diff --git a/lib-src/make-docfile.c b/lib-src/make-docfile.c
index 72f6ddfd045..81071047446 100644
--- a/lib-src/make-docfile.c
+++ b/lib-src/make-docfile.c
@@ -1182,7 +1182,7 @@ scan_lisp_file (filename, mode)
       else
 	{
 #ifdef DEBUG
-	  fprintf (stderr, "## unrecognised top-level form, %s (%s)\n",
+	  fprintf (stderr, "## unrecognized top-level form, %s (%s)\n",
 		   buffer, filename);
 #endif
 	  continue;