diff --git a/man3/regex.3 b/man3/regex.3
index b6a83271c..368f48d78 100644
--- a/man3/regex.3
+++ b/man3/regex.3
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ All regular expression searching must be done via a compiled pattern
 buffer, thus
 .BR regexec ()
 must always be supplied with the address of a
-.BR regcomp ()
-initialized pattern buffer.
+.BR regcomp ()-initialized
+pattern buffer.
 .PP
 .I cflags
 is the