diff --git a/src/math/big/intconv.go b/src/math/big/intconv.go
index 9c68a22bed..737d176cb8 100644
--- a/src/math/big/intconv.go
+++ b/src/math/big/intconv.go
@@ -101,31 +101,31 @@ func (x *Int) Format(s fmt.State, ch rune) {
 	digits := x.abs.string(cs)
 
 	// number of characters for the three classes of number padding
-	var left int   // space characters to left of digits for right justification ("%8d")
-	var zeroes int // zero characters (actually cs[0]) as left-most digits ("%.8d")
-	var right int  // space characters to right of digits for left justification ("%-8d")
+	var left int  // space characters to left of digits for right justification ("%8d")
+	var zeros int // zero characters (actually cs[0]) as left-most digits ("%.8d")
+	var right int // space characters to right of digits for left justification ("%-8d")
 
 	// determine number padding from precision: the least number of digits to output
 	precision, precisionSet := s.Precision()
 	if precisionSet {
 		switch {
 		case len(digits) < precision:
-			zeroes = precision - len(digits) // count of zero padding
+			zeros = precision - len(digits) // count of zero padding
 		case digits == "0" && precision == 0:
 			return // print nothing if zero value (x == 0) and zero precision ("." or ".0")
 		}
 	}
 
 	// determine field pad from width: the least number of characters to output
-	length := len(sign) + len(prefix) + zeroes + len(digits)
+	length := len(sign) + len(prefix) + zeros + len(digits)
 	if width, widthSet := s.Width(); widthSet && length < width { // pad as specified
 		switch d := width - length; {
 		case s.Flag('-'):
 			// pad on the right with spaces; supersedes '0' when both specified
 			right = d
 		case s.Flag('0') && !precisionSet:
-			// pad with zeroes unless precision also specified
-			zeroes = d
+			// pad with zeros unless precision also specified
+			zeros = d
 		default:
 			// pad on the left with spaces
 			left = d
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func (x *Int) Format(s fmt.State, ch rune) {
 	writeMultiple(s, " ", left)
 	writeMultiple(s, sign, 1)
 	writeMultiple(s, prefix, 1)
-	writeMultiple(s, "0", zeroes)
+	writeMultiple(s, "0", zeros)
 	writeMultiple(s, digits, 1)
 	writeMultiple(s, " ", right)
 }
diff --git a/src/math/big/natconv.go b/src/math/big/natconv.go
index 022dcfe38c..80da307147 100644
--- a/src/math/big/natconv.go
+++ b/src/math/big/natconv.go
@@ -252,14 +252,15 @@ func (x nat) hexString() string {
 // by len(charset), which must be >= 2 and <= 256.
 func (x nat) string(charset string) string {
 	b := Word(len(charset))
-
-	// special cases
-	switch {
-	case b < 2 || b > 256:
+	if b < 2 || b > 256 {
 		panic("invalid character set length")
-	case len(x) == 0:
+	}
+
+	// x == 0
+	if len(x) == 0 {
 		return string(charset[0])
 	}
+	// len(x) > 0
 
 	// allocate buffer for conversion
 	i := int(float64(x.bitLen())/math.Log2(float64(b))) + 1 // off by one at most
@@ -267,13 +268,13 @@ func (x nat) string(charset string) string {
 
 	// convert power of two and non power of two bases separately
 	if b == b&-b {
-		// shift is base-b digit size in bits
+		// shift is base b digit size in bits
 		shift := trailingZeroBits(b) // shift > 0 because b >= 2
-		mask := Word(1)<<shift - 1
-		w := x[0]
+		mask := Word(1<<shift - 1)
+		w := x[0]         // current word
 		nbits := uint(_W) // number of unprocessed bits in w
 
-		// convert less-significant words
+		// convert less-significant words (include leading zeros)
 		for k := 1; k < len(x); k++ {
 			// convert full digits
 			for nbits >= shift {
@@ -289,7 +290,7 @@ func (x nat) string(charset string) string {
 				w = x[k]
 				nbits = _W
 			} else {
-				// partial digit in current (k-1) and next (k) word
+				// partial digit in current word w (== x[k-1]) and next word x[k]
 				w |= x[k] << nbits
 				i--
 				s[i] = charset[w&mask]
@@ -300,12 +301,11 @@ func (x nat) string(charset string) string {
 			}
 		}
 
-		// convert digits of most-significant word (omit leading zeros)
-		for nbits >= 0 && w != 0 {
+		// convert digits of most-significant word w (omit leading zeros)
+		for w != 0 {
 			i--
 			s[i] = charset[w&mask]
 			w >>= shift
-			nbits -= shift
 		}
 
 	} else {
@@ -409,9 +409,9 @@ func (q nat) convertWords(s []byte, charset string, b Word, ndigits int, bb Word
 		}
 	}
 
-	// prepend high-order zeroes
+	// prepend high-order zeros
 	zero := charset[0]
-	for i > 0 { // while need more leading zeroes
+	for i > 0 { // while need more leading zeros
 		i--
 		s[i] = zero
 	}
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ var leafSize int = 8 // number of Word-size binary values treat as a monolithic
 
 type divisor struct {
 	bbb     nat // divisor
-	nbits   int // bit length of divisor (discounting leading zeroes) ~= log2(bbb)
+	nbits   int // bit length of divisor (discounting leading zeros) ~= log2(bbb)
 	ndigits int // digit length of divisor in terms of output base digits
 }