diff --git a/dlls/sound.cpp b/dlls/sound.cpp
index 30c44326..6637fe53 100644
--- a/dlls/sound.cpp
+++ b/dlls/sound.cpp
@@ -1037,9 +1037,8 @@ void USENTENCEG_InitLRU( unsigned char *plru, int count )
 
 int USENTENCEG_PickSequential( int isentenceg, char *szfound, int ipick, int freset )
 {
-	char *szgroupname;
+	const char *szgroupname;
 	unsigned char count;
-	char sznum[8];
 
 	if( !fSentencesInit )
 		return -1;
@@ -1056,10 +1055,7 @@ int USENTENCEG_PickSequential( int isentenceg, char *szfound, int ipick, int fre
 	if( ipick >= count )
 		ipick = count - 1;
 
-	strcpy( szfound, "!" );
-	strcat( szfound, szgroupname );
-	sprintf( sznum, "%d", ipick );
-	strcat( szfound, sznum );
+	sprintf( szfound, "!%s%d", szgroupname, ipick );
 
 	if( ipick >= count )
 	{
@@ -1083,11 +1079,10 @@ int USENTENCEG_PickSequential( int isentenceg, char *szfound, int ipick, int fre
 
 int USENTENCEG_Pick( int isentenceg, char *szfound )
 {
-	char *szgroupname;
+	const char *szgroupname;
 	unsigned char *plru;
 	unsigned char i;
 	unsigned char count;
-	char sznum[8];
 	unsigned char ipick;
 	int ffound = FALSE;
 
@@ -1116,10 +1111,8 @@ int USENTENCEG_Pick( int isentenceg, char *szfound )
 			USENTENCEG_InitLRU( plru, count );
 		else
 		{
-			strcpy( szfound, "!" );
-			strcat( szfound, szgroupname );
-			sprintf( sznum, "%d", ipick );
-			strcat( szfound, sznum );
+			sprintf( szfound, "!%s%d", szgroupname, ipick );
+
 			return ipick;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1227,7 +1220,6 @@ int SENTENCEG_PlaySequentialSz( edict_t *entity, const char *szgroupname, float
 void SENTENCEG_Stop( edict_t *entity, int isentenceg, int ipick )
 {
 	char buffer[64];
-	char sznum[8];
 
 	if( !fSentencesInit )
 		return;
@@ -1235,10 +1227,7 @@ void SENTENCEG_Stop( edict_t *entity, int isentenceg, int ipick )
 	if( isentenceg < 0 || ipick < 0 )
 		return;
 	
-	strcpy( buffer, "!" );
-	strcat( buffer, rgsentenceg[isentenceg].szgroupname );
-	sprintf( sznum, "%d", ipick );
-	strcat( buffer, sznum );
+	sprintf( buffer, "!%s%d", rgsentenceg[isentenceg].szgroupname, ipick );
 
 	STOP_SOUND( entity, CHAN_VOICE, buffer );
 }
@@ -1369,9 +1358,8 @@ void SENTENCEG_Init()
 
 int SENTENCEG_Lookup( const char *sample, char *sentencenum )
 {
-	char sznum[8];
-
 	int i;
+
 	// this is a sentence name; lookup sentence number
 	// and give to engine as string.
 	for( i = 0; i < gcallsentences; i++ )
@@ -1379,9 +1367,7 @@ int SENTENCEG_Lookup( const char *sample, char *sentencenum )
 		{
 			if( sentencenum )
 			{
-				strcpy( sentencenum, "!" );
-				sprintf( sznum, "%d", i );
-				strcat( sentencenum, sznum );
+				sprintf(sentencenum, "!%d", i);
 			}
 			return i;
 		}