diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c b/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c
index 14776904..1f835dbc 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c
@@ -2084,6 +2084,7 @@ int TranslateRules(Translator *tr, char *p_start, char *phonemes, int ph_size, c
 	int ix;
 	unsigned int digit_count = 0;
 	char *p;
+	char word_buf[5];
 	const ALPHABET *alphabet;
 	int dict_flags0 = 0;
 	MatchRecord match1 = { 0 };
@@ -2240,12 +2241,12 @@ int TranslateRules(Translator *tr, char *p_start, char *phonemes, int ph_size, c
 
 						if (((alphabet = AlphabetFromChar(letter)) != NULL)  && (alphabet->offset != tr->letter_bits_offset)) {
 							if (tr->langopts.alt_alphabet == alphabet->offset) {
-								sprintf(phonemes, "%c%s", phonSWITCH, WordToString2(tr->langopts.alt_alphabet_lang));
+								sprintf(phonemes, "%c%s", phonSWITCH, WordToString2(word_buf, tr->langopts.alt_alphabet_lang));
 								return 0;
 							}
 							if (alphabet->flags & AL_WORDS) {
 								// switch to the nominated language for this alphabet
-								sprintf(phonemes, "%c%s", phonSWITCH, WordToString2(alphabet->language));
+								sprintf(phonemes, "%c%s", phonSWITCH, WordToString2(word_buf, alphabet->language));
 								return 0;
 							}
 						}
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/readclause.c b/src/libespeak-ng/readclause.c
index 9b98b618..d287e028 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/readclause.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/readclause.c
@@ -167,15 +167,12 @@ static void UngetC(int c)
 	ungot_char = c;
 }
 
-const char *WordToString2(unsigned int word)
+const char *WordToString2(char buf[5], unsigned int word)
 {
 	// Convert a language mnemonic word into a string
 	int ix;
-	static char buf[5];
 	char *p;
 
-	MAKE_MEM_UNDEFINED(&buf, sizeof(buf));
-
 	p = buf;
 	for (ix = 3; ix >= 0; ix--) {
 		if ((*p = word >> (ix*8)) != 0)
@@ -199,7 +196,7 @@ static const char *LookupSpecial(Translator *tr, const char *string, char *text_
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static const char *LookupCharName(Translator *tr, int c, bool only)
+static const char *LookupCharName(char buf[60], Translator *tr, int c, bool only)
 {
 	// Find the phoneme string (in ascii) to speak the name of character c
 	// Used for punctuation characters and symbols
@@ -210,9 +207,6 @@ static const char *LookupCharName(Translator *tr, int c, bool only)
 	char phonemes[60];
 	const char *lang_name = NULL;
 	char *string;
-	static char buf[60];
-
-	MAKE_MEM_UNDEFINED(&buf, sizeof(buf));
 
 	buf[0] = 0;
 	flags[0] = 0;
@@ -284,6 +278,7 @@ static int AnnouncePunctuation(Translator *tr, int c1, int *c2_ptr, char *output
 	int bufix1;
 	char buf[200];
 	char ph_buf[30];
+	char cn_buf[60];
 
 	c2 = *c2_ptr;
 	buf[0] = 0;
@@ -298,7 +293,7 @@ static int AnnouncePunctuation(Translator *tr, int c1, int *c2_ptr, char *output
 				punctname = ph_buf; // use word for 'period' instead of 'dot'
 		}
 		if (punctname == NULL)
-			punctname = LookupCharName(tr, c1, false);
+			punctname = LookupCharName(cn_buf, tr, c1, false);
 
 		if (punctname == NULL)
 			return -1;
@@ -833,7 +828,8 @@ int ReadClause(Translator *tr, char *buf, short *charix, int *charix_top, int n_
 				char *p2;
 
 				p2 = &buf[ix];
-				sprintf(p2, "%s", LookupCharName(tr, c1, true));
+				char cn_buf[60];
+				sprintf(p2, "%s", LookupCharName(cn_buf, tr, c1, true));
 				if (p2[0] != 0) {
 					ix += strlen(p2);
 					announced_punctuation = c1;
@@ -1020,6 +1016,7 @@ static void DecodeWithPhonemeMode(char *buf, char *phonemes, Translator *tr, Tra
 	} else {
 		SetWordStress(tr2, phonemes, flags, -1, 0);
 	    DecodePhonemes(phonemes, phonemes2);
-	    sprintf(buf, "[\002_^_%s %s _^_%s]]", ESPEAKNG_DEFAULT_VOICE, phonemes2, WordToString2(tr->translator_name));
+			char wbuf[5];
+	    sprintf(buf, "[\002_^_%s %s _^_%s]]", ESPEAKNG_DEFAULT_VOICE, phonemes2, WordToString2(wbuf, tr->translator_name));
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/readclause.h b/src/libespeak-ng/readclause.h
index e55235ea..cd5cd4b0 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/readclause.h
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/readclause.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ extern PARAM_STACK param_stack[];
 
 int clause_type_from_codepoint(uint32_t c);
 int Eof(void);
-const char *WordToString2(unsigned int word);
+const char *WordToString2(char buf[5], unsigned int word);
 int AddNameData(const char *name,
                 int wide);
 int ReadClause(Translator *tr,
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/translateword.c b/src/libespeak-ng/translateword.c
index 303c2183..9382bca4 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/translateword.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/translateword.c
@@ -918,7 +918,8 @@ static int TranslateLetter(Translator *tr, char *word, char *phonemes, int contr
 			char hangul_buf[12];
 
 			// speak in the language for this alphabet (or English)
-			ph_buf[2] = SetTranslator3(WordToString2(language));
+			char word_buf[5];
+			ph_buf[2] = SetTranslator3(WordToString2(word_buf, language));
 
 			if (translator3 != NULL) {
 				int code;
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c b/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c
index c71b4bb6..b6cf88bb 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c
@@ -1072,9 +1072,7 @@ char const *SelectVoice(espeak_VOICE *voice_select, int *found)
 
 	if ((voice_select2.languages == NULL) || (voice_select2.languages[0] == 0)) {
 		// no language is specified. Get language from the named voice
-		static char buf[60];
-
-		MAKE_MEM_UNDEFINED(&buf, sizeof(buf));
+		char buf[60];
 
 		if (voice_select2.name == NULL) {
 			if ((voice_select2.name = voice_select2.identifier) == NULL)