    void printDashed(uint32_t);
+    void findWords(signature* restrict, const uint32_t);
+    void printsigs(signature* restrict, const uint32_t, ...);
+    void printDashed(const uint32_t);
 /* </declarations> */
diff --git a/solvedle.c b/solvedle.c
index db2410b..3c3f400 100644
--- a/solvedle.c
+++ b/solvedle.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[]) {
     return 0;
 }
 
-void findWords(signature* sigs, uint32_t len) {
+void findWords(signature* restrict sigs, const uint32_t len) {
     START_TIME("finding starts")
     // for each index, locate the first index of
     // a word that shares no letters with it, and
@@ -94,29 +94,27 @@ void findWords(signature* sigs, uint32_t len) {
     START_TIME("finding words")
     // the big loop.
     for (uint32_t i1 = 0; i1 < endindex; i1++) {
-        uint32_t a = sigs[i1].sign;
+        const uint32_t a = sigs[i1].sign;
 
         for (uint32_t i2 = START(i1); i2 < endindex; i2++) {
-            uint32_t b = sigs[i2].sign;
-            if (a & b) { continue; }
-            uint32_t ab = a | b;
+            do { i2++; } while (a & sigs[i2].sign);
+            const uint32_t ab = a | sigs[i2].sign;
             PRINT2
 
             for (uint32_t i3 = START(i2); i3 < endindex; i3++) {
-                uint32_t c = sigs[i3].sign;
-                if (ab & c) { continue; }
-                uint32_t abc = ab | c;
+                do { i3++; } while (ab & sigs[i3].sign);
+                const uint32_t abc = ab | sigs[i3].sign;
                 PRINT3
 
                 for (uint32_t i4 = START(i3); i4 < endindex; i4++) {
-                    uint32_t d = sigs[i4].sign;
+                    const uint32_t d = sigs[i4].sign;
                     if (abc & d) { continue; }
-                    uint32_t abcd = abc | d;
+                    const uint32_t abcd = abc | d;
                     PRINT4
 
-                    uint32_t i5start = START(i4);
+                    const uint32_t i5start = START(i4);
                     for (uint32_t i5 = MAX(endindex, i5start); i5 < len; i5++) {
-                        uint32_t e = sigs[i5].sign;
+                        const uint32_t e = sigs[i5].sign;
                         if (abcd & e) { continue; }
                         #if FANCYPRINT
                             printsigs(sigs, 5, i1, i2, i3, i4, i5);