A system is configured to receive a word on which to perform forward error correction; identify least reliable positions that correspond to encoded bits, within the word, associated with a lowest level of reliability; generate candidate words based on different combinations of inverted encoded bits; identify a pair of candidate words that includes a candidate word and another candidate word, the candidate word includes an inverted most reliable bit of the encoded bits within the candidate word; identify a quantity of errors within the candidate word; determine whether the quantity of errors corresponds to an odd value; invert a parity bit associated with the candidate word when the quantity of errors corresponds to the odd value; select the other candidate word when the parity bit is inverted; and perform forward error correction, on the word, using the other candidate word based on selection of the other candidate word.