diff --git a/tools/patman/README b/tools/patman/README
index 9922f2a37ae788c9c9b41ceb97a765b822fcfa1b..d4e7f36c3e9cb9b57f036722caa04c652e55e785 100644
--- a/tools/patman/README
+++ b/tools/patman/README
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ will get a consistent result each time.
 How to configure it
 ===================
 
-For most cases of using patman for U-Boot developement patman will
+For most cases of using patman for U-Boot development, patman will
 locate and use the file 'doc/git-mailrc' in your U-Boot directory.
 This contains most of the aliases you will need.
 
diff --git a/tools/patman/patman.py b/tools/patman/patman.py
index 377408d04950733239021551b16841d3d132d2cc..5000b7db25b109f61d5874087d4971dcc3d02d0b 100755
--- a/tools/patman/patman.py
+++ b/tools/patman/patman.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ parser.add_option('-i', '--ignore-errors', action='store_true',
        dest='ignore_errors', default=False,
        help='Send patches email even if patch errors are found')
 parser.add_option('-n', '--dry-run', action='store_true', dest='dry_run',
-       default=False, help="Do a try run (create but don't email patches)")
+       default=False, help="Do a dry run (create but don't email patches)")
 parser.add_option('-p', '--project', default=project.DetectProject(),
                   help="Project name; affects default option values and "
                   "aliases [default: %default]")
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ parser.add_option('--no-tags', action='store_false', dest='process_tags',
 parser.usage = """patman [options]
 
 Create patches from commits in a branch, check them and email them as
-specified by tags you place in the commits. Use -n to """
+specified by tags you place in the commits. Use -n to do a dry run first."""
 
 
 # Parse options twice: first to get the project and second to handle