diff --git a/Doc/library/json.rst b/Doc/library/json.rst
index 2bdc577..8686561 100644
--- a/Doc/library/json.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/json.rst
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
         "json": "obj"
     }
     $ echo '{1.2:3.4}' | python -mjson.tool
-    Expecting property name: line 1 column 1 (char 1)
+    Expecting property name enclosed in double quotes: line 1 column 1 (char 1)
 
 .. highlight:: python3
 
diff --git a/Lib/json/__init__.py b/Lib/json/__init__.py
index ba2bc1d..725b5cd 100644
--- a/Lib/json/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/json/__init__.py
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
         "json": "obj"
     }
     $ echo '{ 1.2:3.4}' | python -m json.tool
-    Expecting property name: line 1 column 2 (char 2)
+    Expecting property name enclosed in double quotes: line 1 column 2 (char 2)
 """
 __version__ = '2.0.9'
 __all__ = [
diff --git a/Lib/json/decoder.py b/Lib/json/decoder.py
index 3174e31..dc1155b 100644
--- a/Lib/json/decoder.py
+++ b/Lib/json/decoder.py
@@ -173,7 +173,8 @@
                 pairs = object_hook(pairs)
             return pairs, end + 1
         elif nextchar != '"':
-            raise ValueError(errmsg("Expecting property name", s, end))
+            raise ValueError(errmsg(
+                "Expecting property name enclosed in double quotes", s, end))
     end += 1
     while True:
         key, end = scanstring(s, end, strict)
@@ -183,7 +184,7 @@
         if s[end:end + 1] != ':':
             end = _w(s, end).end()
             if s[end:end + 1] != ':':
-                raise ValueError(errmsg("Expecting : delimiter", s, end))
+                raise ValueError(errmsg("Expecting ':' delimiter", s, end))
         end += 1
 
         try:
@@ -211,12 +212,13 @@
         if nextchar == '}':
             break
         elif nextchar != ',':
-            raise ValueError(errmsg("Expecting , delimiter", s, end - 1))
+            raise ValueError(errmsg("Expecting ',' delimiter", s, end - 1))
         end = _w(s, end).end()
         nextchar = s[end:end + 1]
         end += 1
         if nextchar != '"':
-            raise ValueError(errmsg("Expecting property name", s, end - 1))
+            raise ValueError(errmsg(
+                "Expecting property name enclosed in double quotes", s, end - 1))
     if object_pairs_hook is not None:
         result = object_pairs_hook(pairs)
         return result, end
@@ -250,7 +252,7 @@
         if nextchar == ']':
             break
         elif nextchar != ',':
-            raise ValueError(errmsg("Expecting , delimiter", s, end))
+            raise ValueError(errmsg("Expecting ',' delimiter", s, end))
         try:
             if s[end] in _ws:
                 end += 1
diff --git a/Lib/json/tool.py b/Lib/json/tool.py
index 6d6558a..1adea31 100644
--- a/Lib/json/tool.py
+++ b/Lib/json/tool.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
         "json": "obj"
     }
     $ echo '{ 1.2:3.4}' | python -m json.tool
-    Expecting property name: line 1 column 2 (char 2)
+    Expecting property name enclosed in double quotes: line 1 column 2 (char 2)
 
 """
 import sys
diff --git a/Modules/_json.c b/Modules/_json.c
index 0924873..2a71b9f 100644
--- a/Modules/_json.c
+++ b/Modules/_json.c
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@
 
             /* read key */
             if (str[idx] != '"') {
-                raise_errmsg("Expecting property name", pystr, idx);
+                raise_errmsg("Expecting property name enclosed in double quotes", pystr, idx);
                 goto bail;
             }
             key = scanstring_unicode(pystr, idx + 1, strict, &next_idx);
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@
             /* skip whitespace between key and : delimiter, read :, skip whitespace */
             while (idx <= end_idx && IS_WHITESPACE(str[idx])) idx++;
             if (idx > end_idx || str[idx] != ':') {
-                raise_errmsg("Expecting : delimiter", pystr, idx);
+                raise_errmsg("Expecting ':' delimiter", pystr, idx);
                 goto bail;
             }
             idx++;
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@
                 break;
             }
             else if (str[idx] != ',') {
-                raise_errmsg("Expecting , delimiter", pystr, idx);
+                raise_errmsg("Expecting ',' delimiter", pystr, idx);
                 goto bail;
             }
             idx++;
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@
                 break;
             }
             else if (str[idx] != ',') {
-                raise_errmsg("Expecting , delimiter", pystr, idx);
+                raise_errmsg("Expecting ',' delimiter", pystr, idx);
                 goto bail;
             }
             idx++;