diff --git a/lib/vocabularies/validation/limitLength.ts b/lib/vocabularies/validation/limitLength.ts
index 4d4a25ff0..61eff2cfe 100644
--- a/lib/vocabularies/validation/limitLength.ts
+++ b/lib/vocabularies/validation/limitLength.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import ucs2length from "../../compile/ucs2length"
 const error: KeywordErrorDefinition = {
   message({keyword, schemaCode}) {
     const comp = keyword === "maxLength" ? "more" : "fewer"
-    return str`should NOT have ${comp} than ${schemaCode} items`
+    return str`should NOT have ${comp} than ${schemaCode} characters`
   },
   params: ({schemaCode}) => _`{limit: ${schemaCode}}`,
 }