Thanks for your feedback and I agree that a complete retry and having to remember the proper directions on a reattempt is a bit harsh.
Perhaps after the rating time is over I'll put in some more time and effort - I could probably just penalize with time and undo the latest word quite easily in the case of missing the loop. I put in almost a continuous 24 hours at the start of the Jam, but I had to work over the weekend so my effort slowed after a fully playable version was ready.