diff --git a/source/lex.tex b/source/lex.tex
index 26f6ccff98..19b93a0a18 100644
--- a/source/lex.tex
+++ b/source/lex.tex
@@ -1366,7 +1366,7 @@
 for non-encodable ordinary and wide character literals assume that
 the specified character lacks representation in
 the ordinary literal encoding or wide literal encoding, respectively, or
-that encoding it would require more than one code unit.
+that encoding the character would require more than one code unit.
 \end{note}
 
 \begin{floattable}{Character literals}{lex.ccon.literal}