diff --git a/hangman.rb b/hangman.rb
index 20757e3..dc703c6 100644
--- a/hangman.rb
+++ b/hangman.rb
@@ -1,16 +1,34 @@
 #hangman game
 #01/21/2022
 
-#load in dictionary file
-#select random word between 5 and 12 letters long
-a = Array.new
-
 def pick_word(a)
   rand_int = rand(0..a.size)
   return a[rand_int].chop!
 end
 
+def generate_hidden_letters(word)
+  hidden_letters = Array.new
+  word.length.times do |i|
+    if rand(0..1) == 0 #do this 50% of the time
+      hidden_letters.push(word[i]) #create an array of letters to be hidden
+    end
+  end
+  return hidden_letters
+end
+
+def scramble_word(word, hidden_letters)
+  hidden_letters.each do |letter| #for each hidden letter
+    word.length.times do |i|      #check where instances of the letter are in the word
+      if word[i] == letter        #if you find one, replace it with a "_" in the string
+        word[i] = "_"
+      end
+    end
+  end
+  return word
+end
+
 #loading file into an array
+a = Array.new
 dict = File.open('5desk.txt')
 dict.each do |row|
   a.push(row)
@@ -21,14 +39,14 @@ word = pick_word(a)
 until word.length.between?(5, 12)
   word = pick_word(a)
 end
-
 puts "Your word is #{word}"
 
-#turn word into an array
-#hide 50% of letters randomly
-#ask user to guess letters
-#have two arrays, word and hidden word
-#display hidden word
+hidden_letters = generate_hidden_letters(word)
+scrambled_word = scramble_word(word, hidden_letters)
+
+#puts the array as a readable string
+puts scrambled_word.inspect[1...-1].gsub('"',"").gsub(',','')
+
 #if input is included in word but not hidden word then
 #if word[x] == input then hidden[x] == input
 #do this over the array
@@ -37,19 +55,3 @@ puts "Your word is #{word}"
 #else
 # increase hangman counter
 
-def scramble_word(word)
-  scrambled_word = Array.new
-  word.length.times do |i|
-    if rand(0..1) == 0 #do this 50% of the time
-      scrambled_word.push("_")
-    else
-      scrambled_word.push(word[i])
-    end
-  end
-  return scrambled_word
-end
-
-scrambled_word = scramble_word(word)
-#puts the array as a readable string
-puts scrambled_word.inspect[1...-1].gsub('"',"").gsub(',','')
-