diff --git a/sh/aur b/sh/aur
index 7580182..5053ac5 100755
--- a/sh/aur
+++ b/sh/aur
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ aur() { ### @-
 
     # TODO: option to auto install dependencies
 
-    local built=
+    local built= p=
     for p in "$@"; do
         cd "$bd"
         local download_fail=0
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ aur() { ### @-
         fi
     done
 
+    local recent=
     cd "$bd"
     if [ -n "$built" ] && [ $o_install -eq 1 ]; then
         if [ $o_all_at_once -eq 1 ]; then
diff --git a/sh/bak b/sh/bak
index 5032ee3..bbd0a78 100755
--- a/sh/bak
+++ b/sh/bak
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@ bak() { ### @-
     ### -rw-r--r-- 1 notwa None 0 Dec 25  2001 butts.bak.bak
     ### ```
     [ $# -gt 0 ] || { printf "%s\n" "$0: too few arguments" >&2; return 1; }
-    local ret=0
-    local f=
+    local ret=0 f=
     for f; do
         if [ -e "$f.bak" ]; then
             bak "$f.bak" || { ret=1; continue; }
diff --git a/sh/baknow b/sh/baknow
index 6041132..1fbc276 100755
--- a/sh/baknow
+++ b/sh/baknow
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ baknow() { ### @- backup files by appending their timestamps given by [`now`.](#
     ### -rw-r--r-- 1 notwa None 0 Dec 25  2001 butts.2001-12-26_01800000.bak
     ### ```
     argc $# -ge 1 "$0" || return
-    local ret=0
+    local ret=0 f=
     for f; do
         cp -ip "$f" "$f.$(now "$f").bak" || ret=1
     done
diff --git a/sh/baks b/sh/baks
index d2fa794..a10f776 100755
--- a/sh/baks
+++ b/sh/baks
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ baks() { ### @-
     ### -rw-r--r-- 1 notwa None 0 Dec 25  2001 butts.21-08-01_14-54-07.bak
     ### -rw-r--r-- 1 notwa None 0 Dec 25  2001 butts.21-08-01_14-54-09.bak
     ### ```
-    local ret=0
+    local ret=0 fp=
     for fp; do
         local now="$(date -u '+%y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S')"
         local bak="$fp.$now.bak"
diff --git a/sh/colors2 b/sh/colors2
index 674e70f..dcc15c0 100755
--- a/sh/colors2
+++ b/sh/colors2
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 colors2() {
     [ $# -eq 0 ] || { printf "%s\n" "$0: does not take arguments" >&2; return 1; }
+    local a= b= i= j=
     for a in 0 60; do
         for j in 40 41 43 42 46 44 45 47; do
             printf ' \033[%s;%sm %03d \033[m' '48;5;16' $((a+j-10)) $((a+j))
diff --git a/sh/compile b/sh/compile
index 322549e..0f0da89 100755
--- a/sh/compile
+++ b/sh/compile
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ compile() { ### @-
     local clang="$(whence -p clang 2>/dev/null)"
     local clang_flags=() # currently just for clang-msvc
 
+    local flag= d= # iterator variables
+
     local cl= vc=
     if [ -n "$MSYSTEM" ]; then # using msys2?
         if [ -z "$clang" ]; then # don't have native clang?
diff --git a/sh/document b/sh/document
index bc18565..3c3d0c1 100755
--- a/sh/document
+++ b/sh/document
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ document1() {
 
     # first section:
     printf '\n## %s\n' 'shell functions' >> "$out" || return 5
+    local f=
     for f in sh/*; do
         [ -e "$f" ] || continue # make sure glob went through
 
diff --git a/sh/running b/sh/running
index 4788215..9eb0e6a 100755
--- a/sh/running
+++ b/sh/running
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 # probably not compatible with busybox ps because its column 2 isn't PID.
 
 running() { ### @- WIP
-    local cmd=0 pid=0
+    local cmd=0 pid=0 col=
     local usage='usage: running {cmd|pid} ...'
     [ $# -gt 0 ] || { printf '%s\n' "$usage" >&2; return 2; }
     for col; do
diff --git a/sh/sc b/sh/sc
index 0c9e7a0..14ea8e2 100755
--- a/sh/sc
+++ b/sh/sc
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ sc() { ### @-
         return 1
     }
 
-    local clipboard=""
+    local clipboard="" f=
     for f; do
         f="$(readlink -f "$f")"
         if [ ! -e "$f" ]; then
diff --git a/sh/slit b/sh/slit
index c219002..570c482 100755
--- a/sh/slit
+++ b/sh/slit
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ slit() { ### @-
     ### view specific columns of text.
     [ $# -gt 0 ] \
      || { printf '%s: too few arguments\n' "$0" >&2; return 1; }
+    local arg=
     for arg; do
         [ "$arg" -ge 0 ] 2>/dev/null \
          || { printf '%s: not a nonnegative integer: %s\n' "$0" "$arg"; return 1; };
diff --git a/sh/slitt b/sh/slitt
index a5ab55a..4d9842c 100755
--- a/sh/slitt
+++ b/sh/slitt
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ slitt() { ### @-
     ### this version of `slit` uses tabs for its field separators.
     [ $# -gt 0 ] \
      || { printf '%s: too few arguments\n' "$0" >&2; return 1; }
+    local arg=
     for arg; do
         [ "$arg" -ge 0 ] 2>/dev/null \
          || { printf '%s: not a nonnegative integer: %s\n' "$0" "$arg"; return 1; };
diff --git a/sh/sum b/sh/sum
index cc26777..0790c3a 100755
--- a/sh/sum
+++ b/sh/sum
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ sum() { ### @-
     ### ```
     ###
     ### **TODO:** consider renaming because sum(1) already exists.
-    local sum=0
+    local sum=0 i=
     for i; do
         i="${i%,}"
         : $((sum+=i))
diff --git a/sh/wat b/sh/wat
index a30b797..8ace619 100755
--- a/sh/wat
+++ b/sh/wat
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ wat() { ### @-
     ###
     ### written by [leah2.](https://leahneukirchen.org/)
     ( # constrain unalias
+    local cmd=
     for cmd; do
         if (( $+aliases[$cmd] )); then
             printf '%s: aliased to %s\n' $cmd $aliases[$cmd]