diff --git a/pandas/core/frame.py b/pandas/core/frame.py
index 47142daa8b20b..bf9d1cd7d30b9 100644
--- a/pandas/core/frame.py
+++ b/pandas/core/frame.py
@@ -5713,7 +5713,8 @@ def extract_index(data):
                 raw_lengths.append(len(v))
 
         if not indexes and not raw_lengths:
-            raise ValueError('If use all scalar values, must pass index')
+            raise ValueError('If using all scalar values, you must must pass'
+                             ' an index')
 
         if have_series or have_dicts:
             index = _union_indexes(indexes)
diff --git a/pandas/tests/test_frame.py b/pandas/tests/test_frame.py
index 63f92e9fa7a35..8b32b3a641ebb 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/test_frame.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/test_frame.py
@@ -2245,8 +2245,9 @@ def test_constructor_error_msgs(self):
         try:
             DataFrame({'a': False, 'b': True})
         except (Exception), detail:
+            msg = 'If using all scalar values, you must must pass an index'
             self.assert_(type(detail) == ValueError)
-            self.assert_("If use all scalar values, must pass index" in str(detail))
+            self.assert_(msg in str(detail))
 
     def test_constructor_subclass_dict(self):
         # Test for passing dict subclass to constructor