1. A method for reducing instruction dependencies for instructions in extended static single assignment (SSA) form that are converted from instructions that utilize superword registers, the method comprising: examining, by a processor, a first instruction stored in memory, identified by a worklist wherein the worklist identifies a first plurality of instructions in the extended SSA form, and wherein each instruction of the first plurality of instructions includes data representing a source, a previous link and a write mask, and produces a data output; examining, by said processor, at least one second instruction identified in the worklist, wherein the output of said at least one second instruction is a source of the first instruction; and translating by said processor the first plurality of instructions into a second plurality of instructions in the extended SSA form, wherein the second plurality of instructions contains fewer instruction dependencies than said first plurality of instructions, wherein said method of translating said first plurality of instructions into said second plurality of instructions further includes: identifying at least one of the first instruction and the at least one second instruction as a phi instruction; and splitting said at least one phi instruction into two or more phi instructions, wherein said method of splitting said at least one phi instruction into two or more phi instructions further includes; determining which components of each phi instruction output are subsequently used together as a source; and deleting each phi instruction and creating as many new phi instructions as there are different component groups subsequently used together as a source.