diff --git a/Changelog b/Changelog
index 9a532860d9..3853978093 100644
--- a/Changelog
+++ b/Changelog
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ easier to use. The changes are:
           all the stream in the first input file, except for the second audio
           stream'.
     * There is a new option -c (or -codec) for choosing the decoder/encoder to
-      use, which allows to precisely specify target stream(s) consistently with
+      use, which makes it possible to precisely specify target stream(s) consistently with
       other options. E.g. -c:v lib264 sets the codec for all video streams, -c:a:0
       libvorbis sets the codec for the first audio stream and -c copy copies all
       the streams without reencoding. Old -vcodec/-acodec/-scodec options are now
diff --git a/doc/decoders.texi b/doc/decoders.texi
index 68196cf111..2fb533ae2d 100644
--- a/doc/decoders.texi
+++ b/doc/decoders.texi
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ This decoder aims to implement the complete FLAC specification from Xiph.
 
 @item -use_buggy_lpc
 The lavc FLAC encoder used to produce buggy streams with high lpc values
-(like the default value). This option allows to decode such streams
+(like the default value). This option makes it possible to decode such streams
 correctly by using lavc's old buggy lpc logic for decoding.
 
 @end table
diff --git a/libavcodec/bitstream.c b/libavcodec/bitstream.c
index 00742349f2..924cc519a2 100644
--- a/libavcodec/bitstream.c
+++ b/libavcodec/bitstream.c
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ static int build_table(VLC *vlc, int table_nb_bits, int nb_codes,
    'xxx_size' : gives the number of bytes of each entry of the 'bits'
    or 'codes' tables.
 
-   'wrap' and 'size' allows to use any memory configuration and types
+   'wrap' and 'size' make it possible to use any memory configuration and types
    (byte/word/long) to store the 'bits', 'codes', and 'symbols' tables.
 
    'use_static' should be set to 1 for tables, which should be freed
diff --git a/libavcodec/libspeexenc.c b/libavcodec/libspeexenc.c
index 22d0d6ef3d..fac8e725ac 100644
--- a/libavcodec/libspeexenc.c
+++ b/libavcodec/libspeexenc.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
  *     encodes them with just enough bits to reproduce the background noise.
  *
  * Discontinuous Transmission (DTX)
- *     DTX is an addition to VAD/VBR operation, that allows to stop transmitting
+ *     DTX is an addition to VAD/VBR operation, that makes it possible to stop transmitting
  *     completely when the background noise is stationary.
  *     In file-based operation only 5 bits are used for such frames.
  */
diff --git a/libavcodec/ppc/me_cmp.c b/libavcodec/ppc/me_cmp.c
index 38a7ba1476..9f75ed256a 100644
--- a/libavcodec/ppc/me_cmp.c
+++ b/libavcodec/ppc/me_cmp.c
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ static int hadamard8_diff8x8_altivec(MpegEncContext *s, uint8_t *dst,
 }
 
 /*
- * 16x8 works with 16 elements; it allows to avoid replicating loads, and
+ * 16x8 works with 16 elements; it can avoid replicating loads, and
  * gives the compiler more room for scheduling. It's only used from
  * inside hadamard8_diff16_altivec.
  *
diff --git a/libavcodec/vp9.c b/libavcodec/vp9.c
index d5147e5b04..4e2ed53745 100644
--- a/libavcodec/vp9.c
+++ b/libavcodec/vp9.c
@@ -3286,7 +3286,7 @@ static void decode_b(AVCodecContext *ctx, int row, int col,
     }
 
     // emulated overhangs if the stride of the target buffer can't hold. This
-    // allows to support emu-edge and so on even if we have large block
+    // makes it possible to support emu-edge and so on even if we have large block
     // overhangs
     emu[0] = (col + w4) * 8 > f->linesize[0] ||
              (row + h4) > s->rows;
diff --git a/libavcodec/x86/vc1dsp_mmx.c b/libavcodec/x86/vc1dsp_mmx.c
index f11170c075..a7eb59df47 100644
--- a/libavcodec/x86/vc1dsp_mmx.c
+++ b/libavcodec/x86/vc1dsp_mmx.c
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
     "movq      %%mm"#R1", "#OFF"(%1)   \n\t"    \
     "add       %2, %0                  \n\t"
 
