diff --git a/doc/syntax/literals.rdoc b/doc/syntax/literals.rdoc
index f49097268d..c9873f3271 100644
--- a/doc/syntax/literals.rdoc
+++ b/doc/syntax/literals.rdoc
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ Any expression may be placed inside the interpolated section, but it's best to
 keep the expression small for readability.
 
 You can also use <tt>#@foo</tt>, <tt>#@@foo</tt> and <tt>#$foo</tt> as a
-shorthand for, respentively, <tt>#{ @foo }</tt>, <tt>#{ @@foo }</tt> and
+shorthand for, respectively, <tt>#{ @foo }</tt>, <tt>#{ @@foo }</tt> and
 <tt>#{ $foo }</tt>.
 
 Interpolation may be disabled by escaping the "#" character or using