diff --git a/src/custom_setup.tscn b/src/custom_setup.tscn
index ea41b94..9299cc3 100644
--- a/src/custom_setup.tscn
+++ b/src/custom_setup.tscn
@@ -136,14 +136,14 @@ layout_mode = 2
 
 [node name="WordLabel" type="Label" parent="C/V/Help/Options"]
 layout_mode = 2
-text = "A five letter word, e.g. \"APPLE\""
+text = "A 3-8 letter word, e.g. \"APPLE\""
 label_settings = SubResource("LabelSettings_6at68")
 horizontal_alignment = 1
 
 [node name="CodeLabel" type="Label" parent="C/V/Help/Options"]
 layout_mode = 2
-text = "An encoded word beginning with \"5$\",
-e.g. \"5$BTEo\""
+text = "An encoded word beginning with \"$\",
+e.g. \"$bco92\""
 label_settings = SubResource("LabelSettings_6at68")
 horizontal_alignment = 1
 
diff --git a/src/global.gd b/src/global.gd
index c4e1f36..6efe1e2 100644
--- a/src/global.gd
+++ b/src/global.gd
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ enum GameMode {
 	CUSTOM,
 }
 
-const MIN_LENGTH := 5
-const MAX_LENGTH := 5
+const MIN_WORD_LENGTH := 3
+const MAX_WORD_LENGTH := 8
 const GENERABLE_WORDS_FILENAME = "res://words/popular-filtered.txt"
 const ALL_WORDS_FILENAME := "res://words/enable1.txt"
 
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ var allow_future := false
 
 func _ready() -> void:
 	randomize()
-	generable_words = parse_words(GENERABLE_WORDS_FILENAME, MIN_LENGTH, MAX_LENGTH)
-	all_words = parse_words(ALL_WORDS_FILENAME, MIN_LENGTH, MAX_LENGTH)
+	generable_words = parse_words(GENERABLE_WORDS_FILENAME, MIN_WORD_LENGTH, MAX_WORD_LENGTH)
+	all_words = parse_words(ALL_WORDS_FILENAME, MIN_WORD_LENGTH, MAX_WORD_LENGTH)
 
 	detect_params()
 
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func generate_word(length: int, random_seed = null) -> String:
 
 func is_valid_word(word: String) -> bool:
 	var length := word.length()
-	if length < MIN_LENGTH or length > MAX_LENGTH:
+	if length < MIN_WORD_LENGTH or length > MAX_WORD_LENGTH:
 		return false
 
 	var words_list := all_words[length] as Array
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ func detect_params() -> void:
 
 ## Checks if the given string is:
 ##
-## * A normal five letter word, or
 ## * A valid encoded word, or
+## * A normal alphabetical word, or
 ## * A valid date in YYYY-MM-DD encoding
 ##     * Will only allow this date to be in the present or past, unless `allow_future` is set to true
 ##
@@ -128,11 +128,18 @@ func parse_custom(value: String) -> bool:
 	custom_word = ""
 	custom_date_str = ""
 
-	if value.length() == 5:
+	var decoded := decode_word(value)
+	var decoded_len := decoded.length()
+	if decoded_len >= MIN_WORD_LENGTH and decoded_len <= MAX_WORD_LENGTH:
+		custom_word = decoded
+		return true
+
+	var value_len := value.length()
+	if value_len >= MIN_WORD_LENGTH and value_len <= MAX_WORD_LENGTH:
 		# ...is there an is_alpha function that I missed?
 		var word := value.to_upper()
 		var valid := true
-		for i in range(5):
+		for i in range(value_len):
 			var code := word.unicode_at(i)
 			if code < 65 or code > 90: # 65 = ascii "A", 90 = ascii "Z"
 				valid = false
@@ -141,11 +148,6 @@ func parse_custom(value: String) -> bool:
 			custom_word = word
 			return true
 
-	var decoded := decode_word(value)
-	if not decoded.is_empty() and decoded.length() == 5:
-		custom_word = decoded
-		return true
-
 	if date_regex.search(value):
 		var parsed_date := Time.get_datetime_dict_from_datetime_string(value, false)
 		parsed_date["hour"] = 0
@@ -187,49 +189,49 @@ func encode_word(word: String) -> String:
 	word = word.to_upper()
 
 	# Encode word in base 26
-	var num := 0
+	var num := 1 # Start with a single 1 bit
 	for i in range(word.length()):
-		var letter_ind := word[i].unicode_at(0) - 65 # 65 = ascii "A"
+		num *= 26
+		var letter_ind := word.unicode_at(i) - 65 # 65 = ascii "A"
 		if letter_ind < 0 or letter_ind >= 26:
 			return ""
-		num += letter_ind * (26 ** i)
-	# Add an offset so that "aaaaa" isn't just zeroes
-	num += 123456
+		num += letter_ind
 
-	return str(word.length()) + ENCODING_INDICATOR + large_encode(num)
+	# Bit count for redundancy
+	var count := popcnt(num)
+	num = (num << 6) + count
+
+	return ENCODING_INDICATOR + large_encode(num)
 
 
 ## Decodes an encoded word. Returns an empty string if invalid
 func decode_word(encoded_word: String) -> String:
-	var index := encoded_word.find(ENCODING_INDICATOR)
-	if index < 1:
-		return ""
-	var len_str := encoded_word.substr(0, index)
-	if not len_str.is_valid_int():
-		return ""
-	var word_len := len_str.to_int()
-	if word_len < 1:
+	if not encoded_word.begins_with(ENCODING_INDICATOR):
 		return ""
 
-	var large_base_str := encoded_word.substr(index + 1)
-	var num := large_decode(large_base_str)
-	if num < 0:
+	var large_base_str := encoded_word.substr(1)
+	var full_num := large_decode(large_base_str)
+
+	# Check the bit count
+	var count := full_num & 0x3F # 6 bits
+	var num := full_num >> 6
+	if popcnt(num) != count:
 		return ""
 
-	num -= 123456
-
-	if num < 0 or num >= (26 ** word_len): # (26 ** 5) - 1 = "ZZZZZ"
-		# Someone is trying to be sneaky! Or more likely I just messed up.
+	if num <= 0:
 		return ""
 
 	# Decode base 26 word
 	var word := ""
-	for i in range(word_len):
+	while num > 1:
 		var letter_ind := num % 26
-		word += char(letter_ind + 65) # 65 = ascii "A"
+		word = char(letter_ind + 65) + word # 65 = ascii "A"
 		@warning_ignore("integer_division")
 		num = num / 26
 
+	if num != 1:
+		return ""
+
 	return word
 
 
diff --git a/src/main.gd b/src/main.gd
index 734644d..5bbe214 100644
--- a/src/main.gd
+++ b/src/main.gd
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 extends Control
 
 
-const letter_count := 5
 const guess_count := 6
 
 const Letter := preload("res://src/letter.tscn")
@@ -13,6 +12,7 @@ const Letter := preload("res://src/letter.tscn")
 # An array of arrays of the letter nodes
 var letters := []
 var keyboard_buttons := {}
+var letter_count := 5
 
 var target_word: String
 var current_guess: int
@@ -37,16 +37,6 @@ var input_guess: String
 
 
 func _ready() -> void:
-	letter_grid.columns = letter_count
-	for _i in range(guess_count):
-		var letter_array := []
-		for _j in range(letter_count):
-			var letter := Letter.instantiate()
-			letter_array.append(letter)
-			letter_grid.add_child(letter)
-		letters.append(letter_array)
-
-
 	if Global.game_mode != Global.GameMode.CUSTOM:
 		Global.custom_word = ""
 		Global.custom_date_str = ""
@@ -75,6 +65,16 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 		if Global.game_mode != Global.GameMode.DAILY:
 			subtitle.text = Global.encode_word(target_word)
 
+	letter_count = target_word.length()
+	letter_grid.columns = letter_count
+	for _i in range(guess_count):
+		var letter_array := []
+		for _j in range(letter_count):
+			var letter := Letter.instantiate()
+			letter_array.append(letter)
+			letter_grid.add_child(letter)
+		letters.append(letter_array)
+
 	current_guess = 0
 	ended = false
 	won = false
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ func guess_entered() -> void:
 		return
 	input_guess = input_guess.to_upper()
 	if input_guess.length() != letter_count:
-		show_error("Word must be five characters.")
+		show_error("Word must be %d characters." % [letter_count])
 		return
 	if not Global.is_valid_word(input_guess) and input_guess != target_word:
 		show_error("Not a recognized word.")