diff --git a/data/json/items/book/barter.json b/data/json/items/book/barter.json
index 65879e04c9091..31b70458fe9bf 100644
--- a/data/json/items/book/barter.json
+++ b/data/json/items/book/barter.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   {
     "id": "mag_barter",
     "type": "BOOK",
-    "name": { "str": "car buyer's guide" },
+    "name": { "str": "Car Buyer's Guide", "str_pl": "copies of Car Buyer's Guide" },
     "description": "Normally this glossy, ad-filled magazine about cars would be pointless, but it has a series of articles on haggling techniques.",
     "weight": "90 g",
     "volume": "250 ml",
diff --git a/data/json/monsters/zed_explosive.json b/data/json/monsters/zed_explosive.json
index ece13e07da1c1..212af98351073 100644
--- a/data/json/monsters/zed_explosive.json
+++ b/data/json/monsters/zed_explosive.json
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
     "harvest": "exempt",
     "special_attacks": [ [ "BOOMER", 20 ], [ "scratch", 20 ] ],
     "death_drops": "default_zombie_items",
-    "death_function": { "effect": { "id": "death_boomer", "hit_self": true }, "message": "A %s explode!", "corpse_type": "NO_CORPSE" },
+    "death_function": { "effect": { "id": "death_boomer", "hit_self": true }, "message": "A %s explodes!", "corpse_type": "NO_CORPSE" },
     "upgrades": { "half_life": 14, "into_group": "GROUP_ZOMBIE_BOOMER_UPGRADE" },
     "fungalize_into": "mon_boomer_fungus",
     "flags": [
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
     "death_drops": "default_zombie_items",
     "death_function": {
       "effect": { "id": "death_boomer_glow", "hit_self": true, "min_level": 1 },
-      "message": "A %s explode!",
+      "message": "A %s explodes!",
       "corpse_type": "NO_CORPSE"
     },
     "flags": [
diff --git a/object_creator/spell_window.cpp b/object_creator/spell_window.cpp
index e6edbc5409a77..f54fe6a6a3f79 100644
--- a/object_creator/spell_window.cpp
+++ b/object_creator/spell_window.cpp
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ static spell_type default_spell_type()
 {
     spell_type ret;
     ret.sound_type = sounds::sound_t::combat;
-    ret.sound_description = to_translation( "an explosion" );
+    ret.sound_description = to_translation( "an explosion." );
     ret.sound_variant = "default";
     ret.message = to_translation( "You cast %s!" );
     ret.skill = skill_id( "spellcraft" );
diff --git a/src/magic.cpp b/src/magic.cpp
index 848406fa93c9f..048e354f994f8 100644
--- a/src/magic.cpp
+++ b/src/magic.cpp
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ const skill_id spell_type::skill_default = skill_id( "spellcraft" );
 // empty string
 const requirement_id spell_type::spell_components_default;
 const translation spell_type::message_default = to_translation( "You cast %s!" );
-const translation spell_type::sound_description_default = to_translation( "an explosion" );
+const translation spell_type::sound_description_default = to_translation( "an explosion." );
 const sounds::sound_t spell_type::sound_type_default = sounds::sound_t::combat;
 const bool spell_type::sound_ambient_default = false;
 // empty string