diff --git a/libavutil/avstring.h b/libavutil/avstring.h
index 87d29e3e0f..97c2f38715 100644
--- a/libavutil/avstring.h
+++ b/libavutil/avstring.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
  *
  * @param str input string
  * @param pfx prefix to test
- * @param ptr updated after the prefix in str in there is a match
+ * @param ptr updated if the prefix is matched inside str
  * @return non-zero if the prefix matches, zero otherwise
  */
 int av_strstart(const char *str, const char *pfx, const char **ptr);
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ int av_strstart(const char *str, const char *pfx, const char **ptr);
  *
  * @param str input string
  * @param pfx prefix to test
- * @param ptr updated after the prefix in str in there is a match
+ * @param ptr updated if the prefix is matched inside str
  * @return non-zero if the prefix matches, zero otherwise
  */
 int av_stristart(const char *str, const char *pfx, const char **ptr);
diff --git a/libavutil/crc.c b/libavutil/crc.c
index f8bb170b4a..ed065d8d50 100644
--- a/libavutil/crc.c
+++ b/libavutil/crc.c
@@ -40,12 +40,13 @@ static AVCRC av_crc_table[AV_CRC_MAX][257];
 #endif
 
 /**
- * Inits a crc table.
- * @param ctx must be an array of sizeof(AVCRC)*257 or sizeof(AVCRC)*1024
+ * Initializes a CRC table.
+ * @param ctx must be an array of size sizeof(AVCRC)*257 or sizeof(AVCRC)*1024
  * @param cts_size size of ctx in bytes
- * @param le if 1, lowest bit represents coefficient for highest exponent
- *           of corresponding polynomial (both for poly and actual CRC).
- *           If 0, you must swap the crc parameter and the result of av_crc
+ * @param le If 1, the lowest bit represents the coefficient for the highest
+ *           exponent of the corresponding polynomial (both for poly and
+ *           actual CRC).
+ *           If 0, you must swap the CRC parameter and the result of av_crc
  *           if you need the standard representation (can be simplified in
  *           most cases to e.g. bswap16):
  *           bswap_32(crc << (32-bits))
diff --git a/libavutil/des.h b/libavutil/des.h
index 88240594ee..56145d1274 100644
--- a/libavutil/des.h
+++ b/libavutil/des.h
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@
 #include "common.h"
 
 /**
- * \brief en- or decrypt an 64-bit block of data with DES
- * \param in data to process.
- * \param key key to use for en-/decryption.
- * \param decrypt if 0 encrypt, else decrypt.
+ * \brief Encrypt/decrypt a 64-bit block of data with DES.
+ * \param in data to process
+ * \param key key to use for encryption/decryption
+ * \param decrypt if 0 encrypt, else decrypt
  * \return processed data
  *
- * If your input data is in 8-bit blocks treat it as big-endian
+ * If your input data is in 8-bit blocks, treat it as big-endian
  * (use e.g. AV_RB64 and AV_WB64).
  */
 uint64_t ff_des_encdec(uint64_t in, uint64_t key, int decrypt) av_const;
diff --git a/libavutil/integer.h b/libavutil/integer.h
index 148b5c344d..718a194bcc 100644
--- a/libavutil/integer.h
+++ b/libavutil/integer.h
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@ AVInteger av_add_i(AVInteger a, AVInteger b) av_const;
 AVInteger av_sub_i(AVInteger a, AVInteger b) av_const;
 
 /**
- * returns the rounded down value of the logarithm of base 2 of the given AVInteger.
- * this is simply the index of the most significant bit which is 1. Or 0 of all bits are 0
+ * Returns the rounded-down value of the base 2 logarithm of the given
+ * AVInteger. This is simply the index of the most significant bit
+ * which is 1, or 0 if all bits are 0.
  */
 int av_log2_i(AVInteger a) av_const;
 AVInteger av_mul_i(AVInteger a, AVInteger b) av_const;
diff --git a/libavutil/internal.h b/libavutil/internal.h
index e11525f147..bd2ce5cf6c 100644
--- a/libavutil/internal.h
+++ b/libavutil/internal.h
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ if((y)<(x)){\
 }
 #endif
 
-/* avoid usage of various functions */
+/* avoid usage of dangerous/inappropriate system functions */
 #undef  malloc
 #define malloc please_use_av_malloc
 #undef  free
diff --git a/libavutil/log.c b/libavutil/log.c
index 5fec3328c0..3a96a850c2 100644
--- a/libavutil/log.c
+++ b/libavutil/log.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
 /**
  * @file log.c
- * log.
+ * logging functions
  */
 
 #include "avutil.h"
diff --git a/libavutil/log.h b/libavutil/log.h
index 29eafb5c40..a886844d9b 100644
--- a/libavutil/log.h
+++ b/libavutil/log.h
@@ -70,21 +70,21 @@ struct AVCLASS {
 #define AV_LOG_PANIC     0
 
 /**
- * something went wrong and recovery is not possible
- * like no header in a format which depends on it or a combination
- * of parameters which are not allowed
+ * Something went wrong and recovery is not possible.
+ * For example, no header was found for a format which depends
+ * on headers or an illegal combination of parameters is used.
  */
 #define AV_LOG_FATAL     8
 
 /**
- * something went wrong and cannot losslessly be recovered
- * but not all future data is affected
+ * Something went wrong and cannot losslessly be recovered.
+ * However, not all future data is affected.
  */
 #define AV_LOG_ERROR    16
 
 /**
- * something somehow does not look correct / something which may or may not
- * lead to some problems like use of -vstrict -2
+ * Something somehow does not look correct. This may or may not
+ * lead to problems. An example would be the use of '-vstrict -2'.
  */
 #define AV_LOG_WARNING  24
 
diff --git a/libavutil/random.c b/libavutil/random.c
index dbec6354d9..5597e1d1c0 100644
--- a/libavutil/random.c
+++ b/libavutil/random.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Mersenne Twister Random Algorithm
+ * Mersenne Twister PRNG algorithm
  * Copyright (c) 2006 Ryan Martell
  * Based on a C program for MT19937, with initialization improved 2002/1/26.
  * Coded by Takuji Nishimura and Makoto Matsumoto.
diff --git a/libavutil/random.h b/libavutil/random.h
index 93bbad867d..4d16eb92df 100644
--- a/libavutil/random.h
+++ b/libavutil/random.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Mersenne Twister Random Algorithm
+ * Mersenne Twister PRNG algorithm
  * Copyright (c) 2006 Ryan Martell
  * Based on a C program for MT19937, with initialization improved 2002/1/26.
  * Coded by Takuji Nishimura and Makoto Matsumoto.
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ void av_random_generate_untempered_numbers(AVRandomState *state); ///< Regenerat
 /**
  * Generates a random number from the interval [0,0xffffffff].
  *
- * Please do NOT use the Mersenne Twister, it is slow. Use the random generator
- * from lfg.c/h or a simple LCG like state= state*1664525+1013904223.
+ * Please do NOT use the Mersenne Twister, it is slow. Use the random number
+ * generator from lfg.c/h or a simple LCG like state = state*1664525+1013904223.
  * If you still choose to use MT, expect that you will have to provide
  * some evidence that it makes a difference for the case where you use it.
  */
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ static inline unsigned int av_random(AVRandomState *state)
     return y;
 }
 
-/** Return random in range [0-1] as double. */
+/** Returns a random number in the range [0-1] as double. */
 static inline double av_random_real1(AVRandomState *state)
 {
     /* divided by 2^32-1 */