diff --git a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_execution_context.hpp b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_execution_context.hpp
index 5b2ca630..c3fc296a 100755
--- a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_execution_context.hpp
+++ b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_execution_context.hpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public:
       stylesheet_(stylesheet),
       sink_(output.asOutput()),
       message_sink_(error_output),
-      variable_precendence_(0),
+      variable_precedence_(0),
       to_msg_(0)
   {
 		xpathContext_.setVariableResolver(stack_);
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public:
     stack_(rhs.stack_),
     sink_(output.asOutput()),
     message_sink_(rhs.message_sink_),
-    variable_precendence_(rhs.variable_precendence_),
+    variable_precedence_(rhs.variable_precedence_),
     to_msg_(false)
   {
 		xpathContext_.setVariableResolver(stack_);
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ public:
   void unpassParam(const std::string& name);
   void declareParam(const DOM::Node<std::string>& node, const Variable_declaration& param); 
   void declareVariable(const DOM::Node<std::string>& node, const Variable_declaration& variable); 
-  void pushVariablePrecendence() { ++variable_precendence_; }
-  int variablePrecendence() { return variable_precendence_; }
+  void pushVariablePrecedence() { ++variable_precedence_; }
+  int variablePrecedence() { return variable_precedence_; }
   void freezeTopLevel();
   void injectGlobalScope(const Scope& scope);
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ private:
 private:
   const Stylesheet& stylesheet_;
   VariableStack stack_;
-  int variable_precendence_;
+  int variable_precedence_;
   Arabica::XPath::ExecutionContext<std::string> xpathContext_;
   Output& sink_;
   StreamSink message_sink_;
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public:
 
   virtual const std::string& namespace_uri() const { return var_.namespace_uri(); }
   virtual const std::string& name() const { return var_.name(); }
-  virtual int precendence() const { return context_.variablePrecendence(); }
+  virtual int precedence() const { return context_.variablePrecedence(); }
 
   virtual Arabica::XPath::XPathValue<std::string> value() const 
   {
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ void ExecutionContext::declareVariable(const DOM::Node<std::string>& node, const
 void ExecutionContext::freezeTopLevel()
 {
   stack_.freezeTopLevel();
-  variable_precendence_ = 0;
+  variable_precedence_ = -1;
 } // freezeTopLevel
 
 void ExecutionContext::injectGlobalScope(const Scope& scope) 
diff --git a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_stylesheet.hpp b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_stylesheet.hpp
index c036388d..750e79c9 100755
--- a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_stylesheet.hpp
+++ b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_stylesheet.hpp
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public:
     {
       for(ItemList::const_iterator ci = isi->begin(), ce = isi->end(); ci != ce; ++ci)
         (*ci)->execute(initialNode, context);
-      context.pushVariablePrecendence();
+      context.pushVariablePrecedence();
     } // for ...
     context.freezeTopLevel();
 
diff --git a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_variable_stack.hpp b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_variable_stack.hpp
index 6df80114..e7247eb6 100755
--- a/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_variable_stack.hpp
+++ b/include/XSLT/impl/xslt_variable_stack.hpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ public:
   
   virtual const std::string& namespace_uri() const = 0;
   virtual const std::string& name() const = 0;
-  virtual int precendence() const = 0;
+  virtual int precedence() const = 0;
   virtual Arabica::XPath::XPathValue<std::string> value() const = 0;
 
   virtual void injectGlobalScope(const Scope& scope) const = 0;
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ private:
   Variable_instance& operator=(const Variable_instance&);
   bool operator==(const Variable_instance&) const;
 
-  int precendence_;
+  int precedence_;
 }; // Variable_instance
 
 class VariableStack : public Arabica::XPath::VariableResolver<std::string>
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ public:
     
     if(stack.find(name) != stack.end())
     {
-      int current_p = stack[name]->precendence();
-      if(var->precendence() == current_p)
+      int current_p = stack[name]->precedence();
+      if(var->precedence() == current_p)
         throw std::runtime_error("Duplicate variable name : " + clarkName(var));
-      if(var->precendence() > current_p)
+      if(var->precedence() > current_p)
         return;
     } // if ...