Apparatus (10) is provided for decoding variable length code words to recover transform coefficients, such as DCT transform coefficients provided by a high definition television encoder. A first category of the code words has a length of no more than n bits. A second category has a length of greater than n bits. A feedback ROM (22) is used to decode the code words. Code words from the first category are processed by directly addressing a lookup table (80) in the ROM (22). Code words from the second category are processed using multiple passes through the ROM (22), wherein a portion of the data output during a prior pass is fed back (90) to address the memory during a subsequent pass.