diff --git a/Lib/pstats.py b/Lib/pstats.py
index 4396433b7dc..5a2f2d07b36 100644
--- a/Lib/pstats.py
+++ b/Lib/pstats.py
@@ -617,8 +617,8 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
             if line:
                 try:
                     self.stats = Stats(line)
-                except IOError as args:
-                    print(args[1], file=self.stream)
+                except IOError as err:
+                    print(err.args[1], file=self.stream)
                     return
                 self.prompt = line + "% "
             elif len(self.prompt) > 2:
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_file.py b/Lib/test/test_file.py
index ab29932e8f8..5da2da9c0e2 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_file.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_file.py
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ class OtherFileTests(unittest.TestCase):
                 s = str(msg)
                 if s.find(TESTFN) != -1 or s.find(bad_mode) == -1:
                     self.fail("bad error message for invalid mode: %s" % s)
-            # if msg[0] == 0, we're probably on Windows where there may be
+            # if msg.args[0] == 0, we're probably on Windows where there may be
             # no obvious way to discover why open() failed.
         else:
             f.close()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_fileio.py b/Lib/test/test_fileio.py
index 4028927ff09..7f7332ea827 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_fileio.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_fileio.py
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ class OtherFileTests(unittest.TestCase):
                 s = str(msg)
                 if s.find(TESTFN) != -1 or s.find(bad_mode) == -1:
                     self.fail("bad error message for invalid mode: %s" % s)
-            # if msg[0] == 0, we're probably on Windows where there may be
+            # if msg.args[0] == 0, we're probably on Windows where there may be
             # no obvious way to discover why open() failed.
         else:
             f.close()