diff --git a/Lib/string.py b/Lib/string.py
index 2c3083e221c..a43da327663 100644
--- a/Lib/string.py
+++ b/Lib/string.py
@@ -100,11 +100,11 @@ def rstrip(s):
 # Split a string into a list of space/tab-separated words
 # NB: split(s) is NOT the same as splitfields(s, ' ')!
 def split(s, sep=None, maxsplit=0):
-    """split(str [,sep [,maxsplit]]) -> list of strings
+    """split(s [,sep [,maxsplit]]) -> list of strings
 
     Return a list of the words in the string s, using sep as the
     delimiter string.  If maxsplit is nonzero, splits into at most
-    maxsplit words If sep is not specified, any whitespace string
+    maxsplit words.  If sep is not specified, any whitespace string
     is a separator.  Maxsplit defaults to 0.
 
     (split and splitfields are synonymous)
diff --git a/Modules/stropmodule.c b/Modules/stropmodule.c
index 4b8a501c316..7a56e3751fe 100644
--- a/Modules/stropmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/stropmodule.c
@@ -117,12 +117,12 @@ split_whitespace(s, len, maxsplit)
 
 
 static char splitfields__doc__[] =
-"split(str [,sep [,maxsplit]]) -> list of strings\n\
-splitfields(str [,sep [,maxsplit]]) -> list of strings\n\
+"split(s [,sep [,maxsplit]]) -> list of strings\n\
+splitfields(s [,sep [,maxsplit]]) -> list of strings\n\
 \n\
 Return a list of the words in the string s, using sep as the\n\
 delimiter string.  If maxsplit is nonzero, splits into at most\n\
-maxsplit words If sep is not specified, any whitespace string\n\
+maxsplit words.  If sep is not specified, any whitespace string\n\
 is a separator.  Maxsplit defaults to 0.\n\
 \n\
 (split and splitfields are synonymous)";