diff --git a/aom/aomcx.h b/aom/aomcx.h
index c0b0090..77ec772 100644
--- a/aom/aomcx.h
+++ b/aom/aomcx.h
@@ -225,8 +225,8 @@
   /*!\brief Codec control function to set the sharpness parameter,
    * unsigned int parameter.
    *
-   * This parameter controls the level at which transform coeff RD favours
-   * sharpness in the block.
+   * This parameter controls the level at which rate-distortion optimization of
+   * transform coefficients favours sharpness in the block.
    *
    * Valid range: 0..7. The default is 0. Values 1-7 will avoid eob and skip
    * block optimization and will change rdmult in favour of block sharpness.
diff --git a/av1/arg_defs.c b/av1/arg_defs.c
index 7e34ddf..af51126 100644
--- a/av1/arg_defs.c
+++ b/av1/arg_defs.c
@@ -271,7 +271,8 @@
   .noise_sens = ARG_DEF(NULL, "noise-sensitivity", 1,
                         "Noise sensitivity (frames to blur)"),
   .sharpness = ARG_DEF(NULL, "sharpness", 1,
-                       "Bias towards block sharpness in transform coeff RD "
+                       "Bias towards block sharpness in rate-distortion "
+                       "optimization of transform coefficients "
                        "(0..7), default is 0"),
   .static_thresh =
       ARG_DEF(NULL, "static-thresh", 1, "Motion detection threshold"),
diff --git a/av1/encoder/encoder.h b/av1/encoder/encoder.h
index e3d3ab1..b915cf3 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/encoder.h
+++ b/av1/encoder/encoder.h
@@ -719,10 +719,10 @@
  */
 typedef struct {
   /*!
-   * Controls the level at which transform coeff RD favours sharpness in the
-   * block. Has no impact on RD when set to zero (default). For values 1-7, eob
-   * and skip block optimization are avoided and rdmult is adjusted in favour of
-   * block sharpness.
+   * Controls the level at which rate-distortion optimization of transform
+   * coefficients favours sharpness in the block. Has no impact on RD when set
+   * to zero (default). For values 1-7, eob and skip block optimization are
+   * avoided and rdmult is adjusted in favour of block sharpness.
    */
   int sharpness;
 
diff --git a/av1/encoder/txb_rdopt.h b/av1/encoder/txb_rdopt.h
index 12168c1..70b322a 100644
--- a/av1/encoder/txb_rdopt.h
+++ b/av1/encoder/txb_rdopt.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
  * \param[in]    sharpness      When sharpness > 0, the function will be less
  * aggressive towards lowering the magnitude of coefficients.
  * In this way, the transform block will contain more high-frequency
- * coefficients and therefore, will preserve the sharpness of the reconstructed
+ * coefficients and therefore will preserve the sharpness of the reconstructed
  * block.
  */
 int av1_optimize_txb(const struct AV1_COMP *cpi, MACROBLOCK *x, int plane,