diff --git a/extmod/uasyncio/task.py b/extmod/uasyncio/task.py
index 1d5bcc5cf7..1788cf0ed0 100644
--- a/extmod/uasyncio/task.py
+++ b/extmod/uasyncio/task.py
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ class Task:
             return False
         # Can't cancel self (not supported yet).
         if self is core.cur_task:
-            raise RuntimeError("cannot cancel self")
+            raise RuntimeError("can't cancel self")
         # If Task waits on another task then forward the cancel to the one it's waiting on.
         while isinstance(self.data, Task):
             self = self.data
diff --git a/tests/extmod/uasyncio_cancel_self.py.exp b/tests/extmod/uasyncio_cancel_self.py.exp
index 36fcb0a3f4..a34c73460b 100644
--- a/tests/extmod/uasyncio_cancel_self.py.exp
+++ b/tests/extmod/uasyncio_cancel_self.py.exp
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 task start
-cannot cancel self
+can't cancel self