open a dictionary file and return a random word

randword.c

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>
/*
  I wrote this as a sort of challenge, I wanted to pass random words into the K&R exercise
  that generates a hash table of key value pairs to see how quickly the hashes stack up on
  one another. I could have easily piped random words to the input, but that's not painful
  at all...
*/
char **opendict(int *,int);
char *randomword();

int main(void)
{
    // randomword can take a size argument which will limit the random word to contain
    // at least size characters.
    printf("%s\n", randomword());
    return 0;
}
char *randomword(int size)
{
    // seems like it would make more sense to return count and pass a pointer to the dict
    // but I'm not sure if that is allowed since I haven't pre-allocated space for dict
    int count;
    char **dict;
    dict = opendict(&count,size);
    srand(clock());
    return dict[rand() % (count-1)];
}
char **opendict(int *count, int size)
{
    // maybe it is more graceful to read the full file in, then let
    // randomword handle filtering the list to the right size and
    // returning the element.
    // That would likely take longer though, since it would have to
    // filter every time it was called (unless it keeps a second
    // copy with the size X, only changing if X changes.
    //
    // The present solution uses less memory.
    FILE *fp;
    static int i;
    static int wordSize;
    static int fileRead;
    static char **words;
    // This fixes a bug, if randomword was called with a parameter, say 10
    // then future runs, even if randomword was changed to have a parameter of 3
    // would only contain a list of words of length >= 10.
    // Now if size is changed, the file is re-read.
    if (wordSize != size)
    {
        fileRead = 0;
    }
    // hopefully, any call to opendict will return the words pointer
    // without re-opening the dict file again and again
    if (fileRead == 0)
    {
        i = 0;
        char word[50];
        words = malloc(sizeof(char *));
        fp = fopen("/usr/share/dict/web2", "r");
        while (fscanf(fp,"%s", word) == 1)
        {
            if (strlen(word) >= size)
            {
                words[i] = strdup(word);
                i++;
                words = realloc(words, sizeof(char *)*(i+1));
            }
        }
        fclose(fp);
        wordSize = size;
    }
    *count = fileRead = i;
    return words; 
}