diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b30cd29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+__hangcache__ 
diff --git a/hangman.py b/hangman.py
index f70cf83..3dcd298 100644
--- a/hangman.py
+++ b/hangman.py
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 import codecs
 import hashlib
 import json
+import os
 import pickle
 import re
+from string import ascii_lowercase as alphabet
 import sys
-
 #32 or 64 bit platform?
 if sys.maxsize > 2**32:
     HASH_FUNC = hashlib.blake2b
@@ -29,23 +30,23 @@ def hash_wordlist(word_list,raw = False):
     if raw:
         return fhash
     illegal_hash = codecs.encode(fhash,'base64').decode()
-    t_table = str.maketrans({'+':'-','/':'_'})
-    return illegal_hash.translate(t_table)
+    replacements = {'+':'-','/':'_',None: ''}
+    return re.sub(r'(\+|\/)|\n',lambda match: replacements[match.group(1)],illegal_hash)
 
 def load_freq_cache(word_list):
     fname = hash_wordlist(word_list) + '.pkl'
-    fname = os.path.join('__hangchache__',fname)
+    fname = os.path.join('__hangcache__',fname)
     if os.path.exists(fname):
         with open(fname,'rb') as file:
             return pickle.load(file)
 
 def save_freq_cache(word_list,freq):
-    if not os.path.exists('__hangchache__'):
-        os.mkdir('__hangchache__')
+    if not os.path.exists('__hangcache__'):
+        os.mkdir('__hangcache__')
     fname = hash_wordlist(word_list) + '.pkl'
-    fname = os.path.join('__hangchache__',fname)
+    fname = os.path.join('__hangcache__',fname)
     with open(fname,'wb') as file:
-        pickle.dump(file,freq)
+        pickle.dump(freq,file)
 
 def generate_letter_frequency(word_list):
     cached = load_freq_cache(word_list)
@@ -70,23 +71,43 @@ def generate_letter_frequency(word_list):
         save_freq_cache(word_list,ret)
     return ret
 PROMPT = "Enter word with '.' to represent missing letters: "
+NEG_PROMPT = 'Enter letters which are confirmed not to occur: '
+ALPHABET = set(letter for letter in alphabet)
+
+def shorten(chars,max_length):
+    rows = [''] * max_length
+    for i,char in enumerate(chars):
+        row_num = i%max_length
+        addition = char + ' ' * 4
+        rows[row_num] += addition
+    return '\n'.join(map(str.rstrip,rows))
+
+def print_likely_chars(remaining_letters,let_freq):
+    overall = shorten(sorted(remaining_letters,key = lambda letter: let_freq[letter][0],reverse = True),5)
+    per_word = shorten(sorted(remaining_letters,key = lambda letter: let_freq[letter][1],reverse = True),5)
+    print( 'Good candidates by overall frequency:\n' + overall )
+    print('Good candidates by per-word frequency:\n' + per_word )
+
+negatives = set()
 def iterate(word_list,let_freq):
     entered_word = input(PROMPT)
-    entered_word = entered_word.replace(' ')
+    negative_letters = re.findall('[a-z]',input(NEG_PROMPT))
+    negatives.update(negative_letters)
+    entered_word = entered_word.replace(' ','')
     entered_letters = set(letter for letter in entered_word.replace('.',''))
-    remaining_letters = set(let_freq.keys()) - entered_letters
-    regex = entered_word.replace('.','[A-Za-z]')
+    remaining_letters = set(filter(lambda letter: letter in ALPHABET,let_freq.keys())) - entered_letters - negatives
+    regex = entered_word.replace('.','[{}]'.format(''.join(remaining_letters))) + '$'
     remaining_possibilities = list(filter(lambda word: re.match(regex,word),word_list))
-    print('Matches found:\n' + '\n'.join(remaining_possibilities[i] for i in range(min(30,len(remaining_possibilities)))))
-    print( 'Good candidates by overall frequency:\n' + '\n'.join(sorted(remaining_letters,key = lambda letter: let_freq[letter][0],reverse = True)) )
-    print('Good candidates by per-word frequency:\n' + '\n'.join(sorted(remaining_letters,key = lambda letter: let_freq[letter][1],reverse = True)) )
+    print('Matches found:\n' + '\n'.join(remaining_possibilities[i] for i in range(min(10,len(remaining_possibilities)))))
+    print_likely_chars(remaining_letters,let_freq)
     return entered_word,remaining_possibilities
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     words = load_words('words.txt')
     FREQ = generate_letter_frequency(words)
+    print_likely_chars(ALPHABET,FREQ)
     while True:
         try:
-            last,WORDS = iterate(words,FREQ)
+            last,words = iterate(words,FREQ)
         except KeyboardInterrupt:
             break
\ No newline at end of file