diff --git a/spec/ruby/core/tracepoint/enable_spec.rb b/spec/ruby/core/tracepoint/enable_spec.rb
index 720adfcd4b..52c2248656 100644
--- a/spec/ruby/core/tracepoint/enable_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/ruby/core/tracepoint/enable_spec.rb
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ describe 'TracePoint#enable' do
               trace.enable(target: -> {}) do
               end
             end
-          }.should raise_error(ArgumentError, /can't nest-enable a targetting TracePoint/)
+          }.should raise_error(ArgumentError, /can't nest-enable a targett?ing TracePoint/)
         end
 
         it "raises ArgumentError if trace point already enabled without target is re-enabled with target" do
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ describe 'TracePoint#enable' do
               trace.enable(target: -> {}) do
               end
             end
-          }.should raise_error(ArgumentError, /can't nest-enable a targetting TracePoint/)
+          }.should raise_error(ArgumentError, /can't nest-enable a targett?ing TracePoint/)
         end
 
         it "raises ArgumentError if trace point already enabled with target is re-enabled without target" do
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ describe 'TracePoint#enable' do
               trace.enable do
               end
             end
-          }.should raise_error(ArgumentError, /can't nest-enable a targetting TracePoint/)
+          }.should raise_error(ArgumentError, /can't nest-enable a targett?ing TracePoint/)
         end
 
         it "raises ArgumentError if trace point already enabled with target is disabled with block" do
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ describe 'TracePoint#enable' do
               trace.disable do
               end
             end
-          }.should raise_error(ArgumentError, /can't disable a targetting TracePoint in a block/)
+          }.should raise_error(ArgumentError, /can't disable a targett?ing TracePoint in a block/)
         end
 
         it "traces events when trace point with target is enabled in another trace point enabled without target" do
diff --git a/test/ruby/test_settracefunc.rb b/test/ruby/test_settracefunc.rb
index f8268ead68..2cf25260cb 100644
--- a/test/ruby/test_settracefunc.rb
+++ b/test/ruby/test_settracefunc.rb
@@ -1991,7 +1991,7 @@ class TestSetTraceFunc < Test::Unit::TestCase
         tp.enable(target: code2){}
       }
     end
-    assert_equal "can't nest-enable a targetting TracePoint", ex.message
+    assert_equal "can't nest-enable a targeting TracePoint", ex.message
 
     # global TP and targetted TP
     ex = assert_raise(ArgumentError) do
@@ -2000,7 +2000,7 @@ class TestSetTraceFunc < Test::Unit::TestCase
         tp.enable(target: code2){}
       }
     end
-    assert_equal "can't nest-enable a targetting TracePoint", ex.message
+    assert_equal "can't nest-enable a targeting TracePoint", ex.message
 
     # targetted TP and global TP
     ex = assert_raise(ArgumentError) do
@@ -2009,7 +2009,7 @@ class TestSetTraceFunc < Test::Unit::TestCase
         tp.enable{}
       }
     end
-    assert_equal "can't nest-enable a targetting TracePoint", ex.message
+    assert_equal "can't nest-enable a targeting TracePoint", ex.message
 
     # targetted TP and disable
     ex = assert_raise(ArgumentError) do
@@ -2018,9 +2018,9 @@ class TestSetTraceFunc < Test::Unit::TestCase
         tp.disable{}
       }
     end
-    assert_equal "can't disable a targetting TracePoint in a block", ex.message
+    assert_equal "can't disable a targeting TracePoint in a block", ex.message
 
-    ## success with two nesting targetting tracepoints
+    ## success with two nesting targeting tracepoints
     events = []
     tp1 = TracePoint.new(:line){|tp| events << :tp1}
     tp2 = TracePoint.new(:line){|tp| events << :tp2}
@@ -2032,7 +2032,7 @@ class TestSetTraceFunc < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
     assert_equal [:tp2, :tp1, :___], events
 
-    # succss with two tracepoints (global/targetting)
+    # succss with two tracepoints (global/targeting)
     events = []
     tp1 = TracePoint.new(:line){|tp| events << :tp1}
     tp2 = TracePoint.new(:line){|tp| events << :tp2}
@@ -2044,7 +2044,7 @@ class TestSetTraceFunc < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
     assert_equal [:tp1, :tp1, :tp1, :tp1, :tp2, :tp1, :___], events
 
-    # succss with two tracepoints (targetting/global)
+    # succss with two tracepoints (targeting/global)
     events = []
     tp1 = TracePoint.new(:line){|tp| events << :tp1}
     tp2 = TracePoint.new(:line){|tp| events << :tp2}
diff --git a/vm_trace.c b/vm_trace.c
index a3dc0fd817..d778f244b1 100644
--- a/vm_trace.c
+++ b/vm_trace.c
@@ -1206,7 +1206,7 @@ rb_tracepoint_enable(VALUE tpval)
     tp = tpptr(tpval);
 
     if (tp->local_target_set != Qfalse) {
-        rb_raise(rb_eArgError, "can't nest-enable a targetting TracePoint");
+        rb_raise(rb_eArgError, "can't nest-enable a targeting TracePoint");
     }
 
     if (tp->target_th) {
@@ -1244,7 +1244,7 @@ rb_tracepoint_enable_for_target(VALUE tpval, VALUE target, VALUE target_line)
     unsigned int line = 0;
 
     if (tp->tracing > 0) {
-        rb_raise(rb_eArgError, "can't nest-enable a targetting TracePoint");
+        rb_raise(rb_eArgError, "can't nest-enable a targeting TracePoint");
     }
 
     if (!NIL_P(target_line)) {
@@ -1445,7 +1445,7 @@ tracepoint_disable_m(VALUE tpval)
 
     if (rb_block_given_p()) {
         if (tp->local_target_set != Qfalse) {
-            rb_raise(rb_eArgError, "can't disable a targetting TracePoint in a block");
+            rb_raise(rb_eArgError, "can't disable a targeting TracePoint in a block");
         }
 
         rb_tracepoint_disable(tpval);