diff --git a/dictsource/lv_rules b/dictsource/lv_rules
index afece51a..dd2e73a8 100644
--- a/dictsource/lv_rules
+++ b/dictsource/lv_rules
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 .replace
       ó    ȯ                    // replace o-acute with o-dot, as it is more logical for "short o"
-
+      ḩ    h
 // +---------------------------+
 // |     Suffixes of nouns     |
 // +---------------------------+
@@ -156,10 +156,12 @@
 
 .group c
            c               ts
+      L55) c (L55          ts>
            c (C            ts_!
 
 .group č
            č               tS
+      L55) č (L55          tS>
 
 .group d
            d               d
@@ -173,7 +175,7 @@
            ei (+           ei
 
     // narrow e ---------------------------------------------------------------------- //
-           a) e (ro            e     // internationalsms
+           a) e (ro            e     // internationalisms
            e (o                e
                                      // international consonants
            e (JL41+            e
@@ -380,6 +382,7 @@
 
 .group f
            f               f
+      L55) f (L55          f>
 
 .group g
            g               g
@@ -389,6 +392,7 @@
 
 .group h
            h               h
+      L55) h (L55          h>
 
 .group i
            i               i
@@ -410,10 +414,12 @@
 
 .group k
            k               k
+      L55) k (L55          k>
            k (ļ            k}       // tiny pause between k and ļ
 
 .group ķ
            ķ               c
+      L55) ķ (L55          c>
            ķ (L55          c}       // tiny pause for sharper sound before short vowels
 
 .group l
@@ -1459,8 +1465,8 @@ L46L45L45) o (<<           uo
 
 .group p
            p               p
-                                     // pus..number stress on next syllable
-        _) pus (vien       p%us
+      L55) p (L55          p>   
+        _) pus (vien       p%us      // pus..number stress on next syllable
         _) pus (div        p%us
         _) pus (otr        p%us
         _) pus (trij       p%us
@@ -1487,12 +1493,15 @@ L46L45L45) o (<<           uo
            sh              s_!h_!    // probably no need to make distinct in other places
         _) s (L61          s_        // make s distinct at start of the word before unvocied consonants
            s               s
+      L55) s (L55          s>
 
 .group š
            š               S
+      L55) š (L55          S>
 
 .group t
            t               t
+      L55) t (L55          t>
 
 .group u
            ui              ui
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c b/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c
index d3f03d62..cc7f3724 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c
@@ -672,6 +672,7 @@ static int LetterGroupNo(char *rule)
 static int IsLetterGroup(Translator *tr, char *word, int group, int pre)
 {
 	/* Match the word against a list of utf-8 strings.
+	 * returns length of matching letter group or -1
 	 *
 	 * How this works:
 	 *
@@ -705,20 +706,11 @@ static int IsLetterGroup(Translator *tr, char *word, int group, int pre)
 		} else
 			w = word;
 
-		// If no character is allowed in group
-		// at the start (for pre-rule) or end (post-rule)
-		// of the checked letter in the word, return true.
-		if (*p == '~' && *w == ' ') // word end checked because of comment below
-			return 1;
-		/* TODO: Need to investigate why word end mark _ doesn't work properly
-		 * for post rule somewhere in MatchRule() function. or e.g.:
-		 *
-		 * .L01 ~ b c
-		 * .group a
-		 *  _L01) a       i  // this works
-		 *        a (L01_ u  // this doesn't work
-		 */
+		// If '~' (no character) is allowed in group, return 0.
+		if (*p == '~')
+			return 0;
 
+		//  Check current group
 		while ((*p == *w) && (*w != 0)) {
 			w++;
 			p++;
@@ -733,7 +725,8 @@ static int IsLetterGroup(Translator *tr, char *word, int group, int pre)
 		while (*p++ != 0)
 			;
 	}
-	return 0;
+	// Not found
+	return -1;
 }
 
 static int IsLetter(Translator *tr, int letter, int group)
@@ -1767,9 +1760,10 @@ static void MatchRule(Translator *tr, char *word[], char *word_start, int group_
 					break;
 				case RULE_LETTERGP2: // match against a list of utf-8 strings
 					letter_group = LetterGroupNo(rule++);
-					if ((n_bytes = IsLetterGroup(tr, post_ptr-1, letter_group, 0)) > 0) {
+					if ((n_bytes = IsLetterGroup(tr, post_ptr-1, letter_group, 0)) >= 0) {
 						add_points = (20-distance_right);
-						post_ptr += (n_bytes-1);
+						if (n_bytes > 0) // move pointer, if non-zero length group was found
+							post_ptr += (n_bytes-1);
 					} else
 						failed = 1;
 					break;
@@ -1886,19 +1880,18 @@ static void MatchRule(Translator *tr, char *word[], char *word_start, int group_
 				case RULE_SKIPCHARS:
 				{
 					// '(Jxy'  means 'skip characters until xy'
-					char *p = post_ptr + letter_xbytes;
-					char *p2 = p;     // pointer to the previous character in the word
-					int rule_w;       // first wide character of skip rule
+					char *p = post_ptr - 1; // to allow empty jump (without letter between), go one back
+					char *p2 = p;		// pointer to the previous character in the word
+					int rule_w;		// first wide character of skip rule
 					utf8_in(&rule_w, rule);
-					int g_bytes = 0;  // bytes of successfully found character group
-					while ((letter_w != rule_w) && (letter_w != RULE_SPACE) && (letter_w != 0) && (g_bytes == 0)) {
+					int g_bytes = -1;	// bytes of successfully found character group
+					while ((letter_w != rule_w) && (letter_w != RULE_SPACE) && (letter_w != 0) && (g_bytes == -1)) {
+						if (rule_w == RULE_LETTERGP2)
+							g_bytes = IsLetterGroup(tr, p, LetterGroupNo(rule + 1), 0);
 						p2 = p;
 						p += utf8_in(&letter_w, p);
-						if (rule_w == RULE_LETTERGP2)
-							g_bytes = IsLetterGroup(tr, p2, LetterGroupNo(rule + 1), 0);
-
 					}
-					if ((letter_w == rule_w) || (g_bytes > 0))
+					if ((letter_w == rule_w) || (g_bytes >= 0))
 						post_ptr = p2;
 				}
 					break;
@@ -1975,9 +1968,10 @@ static void MatchRule(Translator *tr, char *word[], char *word_start, int group_
 					break;
 				case RULE_LETTERGP2: // match against a list of utf-8 strings
 					letter_group = LetterGroupNo(rule++);
-					if ((n_bytes = IsLetterGroup(tr, pre_ptr, letter_group, 1)) > 0) {
+					if ((n_bytes = IsLetterGroup(tr, pre_ptr, letter_group, 1)) >= 0) {
 						add_points = (20-distance_right);
-						pre_ptr -= (n_bytes-1);
+							if (n_bytes > 0)  // move pointer, if non-zero length group was found
+								pre_ptr -= (n_bytes-1);
 					} else
 						failed = 1;
 					break;
@@ -2091,11 +2085,11 @@ static void MatchRule(Translator *tr, char *word[], char *word_start, int group_
 
 				case RULE_SKIPCHARS: {
 					// 'xyJ)'  means 'skip characters backwards until xy'
-					char *p = pre_ptr;  // pointer to current character in word
-					char *p2 = p;       // pointer to previous character in word
-					int g_bytes = 0;    // bytes of successfully found character group
+					char *p = pre_ptr + 1;	// to allow empty jump (without letter between), go one forward
+					char *p2 = p;		// pointer to previous character in word
+					int g_bytes = -1;	// bytes of successfully found character group
 
-					while ((*p != *rule) && (*p != RULE_SPACE) && (*p != 0) && (g_bytes == 0)) {
+					while ((*p != *rule) && (*p != RULE_SPACE) && (*p != 0) && (g_bytes == -1)) {
 						p2 = p;
 						p--;
 						if (*rule == RULE_LETTERGP2)
@@ -2106,7 +2100,7 @@ static void MatchRule(Translator *tr, char *word[], char *word_start, int group_
 					// 'xy' part is checked as usual in following cycles of PRE rule characters
 					if (*p == *rule)
 						pre_ptr = p2;
-					if (g_bytes > 0)
+					if (g_bytes >= 0)
 						pre_ptr = p2 + 1;
 
 				}