The C compiler is rather liberal about type checking function arguments, it doesn't check bounds of array indices. There is a stricter checker called lint which won't generate any runnable code. It is a good idea to use lint to check your programs before they are completed. This is done by typing
lint testprog.c
Lint is very good at detecting errors which cause programs to crash at run time. However, lint is very fussy, and generally produces a long list of messages about minor problems with the program. Many of these will be quite harmless. Experience will teach you to distinguish the important messages from those which can be ignored.