diff --git a/python/cells.cpp b/python/cells.cpp
index 7105d48c2396c5b081f323e9a5c4f16f9f0af9ec..d591032bbf5ac7205130e2f981d4f76f74865cc8 100644
--- a/python/cells.cpp
+++ b/python/cells.cpp
@@ -525,9 +525,9 @@ void register_cells(pybind11::module& m) {
                 if (rev_pot) dec.paint(region, arb::init_reversal_potential{name, *rev_pot});
             },
             "region"_a, "ion_name"_a,
-            pybind11::arg_v("int_con", pybind11::none(), "Intial internal concentration [mM]"),
-            pybind11::arg_v("ext_con", pybind11::none(), "Intial external concentration [mM]"),
-            pybind11::arg_v("rev_pot", pybind11::none(), "Intial reversal potential [mV]"),
+            pybind11::arg_v("int_con", pybind11::none(), "Initial internal concentration [mM]"),
+            pybind11::arg_v("ext_con", pybind11::none(), "Initial external concentration [mM]"),
+            pybind11::arg_v("rev_pot", pybind11::none(), "Initial reversal potential [mV]"),
             "Set ion species properties conditions on a region.")
         // Place synapses
         .def("place",
diff --git a/test/unit/test_matrix.cpp b/test/unit/test_matrix.cpp
index e3b17d8e5f2710e6336c0718dee3220b3765a3fc..f63bf86fe9473cb4cbb63fe415fa5ce60a9cc664 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_matrix.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/test_matrix.cpp
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ TEST(matrix, zero_diagonal_assembled)
     // Capacitances.
     vvec Cm = {1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3};
 
-    // Intial voltage of zero; currents alone determine rhs.
+    // Initial voltage of zero; currents alone determine rhs.
     array v(7, 0.0);
     vvec area(7, 1.0);