diff --git a/lib/base.c b/lib/base.c
index f822684..7582ede 100644
--- a/lib/base.c
+++ b/lib/base.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 union hword_pun
 {
-  hword h;
+  hword_t h;
   byte_t bytes[HWORD_SIZE];
 };
 
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ union word_pun
   byte_t bytes[WORD_SIZE];
 };
 
-hword hword_htobc(hword w)
+hword_t hword_htobc(hword_t w)
 {
 #if __LITTLE_ENDIAN__
   return w;
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ hword hword_htobc(hword w)
 #endif
 }
 
-hword hword_bctoh(hword w)
+hword_t hword_bctoh(hword_t w)
 {
 #if __LITTLE_ENDIAN__
   return w;
@@ -78,17 +78,17 @@ word word_bctoh(word w)
 #endif
 }
 
-hword convert_bytes_to_hword(byte_t *bytes)
+hword_t convert_bytes_to_hword(byte_t *bytes)
 {
-  hword be_h = 0;
+  hword_t be_h = 0;
   memcpy(&be_h, bytes, HWORD_SIZE);
-  hword h = hword_bctoh(be_h);
+  hword_t h = hword_bctoh(be_h);
   return h;
 }
 
-void convert_hword_to_bytes(hword w, byte_t *bytes)
+void convert_hword_to_bytes(hword_t w, byte_t *bytes)
 {
-  hword be_h = hword_htobc(w);
+  hword_t be_h = hword_htobc(w);
   memcpy(bytes, &be_h, HWORD_SIZE);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/base.h b/lib/base.h
index d94cd35..18a8098 100644
--- a/lib/base.h
+++ b/lib/base.h
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@ typedef float f32;
 typedef double f64;
 
 typedef u8 byte_t;
-typedef i8 s_byte;
-typedef u32 hword;
+typedef i8 char8_t;
+typedef u32 hword_t;
 typedef i32 s_hword;
 typedef u64 word;
 typedef i64 s_word;
 
 /* Macros for the sizes of common base data types. */
-#define HWORD_SIZE  sizeof(hword)
+#define HWORD_SIZE  sizeof(hword_t)
 #define SHWORD_SIZE sizeof(s_hword)
 #define WORD_SIZE   sizeof(word)
 #define SWORD_SIZE  sizeof(s_word)
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ typedef i64 s_word;
 typedef union
 {
   byte_t as_byte;
-  s_byte as_char;
-  hword as_hword;
+  char8_t as_char;
+  hword_t as_hword;
   s_hword as_int;
   word as_word;
   s_word as_long;
@@ -105,14 +105,14 @@ typedef enum
  * format (big endian) and that they are at least HWORD_SIZE in
  * size.
  */
-hword convert_bytes_to_hword(byte_t *buffer);
+hword_t convert_bytes_to_hword(byte_t *buffer);
 
 /** Convert a half word into a VM byte code format bytes (big endian)
  * @param h: Half word to convert
  * @param buffer: Buffer to store into.  We assume the buffer has at
  * least HWORD_SIZE space.
  */
-void convert_hword_to_bytes(hword h, byte_t *buffer);
+void convert_hword_to_bytes(hword_t h, byte_t *buffer);
 
 /** Convert a buffer of bytes to a word
  * We assume the buffer of bytes are in virtual machine byte code
@@ -130,12 +130,12 @@ void convert_word_to_bytes(word w, byte_t *buffer);
 
 /** Convert a half word into bytecode format (little endian)
  */
-hword hword_htobc(hword);
+hword_t hword_htobc(hword_t);
 
 /** Convert a half word in bytecode format (little endian) to host
  * format
  */
-hword hword_bctoh(hword);
+hword_t hword_bctoh(hword_t);
 
 /** Convert a word into bytecode format (little endian)
  */
diff --git a/lib/inst.c b/lib/inst.c
index 669dfd6..a9d39a5 100644
--- a/lib/inst.c
+++ b/lib/inst.c
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ data_t read_type_from_darr(darr_t *darr, data_type_t type)
     if (darr->used + HWORD_SIZE > darr->available)
       // TODO: Error (darr has no space left)
       return DWORD(0);
-    hword u = convert_bytes_to_hword(darr->data + darr->used);
+    hword_t u = convert_bytes_to_hword(darr->data + darr->used);
     darr->used += HWORD_SIZE;
     return DHWORD(u);
     break;
diff --git a/vm/runtime.c b/vm/runtime.c
index ad008c9..e3f7038 100644
--- a/vm/runtime.c
+++ b/vm/runtime.c
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ err_t vm_push_hword_register(vm_t *vm, word reg)
   if (reg > (vm->registers.used / HWORD_SIZE))
     return ERR_INVALID_REGISTER_HWORD;
   // Interpret the bytes at point reg * HWORD_SIZE as an hword
-  hword hw = *(hword *)(vm->registers.data + (reg * HWORD_SIZE));
+  hword_t hw = *(hword_t *)(vm->registers.data + (reg * HWORD_SIZE));
   return vm_push_hword(vm, DHWORD(hw));
 }
 
@@ -435,8 +435,8 @@ err_t vm_mov_hword(vm_t *vm, word reg)
   if (err)
     return err;
   // Here we treat vm->registers as a set of hwords
-  hword *hword_ptr = (hword *)(vm->registers.data + (reg * HWORD_SIZE));
-  *hword_ptr       = ret.as_hword;
+  hword_t *hword_ptr = (hword_t *)(vm->registers.data + (reg * HWORD_SIZE));
+  *hword_ptr         = ret.as_hword;
   return ERR_OK;
 }
 
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ err_t vm_mset_hword(vm_t *vm, word nth)
   page_t *page = (page_t *)ptr.as_word;
   if (nth >= (page->available / HWORD_SIZE))
     return ERR_OUT_OF_BOUNDS;
-  ((hword *)page->data)[nth] = byte.as_hword;
+  ((hword_t *)page->data)[nth] = byte.as_hword;
 
   return ERR_OK;
 }
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ err_t vm_mget_hword(vm_t *vm, word n)
   page_t *page = (page_t *)ptr.as_word;
   if (n >= (page->available / HWORD_SIZE))
     return ERR_OUT_OF_BOUNDS;
-  return vm_push_hword(vm, DHWORD(((hword *)page->data)[n]));
+  return vm_push_hword(vm, DHWORD(((hword_t *)page->data)[n]));
 }
 
 err_t vm_mget_word(vm_t *vm, word n)