diff --git a/doc/development/documentation/styleguide.md b/doc/development/documentation/styleguide.md
index ea13f6beb113c75c8bf2c2e16ac2f1085d5eda64..cc007def230dc396dd2facc52e9115c265deb834 100644
--- a/doc/development/documentation/styleguide.md
+++ b/doc/development/documentation/styleguide.md
@@ -631,8 +631,8 @@ Additional examples are available in the [Pajamas guide for punctuation](https:/
 
 ### Placeholder text
 
-Often in examples, a writer will provide a command or configuration that is
-complete apart from a value specific to the reader.
+Often in examples, a writer will provide a command or configuration that
+uses values specific to the reader.
 
 In these cases, use [`<` and `>`](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_message#Pattern)
 to call out where a reader must replace text with their own value.