diff --git a/doc/misc/erc.texi b/doc/misc/erc.texi
index 33f35d9b5c6..1e973d9c434 100644
--- a/doc/misc/erc.texi
+++ b/doc/misc/erc.texi
@@ -867,8 +867,8 @@ ERC's auth-source integration}.
 @defun erc-compute-server &optional server
 Return an IRC server name.
 
-This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a non-@code{nil}
-value is found.
+This tries a progressively greater number of default methods until a
+non-@code{nil} value is found.
 
 @itemize @bullet
 @item @var{server} (the argument passed to this function)
@@ -888,8 +888,8 @@ IRC server to use if one is not provided.
 @defun erc-compute-port &optional port
 Return a port for an IRC server.
 
-This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a non-@code{nil}
-value is found.
+This tries a progressively greater number of default methods until a
+non-@code{nil} value is found.
 
 @itemize @bullet
 @item @var{port} (the argument passed to this function)
@@ -910,7 +910,7 @@ This can be either a string or a number.
 @defun erc-compute-nick &optional nick
 Return user's IRC nick.
 
-This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a
+This tries a progressively greater number of default methods until a
 non-@code{nil} value is found.
 
 @itemize
@@ -1010,7 +1010,7 @@ auth-source facility to retrieve a server password, although hitting
 @defun erc-compute-full-name &optional full-name
 Return user's full name.
 
-This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a
+This tries a progressively greater number of default methods until a
 non-@code{nil} value is found.
 
 @itemize @bullet
diff --git a/lisp/erc/erc.el b/lisp/erc/erc.el
index fd2a49c2504..30641c2bd88 100644
--- a/lisp/erc/erc.el
+++ b/lisp/erc/erc.el
@@ -8794,7 +8794,7 @@ Sets the buffer local variables:
 (defun erc-compute-server (&optional server)
   "Return an IRC server name.
 
-This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a
+This tries a progressively greater number of default methods until a
 non-nil value is found.
 
 - SERVER (the argument passed to this function)
@@ -8813,7 +8813,7 @@ non-nil value is found.
 (defun erc-compute-nick (&optional nick)
   "Return user's IRC nick.
 
-This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a
+This tries a progressively greater number of default methods until a
 non-nil value is found.
 
 - NICK (the argument passed to this function)
@@ -8837,7 +8837,7 @@ the user field and use whatever it returns as the server password."
 (defun erc-compute-full-name (&optional full-name)
   "Return user's full name.
 
-This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a
+This tries a progressively greater number of default methods until a
 non-nil value is found.
 
 - FULL-NAME (the argument passed to this function)
@@ -8853,7 +8853,7 @@ non-nil value is found.
 (defun erc-compute-port (&optional port)
   "Return a port for an IRC server.
 
-This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a
+This tries a progressively greater number of default methods until a
 non-nil value is found.
 
 - PORT (the argument passed to this function)