diff --git a/Objects/clinic/unicodeobject.c.h b/Objects/clinic/unicodeobject.c.h
index 9ef8ce2e35364c..803b5f2353f9e7 100644
--- a/Objects/clinic/unicodeobject.c.h
+++ b/Objects/clinic/unicodeobject.c.h
@@ -858,15 +858,21 @@ PyDoc_STRVAR(unicode_split__doc__,
 "split($self, /, sep=None, maxsplit=-1)\n"
 "--\n"
 "\n"
-"Return a list of the words in the string, using sep as the delimiter string.\n"
+"Return a list of the substrings in the string, using sep as the separator string.\n"
 "\n"
 "  sep\n"
-"    The delimiter according which to split the string.\n"
-"    None (the default value) means split according to any whitespace,\n"
-"    and discard empty strings from the result.\n"
+"    The separator used to split the string.\n"
+"\n"
+"    When set to None (the default value), will split on any whitespace\n"
+"    character (including \\\\n \\\\r \\\\t \\\\f and spaces) and will discard\n"
+"    empty strings from the result.\n"
 "  maxsplit\n"
-"    Maximum number of splits to do.\n"
-"    -1 (the default value) means no limit.");
+"    Maximum number of splits (starting from the left).\n"
+"    -1 (the default value) means no limit.\n"
+"\n"
+"Note, str.split() is mainly useful for data that has been intentionally\n"
+"delimited.  With natural text that includes punctuation, consider using\n"
+"the regular expression module.");
 
 #define UNICODE_SPLIT_METHODDEF    \
     {"split", (PyCFunction)(void(*)(void))unicode_split, METH_FASTCALL|METH_KEYWORDS, unicode_split__doc__},
@@ -953,17 +959,19 @@ PyDoc_STRVAR(unicode_rsplit__doc__,
 "rsplit($self, /, sep=None, maxsplit=-1)\n"
 "--\n"
 "\n"
-"Return a list of the words in the string, using sep as the delimiter string.\n"
+"Return a list of the substrings in the string, using sep as the separator string.\n"
 "\n"
 "  sep\n"
-"    The delimiter according which to split the string.\n"
-"    None (the default value) means split according to any whitespace,\n"
-"    and discard empty strings from the result.\n"
+"    The separator used to split the string.\n"
+"\n"
+"    When set to None (the default value), will split on any whitespace\n"
+"    character (including \\\\n \\\\r \\\\t \\\\f and spaces) and will discard\n"
+"    empty strings from the result.\n"
 "  maxsplit\n"
-"    Maximum number of splits to do.\n"
+"    Maximum number of splits (starting from the left).\n"
 "    -1 (the default value) means no limit.\n"
 "\n"
-"Splits are done starting at the end of the string and working to the front.");
+"Splitting starts at the end of the string and works to the front.");
 
 #define UNICODE_RSPLIT_METHODDEF    \
     {"rsplit", (PyCFunction)(void(*)(void))unicode_rsplit, METH_FASTCALL|METH_KEYWORDS, unicode_rsplit__doc__},
@@ -1327,4 +1335,4 @@ unicode_new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwargs)
 exit:
     return return_value;
 }
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=f10cf85d3935b3b7 input=a9049054013a1b77]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=c494bed46209961d input=a9049054013a1b77]*/
diff --git a/Objects/unicodeobject.c b/Objects/unicodeobject.c
index 4cea0d8e62e858..8949f1bf8935f6 100644
--- a/Objects/unicodeobject.c
+++ b/Objects/unicodeobject.c
@@ -13220,19 +13220,26 @@ PyUnicode_Split(PyObject *s, PyObject *sep, Py_ssize_t maxsplit)
 str.split as unicode_split
 
     sep: object = None
-        The delimiter according which to split the string.
-        None (the default value) means split according to any whitespace,
-        and discard empty strings from the result.
+        The separator used to split the string.
+
+        When set to None (the default value), will split on any whitespace
+        character (including \\n \\r \\t \\f and spaces) and will discard
+        empty strings from the result.
     maxsplit: Py_ssize_t = -1
-        Maximum number of splits to do.
+        Maximum number of splits (starting from the left).
         -1 (the default value) means no limit.
 
-Return a list of the words in the string, using sep as the delimiter string.
+Return a list of the substrings in the string, using sep as the separator string.
+
+Note, str.split() is mainly useful for data that has been intentionally
+delimited.  With natural text that includes punctuation, consider using
+the regular expression module.
+
 [clinic start generated code]*/
 
 static PyObject *
 unicode_split_impl(PyObject *self, PyObject *sep, Py_ssize_t maxsplit)
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=3a65b1db356948dc input=606e750488a82359]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=3a65b1db356948dc input=906d953b44efc43b]*/
 {
     if (sep == Py_None)
         return split(self, NULL, maxsplit);
@@ -13403,14 +13410,14 @@ PyUnicode_RSplit(PyObject *s, PyObject *sep, Py_ssize_t maxsplit)
 /*[clinic input]
 str.rsplit as unicode_rsplit = str.split
 
-Return a list of the words in the string, using sep as the delimiter string.
+Return a list of the substrings in the string, using sep as the separator string.
 
-Splits are done starting at the end of the string and working to the front.
+Splitting starts at the end of the string and works to the front.
 [clinic start generated code]*/
 
 static PyObject *
 unicode_rsplit_impl(PyObject *self, PyObject *sep, Py_ssize_t maxsplit)
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=c2b815c63bcabffc input=12ad4bf57dd35f15]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=c2b815c63bcabffc input=ea78406060fce33c]*/
 {
     if (sep == Py_None)
         return rsplit(self, NULL, maxsplit);