diff --git a/examples/pylintrc b/examples/pylintrc
index 97064b3e95..a50908c367 100644
--- a/examples/pylintrc
+++ b/examples/pylintrc
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ ignored-classes=optparse.Values,thread._local,_thread._local,argparse.Namespace
 # of finding the hint is based on edit distance.
 missing-member-hint=yes
 
-# The minimum edit distance a name should have in order to be considered a
+# The maximum edit distance a name should have in order to be considered a
 # similar match for a missing member name.
 missing-member-hint-distance=1
 
diff --git a/examples/pyproject.toml b/examples/pyproject.toml
index d37e9d427e..b342ed2536 100644
--- a/examples/pyproject.toml
+++ b/examples/pyproject.toml
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ ignored-classes = [ "optparse.Values", "thread._local", "_thread._local", "argpa
 # finding the hint is based on edit distance.
 missing-member-hint = true
 
-# The minimum edit distance a name should have in order to be considered a
+# The maximum edit distance a name should have in order to be considered a
 # similar match for a missing member name.
 missing-member-hint-distance = 1
 
diff --git a/pylint/checkers/typecheck.py b/pylint/checkers/typecheck.py
index 51d56ea699..1d8fc4364e 100644
--- a/pylint/checkers/typecheck.py
+++ b/pylint/checkers/typecheck.py
@@ -960,7 +960,7 @@ class TypeChecker(BaseChecker):
                 "default": 1,
                 "type": "int",
                 "metavar": "<member hint edit distance>",
-                "help": "The minimum edit distance a name should have in order "
+                "help": "The maximum edit distance a name should have in order "
                 "to be considered a similar match for a missing member name.",
             },
         ),
diff --git a/pylintrc b/pylintrc
index bd6e8a2e22..78f9e16629 100644
--- a/pylintrc
+++ b/pylintrc
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ ignore-on-opaque-inference=yes
 # of finding the hint is based on edit distance.
 missing-member-hint=yes
 
-# The minimum edit distance a name should have in order to be considered a
+# The maximum edit distance a name should have in order to be considered a
 # similar match for a missing member name.
 missing-member-hint-distance=1