diff --git a/common/src/main/java/au/org/ala/delta/DeltaContext.java b/common/src/main/java/au/org/ala/delta/DeltaContext.java
index 06f70e37..b3551cdb 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/au/org/ala/delta/DeltaContext.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/au/org/ala/delta/DeltaContext.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 import au.org.ala.delta.rtf.RTFUtils;
 import au.org.ala.delta.translation.IterativeTranslator;
 import au.org.ala.delta.translation.PrintFile;
+import au.org.ala.delta.translation.Words;
 import au.org.ala.delta.util.Functor;
 
 import java.io.PrintStream;
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ public Object invoke(DeltaContext context) {
                    return sdf.format(new Date());
                }
         });
+        Words.initialise();
 
         _dataSet = dataSet;
         _maxNumberOfItems = dataSet.getMaximumNumberOfItems();
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/au/org/ala/delta/translation/Words.java b/common/src/main/java/au/org/ala/delta/translation/Words.java
index 87b3b2a6..66a0aca3 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/au/org/ala/delta/translation/Words.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/au/org/ala/delta/translation/Words.java
@@ -20,12 +20,22 @@ public enum Word {
 		OR, TO, AND, VARIABLE, UNKNOWN, NOT_APPLICABLE, VARIANT, NOT_CODED, NEVER, MINIMUM, 
 		MAXIMUM, UP_TO, OR_MORE, FULL_STOP, COMMA, ALTERNATE_COMMA, SEMICOLON, FULL_STOP_AGAIN, RANGE};
 	
-	
-	private static String[] _vwords = {
+
+	private static String[] _defaults = {
 			"or", "to", "and", "variable", "unknown", "not applicable", "(variant)", "not coded",
 			"never", "minimum", "maximum", "up to", "or more", ".", ",", ",", ";", ".", "-"};
-	
-	
+
+	private static String[] _vwords;
+
+	public static void initialise() {
+		_vwords = new String[_defaults.length];
+		System.arraycopy(_defaults, 0, _vwords, 0, _defaults.length);
+	}
+
+	static {
+		initialise();
+	}
+
 	public static String word(Word word) {
 		return _vwords[word.ordinal()];
 	}