diff --git a/Modules/_weakref.c b/Modules/_weakref.c
index 86bd036cd36..21521150ae5 100644
--- a/Modules/_weakref.c
+++ b/Modules/_weakref.c
@@ -58,9 +58,10 @@ weakref_getweakrefs(PyObject *self, PyObject *object)
 
 
 PyDoc_STRVAR(weakref_ref__doc__,
-"new(object[, callback]) -- create a weak reference to 'object';\n"
+"ref(object[, callback]) -- create a weak reference to 'object';\n"
 "when 'object' is finalized, 'callback' will be called and passed\n"
-"a reference to 'object'.");
+"a reference to the weak reference object when 'object' is about\n"
+"to be finalized.");
 
 static PyObject *
 weakref_ref(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ weakref_ref(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 PyDoc_STRVAR(weakref_proxy__doc__,
 "proxy(object[, callback]) -- create a proxy object that weakly\n"
 "references 'object'.  'callback', if given, is called with a\n"
-"reference to the proxy when it is about to be finalized.");
+"reference to the proxy when 'object' is about to be finalized.");
 
 static PyObject *
 weakref_proxy(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)