-/** Sacrifying mm6 allows to pipeline loads from src */
+/** Sacrificing mm6 makes it possible to pipeline loads from src */
 static void vc1_put_ver_16b_shift2_mmx(int16_t *dst,
                                        const uint8_t *src, x86_reg stride,
                                        int rnd, int64_t shift)
diff --git a/libavdevice/alsa_dec.c b/libavdevice/alsa_dec.c
index 286af650c7..b8e957a5e2 100644
--- a/libavdevice/alsa_dec.c
+++ b/libavdevice/alsa_dec.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
  * @author Benoit Fouet ( benoit fouet free fr )
  * @author Nicolas George ( nicolas george normalesup org )
  *
- * This avdevice decoder allows to capture audio from an ALSA (Advanced
+ * This avdevice decoder can capture audio from an ALSA (Advanced
  * Linux Sound Architecture) device.
  *
  * The filename parameter is the name of an ALSA PCM device capable of
diff --git a/libavdevice/alsa_enc.c b/libavdevice/alsa_enc.c
index fb428f0623..10289a91a3 100644
--- a/libavdevice/alsa_enc.c
+++ b/libavdevice/alsa_enc.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
  * @author Luca Abeni ( lucabe72 email it )
  * @author Benoit Fouet ( benoit fouet free fr )
  *
- * This avdevice encoder allows to play audio to an ALSA (Advanced Linux
+ * This avdevice encoder can play audio to an ALSA (Advanced Linux
  * Sound Architecture) device.
  *
  * The filename parameter is the name of an ALSA PCM device capable of
diff --git a/libavdevice/avdevice.h b/libavdevice/avdevice.h
index 2d675b012d..6b0446cde7 100644
--- a/libavdevice/avdevice.h
+++ b/libavdevice/avdevice.h
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ int avdevice_dev_to_app_control_message(struct AVFormatContext *s,
  * Following API allows user to probe device capabilities (supported codecs,
  * pixel formats, sample formats, resolutions, channel counts, etc).
  * It is build on top op AVOption API.
- * Queried capabilities allows to set up converters of video or audio
+ * Queried capabilities make it possible to set up converters of video or audio
  * parameters that fit to the device.
  *
  * List of capabilities that can be queried:
diff --git a/libavformat/avformat.h b/libavformat/avformat.h
index 719c23b33c..fb69852f45 100644
--- a/libavformat/avformat.h
+++ b/libavformat/avformat.h
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
  * with an AVFMT_NOFILE format).
  *
  * @section lavf_options Passing options to (de)muxers
- * Lavf allows to configure muxers and demuxers using the @ref avoptions
+ * It is possible to configure lavf muxers and demuxers using the @ref avoptions
  * mechanism. Generic (format-independent) libavformat options are provided by
  * AVFormatContext, they can be examined from a user program by calling
  * av_opt_next() / av_opt_find() on an allocated AVFormatContext (or its AVClass
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@
  * @defgroup lavf_io I/O Read/Write
  * @{
  * @section lavf_io_dirlist Directory listing
- * The directory listing API allows to list files on remote servers.
+ * The directory listing API makes it possible to list files on remote servers.
  *
  * Some of possible use cases:
  * - an "open file" dialog to choose files from a remote location,
@@ -2361,7 +2361,7 @@ int av_write_uncoded_frame(AVFormatContext *s, int stream_index,
 /**
  * Write a uncoded frame to an output media file.
  *
- * If the muxer supports it, this function allows to write an AVFrame
+ * If the muxer supports it, this function makes it possible to write an AVFrame
  * structure directly, without encoding it into a packet.
  * It is mostly useful for devices and similar special muxers that use raw
  * video or PCM data and will not serialize it into a byte stream.
diff --git a/libavutil/opt.h b/libavutil/opt.h
index 5fc8a9b58a..0bc0d30972 100644
--- a/libavutil/opt.h
+++ b/libavutil/opt.h
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@
  * In some cases it may be more convenient to put all options into an
  * AVDictionary and call av_opt_set_dict() on it. A specific case of this
  * are the format/codec open functions in lavf/lavc which take a dictionary
- * filled with option as a parameter. This allows to set some options
+ * filled with option as a parameter. This makes it possible to set some options
  * that cannot be set otherwise, since e.g. the input file format is not known
  * before the file is actually opened.
  */