Data are encoded as a systematic or nonsystematic codeword that is stored in a memory such as a flash memory. A representation of the codeword is read from the memory. A plurality of bits related to the representation of the codeword is decoded iteratively. The plurality of bits could be, for example, part or all of the representation of the codeword itself or part or all of the results of preliminary processing of part or all of the representation of the codeword.