diff --git a/plover/formatting.py b/plover/formatting.py
index 84b3453fb..c75dd5154 100644
--- a/plover/formatting.py
+++ b/plover/formatting.py
@@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ def _translation_to_actions(translation, ctx):
 
     translation -- A string with the translation to render.
 
-    last_action -- The action in whose context this translation is formatted.
+    ctx -- The context in which this translation is formatted.
 
     Returns: A list of actions.
 
@@ -765,7 +765,7 @@ def _raw_to_actions(stroke, ctx):
 
     stroke -- A string representation of the stroke.
 
-    last_action -- The context in which the new actions are created
+    ctx -- The context in which the new actions are created.
 
     Returns: A list of actions.
 
@@ -804,7 +804,7 @@ def _atom_to_action(atom, ctx):
     either entirely a single meta command or entirely text containing no meta
     commands.
 
-    last_action -- The context in which the new action takes place.
+    ctx -- The context in which the new action takes place.
 
     Returns: An action for the atom.
 
diff --git a/plover/machine/base.py b/plover/machine/base.py
index 4f52445ae..a05ae1def 100644
--- a/plover/machine/base.py
+++ b/plover/machine/base.py
@@ -194,8 +194,8 @@ class SerialStenotypeBase(ThreadedStenotypeBase):
     def __init__(self, serial_params):
         """Monitor the stenotype over a serial port.
 
-        Keyword arguments are the same as the keyword arguments for a
-        serial.Serial object.
+        The key-value pairs in the <serial_params> dict are the same
+        as the keyword arguments for a serial.Serial object.
 
         """
         ThreadedStenotypeBase.__init__(self)
diff --git a/plover/translation.py b/plover/translation.py
index 3643939e1..2cec6ec3f 100644
--- a/plover/translation.py
+++ b/plover/translation.py
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ def set_state(self, state):
         self._state = state
 
     def clear_state(self):
-        """Reset the sate of the translator."""
+        """Reset the state of the translator."""
         self._state = _State()
 
     def translate_stroke(self, stroke):