diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/contour.py b/lib/matplotlib/contour.py
index b67f905426d5..e174fe222b76 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/contour.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/contour.py
@@ -1672,7 +1672,8 @@ def _initialize_x_y(self, z):
           contour(Z,N)
           contour(X,Y,Z,N)
 
-        contour up to *N* automatically-chosen levels.
+        contour up to *N+1* automatically chosen contour levels
+        (*N* intervals).
 
         ::
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tri/tricontour.py b/lib/matplotlib/tri/tricontour.py
index ce113544eb08..8282186d99bf 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tri/tricontour.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tri/tricontour.py
@@ -132,7 +132,8 @@ def _contour_args(self, args, kwargs):
 
           tricontour(..., Z, N)
 
-        contour *N* automatically-chosen levels.
+        contour up to *N+1* automatically chosen contour levels
+        (*N* intervals).
 
         ::