diff --git a/arm.go b/arm.go
index a30ab93..d4ad468 100644
--- a/arm.go
+++ b/arm.go
@@ -39,13 +39,13 @@ func splitArm(name string, refs map[string]resolvedRef) arm {
 			if resolved {
 				head = r.head
 			}
-			return arm{spelling: name, head: head, levels: levelKeys([]string{head}, 1)}
+			return pathArm(name, head, nil)
 		}
 		return pathArm(name, r.head, r.tail)
 	}
 	segs, err := grammar.SplitPath(name)
 	if err != nil || len(segs) == 1 {
-		return arm{spelling: name, head: name, levels: levelKeys([]string{name}, 1)}
+		return pathArm(name, name, nil)
 	}
 	return pathArm(name, segs[0], segs[1:])
 }
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func (t *template) compileArm(name string, targets map[*nameBinding]nameTarget)
 	}
 	target := targets[b]
 	full := append(target.tail[:len(target.tail):len(target.tail)], a.tail...)
-	if err := provePath(target.start, full, a.head); err != nil {
+	if err := provePath(target.start, full, a.head, len(target.tail)); err != nil {
 		return a, err
 	}
 	w := compilePath(target.start, full)
diff --git a/doc.go b/doc.go
index ffb015b..33218a7 100644
--- a/doc.go
+++ b/doc.go
@@ -29,9 +29,7 @@ package fejkdata
 //     `namedPick`, `pickFrame`.
 //   - memo — what a named pick keeps its draws in, the variant drawn at each level
 //     and the value each path read: `drawMemo`.
-//   - level — `pickKey`.
-//   - pick key — `pickKey`.
-//   - addressed key — `pickKey`.
+//   - level, pick key, addressed key — `pickKey`.
 //   - pin — fixing which row of a table one path, or one named pick, uses:
 //     `pinSet`, `namedPick.pins`, `table.followStep`.
 //   - link — a table's tie to its parent table, each row to its parent row:
diff --git a/format.go b/format.go
index db7015a..841e892 100644
--- a/format.go
+++ b/format.go
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ func checkArm(name string, fields map[string]node, wholeToken bool) (missing boo
 		}
 		return true, fmt.Errorf("no field %q", a.head)
 	}
-	if err := provePath(field, a.tail, a.head); err != nil {
+	if err := provePath(field, a.tail, a.head, 0); err != nil {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("field %q: %w", a.head, err)
 	}
 	return false, nil
diff --git a/path.go b/path.go
index 0781fea..86d8923 100644
--- a/path.go
+++ b/path.go
@@ -69,13 +69,15 @@ const (
 // compiledPath walks a path and proves it reaches a node whichever way the draws go: every
 // variant of a choice carries the rest of it, and is walked, a selector names a row inside the
 // rows selected before it, and no level read carries a repeat. Once run, it holds the steps a
-// draw takes, and every leaf the path may render; head names where it starts in its errors.
+// draw takes, and every leaf the path may render. Its errors spell a level as head, then the
+// segments of tail after the first headSpans, which head already spells.
 type compiledPath struct {
-	pins   pinSet
-	head   string
-	tail   []string
-	steps  []pathStep
-	leaves []node
+	pins      pinSet
+	head      string
+	headSpans int
+	tail      []string
+	steps     []pathStep
+	leaves    []node
 }
 
 func (w *compiledPath) run(n node) (node, error) {
@@ -89,7 +91,7 @@ func (w *compiledPath) walk(n node, tail []string) (node, error) {
 			return w.walkEvery(c, at.tail)
 		}
 		var err error
-		if w.steps, err = compileStep(&at, w.tail, w.head, w.steps, &w.pins); err != nil {
+		if w.steps, err = compileStep(&at, w.tail, w.head, w.headSpans, w.steps, &w.pins); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
@@ -113,8 +115,8 @@ func (p pathPos) more() bool { return len(p.tail) > 0 || p.fromRow }
 
 // compileStep takes the first step of at.tail from at.n, which must not be a choice, moves at past
 // it, and appends the step to steps: a field, or the route through a table. whole is the full
-// path; head is the prefix an error puts before it.
-func compileStep(at *pathPos, whole []string, head string, steps []pathStep, pins *pinSet) ([]pathStep, error) {
+// path; an error spells a level of it as head, then the segments after the first headSpans.
+func compileStep(at *pathPos, whole []string, head string, headSpans int, steps []pathStep, pins *pinSet) ([]pathStep, error) {
 	i := len(whole) - len(at.tail)
 	switch x := at.n.(type) {
 	case *table:
@@ -126,7 +128,7 @@ func compileStep(at *pathPos, whole []string, head string, steps []pathStep, pin
 		return routeSteps(steps, pins, x, r, i)
 	case *template:
 		if x.repeat > 1 && !grammar.IsSelector(at.tail[0]) {
-			return steps, repeatLevelError(join(head, grammar.JoinSegments(whole[:i])))
+			return steps, repeatLevelError(join(head, grammar.JoinSegments(whole[headSpans:i])))
 		}
 	}
 	next, err := childNamed(at.n, at.tail[0])
@@ -174,7 +176,7 @@ func callerPathSteps(n node, tail []string, steps []pathStep) ([]pathStep, error
 			continue
 		}
 		var err error
-		if steps, err = compileStep(&at, tail, "", steps, &pins); err != nil {
+		if steps, err = compileStep(&at, tail, "", 0, steps, &pins); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
@@ -339,8 +341,8 @@ func unreachableInChoice(c *choice, want string) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf("not every variant of this %d-way choice carries %q; all carry %v", len(c.items), want, offered)
 }
 
-func provePath(n node, tail []string, head string) error {
-	_, err := (&compiledPath{head: head, tail: tail}).run(n)
+func provePath(n node, tail []string, head string, headSpans int) error {
+	_, err := (&compiledPath{head: head, headSpans: headSpans, tail: tail}).run(n)
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/reference.go b/reference.go
index b9a351c..60e7433 100644
--- a/reference.go
+++ b/reference.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func (t *template) resolveRefs(folder []string, label string, root map[string]no
 			return refs, fmt.Errorf("%s: reference {%s}: %w", label, name, err)
 		}
 		head := "/" + strings.Join(categorySegs, ".")
-		if err := provePath(target, tail, head); err != nil {
+		if err := provePath(target, tail, head, 0); err != nil {
 			return refs, fmt.Errorf("%s: reference {%s}: %w", label, name, err)
 		}
 		refs.categories[head] = target