diff --git a/doc/cmd/flux-start.adoc b/doc/cmd/flux-start.adoc
index 0a602ff02d07..b415d5625c7d 100644
--- a/doc/cmd/flux-start.adoc
+++ b/doc/cmd/flux-start.adoc
@@ -40,14 +40,14 @@ Set the size of the comms session (number of message brokers).
 The default is 1.
 
 *-k, --k-ary*='N'::
-Set the fanout of the tree-based-overlay network.  This option is passed
-directly to the Flux message broker, where the default is 2.
+Set the branching factor of the tree-based-overlay network.  This option
+is passed directly to the Flux message broker, where the default is 2.
 
 *-M, --modules*='modules'::
 Load the specified comms modules in addition to the default core modules.
 Modules are specified by name in a comma-separated list.  To limit a module
 to a subset of the session's ranks, you may append a nodeset in square
-brackes.  For example: "foo[0],bar,baz" would load the foo module on
+brackets.  For example: "foo[0],bar,baz" would load the foo module on
 rank 0 only, and the bar and baz modules on all ranks.
 This option is passed directly to the Flux message broker.
 
diff --git a/doc/cmd/spell.en.pws b/doc/cmd/spell.en.pws
index b26f60ff6ca4..b940b9c0c52b 100644
--- a/doc/cmd/spell.en.pws
+++ b/doc/cmd/spell.en.pws
@@ -98,9 +98,7 @@ wrexec
 wrexecd
 ary
 baz
-brackes
 EPGM
-fanout
 modopts
 nodeset
 noexec