diff --git a/plugin.py b/plugin.py
index b2c77c6..afaeffc 100644
--- a/plugin.py
+++ b/plugin.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import sqlite3
 import random
 import time
 import datetime
+import unicodedata
 
 class TriviaTime(callbacks.Plugin):
     """
@@ -879,20 +880,22 @@ class TriviaTime(callbacks.Plugin):
             correctAnswerFound = False
             correctAnswer = ''
 
-            attempt = ircutils.toLower(msg.args[1])
+            attempt = str.lower(msg.args[1])
             attempt = self.removeAccents(attempt)
             attempt = self.removeExtraSpaces(attempt)
 
             # was a correct answer guessed?
             for ans in self.alternativeAnswers:
-                normalizedAns = self.removeAccents(ircutils.toLower(ans))
-                normalizedAns = self.removeExtraSpaces(ircutils.toLower(ans))
+                normalizedAns = self.removeAccents(ans)
+                normalizedAns = self.removeExtraSpaces(normalizedAns)
+                normalizedAns = str.lower(normalizedAns)
                 if normalizedAns == attempt and normalizedAns not in self.guessedAnswers:
                     correctAnswerFound = True
                     correctAnswer = ans
             for ans in self.answers:
-                normalizedAns = self.removeAccents(ircutils.toLower(ans))
-                normalizedAns = self.removeExtraSpaces(ircutils.toLower(ans))
+                normalizedAns = self.removeAccents(ans)
+                normalizedAns = self.removeExtraSpaces(normalizedAns)
+                normalizedAns = str.lower(normalizedAns)
                 if normalizedAns == attempt and normalizedAns not in self.guessedAnswers:
                     correctAnswerFound = True
                     correctAnswer = ans
@@ -1018,6 +1021,7 @@ class TriviaTime(callbacks.Plugin):
             for ans in self.answers:
                 if ircutils.toLower(ans) in self.guessedAnswers:
                     continue
+                ans = unicode(ans.decode('utf-8'))
                 if hints != '':
                     hints += ' '
                 if len(self.answers) > 1:
@@ -1055,29 +1059,30 @@ class TriviaTime(callbacks.Plugin):
                     hintsend = ''
                     unmasked = 0
                     if self.registryValue('general.vowelsHint', self.channel):
-                        hints+= self.getMaskedVowels(ansend)
+                        hints+= self.getMaskedVowels(ansend, divider-1)
                     else:
                         hints+= self.getMaskedRandom(ansend, divider-1)
                 if len(self.answers) > 1:
                     hints += ']'
-            return hints
+            return hints.encode('utf-8')
 
-        def getMaskedVowels(self, letters):
+        def getMaskedVowels(self, letters, sizeOfUnmasked):
             charMask = self.registryValue('general.charMask', self.channel)
-            hints = ''
+            hintsList = ['']
             unmasked = 0
-            lettersInARow = 0
+            lettersInARow = sizeOfUnmasked
             for i in range(len(letters)):
                 masked = letters[i]
                 if masked in " -'\"_=+&%$#@!~`[]{}?.,<>|\\/":
-                    hints += masked
-                elif masked in 'aeiou' and unmasked < (len(letters)-1) and lettersInARow < 3:
-                    hints += masked
+                    hintsList.append(masked)
+                elif str.lower(self.removeAccents(masked.encode('utf-8'))) in 'aeiou' and unmasked < (len(letters)-1) and lettersInARow < 3:
+                    hintsList.append(masked)
                     lettersInARow += 1
                     unmasked += 1
                 else:
-                    hints += charMask
+                    hintsList.append(charMask)
                     lettersInARow = 0
+            hints = ''.join(hintsList)
             return hints
 
         def getMaskedRandom(self, letters, sizeOfUnmasked):
@@ -1337,10 +1342,10 @@ class TriviaTime(callbacks.Plugin):
                 schedule.addEvent(event, hintTime, '%s.trivia' % self.channel)
 
         def removeAccents(self, text):
-            replacements = [('á', 'a'),('é','e'),('í', 'i'),('ó','o'),('ú','u'),('ü','u'),('ñ','n')]
-            for a,b in replacements:
-                text = text.replace(a,b)
-            return text
+            text = unicode(text.decode('utf-8'))
+            normalized = unicodedata.normalize('NFKD', text)
+            normalized = u''.join([c for c in normalized if not unicodedata.combining(c)])
+            return normalized.encode('utf-8')
 
         def removeExtraSpaces(self, text):
             return utils.str.normalizeWhitespace(text)
@@ -1388,23 +1393,24 @@ class TriviaTime(callbacks.Plugin):
                 alternativeAnswers = []
                 if ircutils.toLower(question[:4]) == 'kaos':
                     for ans in answers:
-                        answer.append(self.removeAccents(ans.strip()))
+                        answer.append(str(ans).strip())
                 elif ircutils.toLower(question[:5]) == 'uword':
                     for ans in answers:
-                        answer.append(self.removeAccents(ans))
+                        answer.append(str(ans).strip())
                         question = 'Unscramble the letters: '
-                        shuffledLetters = list(ans)
+                        shuffledLetters = list(unicode(ans.decode('utf-8')))
                         random.shuffle(shuffledLetters)
                         for letter in shuffledLetters:
                             question += letter
                             question += ' '
+                        question = question.encode('utf-8')
                         break
                 else:
                     for ans in answers:
                         if answer == []:
-                            answer.append(self.removeAccents(str(ans).strip()))
+                            answer.append(str(ans).strip())
                         else:
-                            alternativeAnswers.append(self.removeAccents(str(ans).strip()))
+                            alternativeAnswers.append(str(ans).strip())
 
                 points = self.registryValue('questions.defaultPoints', self.channel)
                 if len(answer) > 1: