diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/errors/c_extra_rbrace.stderr b/Examples/test-suite/errors/c_extra_rbrace.stderr
index 23bd41f3c..a7b19389d 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/errors/c_extra_rbrace.stderr
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/errors/c_extra_rbrace.stderr
@@ -1 +1 @@
-c_extra_rbrace.i:5: Error: Syntax error. Extraneous '}'
+c_extra_rbrace.i:5: Error: Syntax error. Extraneous closing brace ('}')
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/errors/c_missing_semi.stderr b/Examples/test-suite/errors/c_missing_semi.stderr
index 18befaa1b..9b35037ae 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/errors/c_missing_semi.stderr
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/errors/c_missing_semi.stderr
@@ -1 +1 @@
-c_missing_semi.i:3: Error: Syntax error - possibly a missing semicolon.
+c_missing_semi.i:3: Error: Syntax error - possibly a missing semicolon (';').
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/errors/cpp_extra_brackets.stderr b/Examples/test-suite/errors/cpp_extra_brackets.stderr
index f1fabc78d..901bed6a9 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/errors/cpp_extra_brackets.stderr
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/errors/cpp_extra_brackets.stderr
@@ -1 +1 @@
-cpp_extra_brackets.i:5: Error: Unexpected ')'.
+cpp_extra_brackets.i:5: Error: Unexpected closing parenthesis (')').
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/errors/doxygen_unclosed_tag.stderr b/Examples/test-suite/errors/doxygen_unclosed_tag.stderr
index 759a629ba..9fcdbbbe8 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/errors/doxygen_unclosed_tag.stderr
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/errors/doxygen_unclosed_tag.stderr
@@ -1 +1 @@
-doxygen_unclosed_tag.i:4: Warning 563: Doxygen HTML error for tag b: HTML tag without '>' found.
+doxygen_unclosed_tag.i:4: Warning 563: Doxygen HTML error for tag b: HTML tag without greater-than ('>') found.
diff --git a/Source/CParse/cscanner.c b/Source/CParse/cscanner.c
index ffd03c9ff..44ac39bd3 100644
--- a/Source/CParse/cscanner.c
+++ b/Source/CParse/cscanner.c
@@ -214,13 +214,13 @@ void skip_decl(void) {
     tok = Scanner_token(scan);
     if (tok == 0) {
       if (!Swig_error_count()) {
-	Swig_error(cparse_file, start_line, "Missing semicolon. Reached end of input.\n");
+	Swig_error(cparse_file, start_line, "Missing semicolon (';'). Reached end of input.\n");
       }
       return;
     }
     if (tok == SWIG_TOKEN_LBRACE) {
       if (Scanner_skip_balanced(scan,'{','}') < 0) {
-	Swig_error(cparse_file, start_line, "Missing '}'. Reached end of input.\n");
+	Swig_error(cparse_file, start_line, "Missing closing brace ('}'). Reached end of input.\n");
       }
       break;
     }
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ static int yylook(void) {
     case SWIG_TOKEN_RBRACE:
       num_brace--;
       if (num_brace < 0) {
-	Swig_error(cparse_file, cparse_line, "Syntax error. Extraneous '}'\n");
+	Swig_error(cparse_file, cparse_line, "Syntax error. Extraneous closing brace ('}')\n");
 	num_brace = 0;
       } else {
 	return RBRACE;
diff --git a/Source/CParse/parser.y b/Source/CParse/parser.y
index 6317c1776..8f5428915 100644
--- a/Source/CParse/parser.y
+++ b/Source/CParse/parser.y
@@ -2014,7 +2014,7 @@ constant_directive :  CONSTANT identifier EQUAL definetype SEMI {
 		 $$ = 0;
 	       }
 	       | CONSTANT error END {
-		 Swig_error(cparse_file,cparse_line,"Missing ';' after %%constant.\n");
+		 Swig_error(cparse_file,cparse_line,"Missing semicolon (';') after %%constant.\n");
 		 SWIG_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	       }
                ;
@@ -3371,9 +3371,9 @@ c_decl_tail    : SEMI {
                | error {
 		   $$ = 0;
 		   if (yychar == RPAREN) {
-		       Swig_error(cparse_file, cparse_line, "Unexpected ')'.\n");
+		       Swig_error(cparse_file, cparse_line, "Unexpected closing parenthesis (')').\n");
 		   } else {
-		       Swig_error(cparse_file, cparse_line, "Syntax error - possibly a missing semicolon.\n");
+		       Swig_error(cparse_file, cparse_line, "Syntax error - possibly a missing semicolon (';').\n");
 		   }
 		   SWIG_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
                }
diff --git a/Source/Doxygen/doxyparser.cxx b/Source/Doxygen/doxyparser.cxx
index baca52e46..db0fca9f5 100644
--- a/Source/Doxygen/doxyparser.cxx
+++ b/Source/Doxygen/doxyparser.cxx
@@ -1249,13 +1249,13 @@ void DoxygenParser::processHtmlTags(size_t &pos, const std::string &line) {
       // for example <A ...>, <IMG ...>, ...
       if (isEndHtmlTag) {
         m_tokenListIt = m_tokenList.end();
-        printListError(WARN_DOXYGEN_HTML_ERROR, "Doxygen HTML error for tag " + cmd + ": Illegal end HTML tag without '>' found.");
+        printListError(WARN_DOXYGEN_HTML_ERROR, "Doxygen HTML error for tag " + cmd + ": Illegal end HTML tag without greater-than ('>') found.");
       }
 
       endHtmlPos = line.find(">", pos);
       if (endHtmlPos == string::npos) {
         m_tokenListIt = m_tokenList.end();
-        printListError(WARN_DOXYGEN_HTML_ERROR, "Doxygen HTML error for tag " + cmd + ": HTML tag without '>' found.");
+        printListError(WARN_DOXYGEN_HTML_ERROR, "Doxygen HTML error for tag " + cmd + ": HTML tag without greater-than ('>') found.");
       }
       // add args of HTML command, like link URL, image URL, ...
       m_tokenList.push_back(Token(PLAINSTRING, line.substr(pos, endHtmlPos - pos)));