diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/examples/constraints.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/examples/constraints.go
index 4d7f70313a..fb01be56a2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/examples/constraints.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/examples/constraints.go
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ type (
 type (
 	_[T interface{ *T } ] struct{}        // ok
 	_[T interface{ int | *T } ] struct{}  // ok
-	_[T interface{ T /* ERROR cannot embed a type parameter */ } ] struct{}
-	_[T interface{ ~T /* ERROR cannot embed a type parameter */ } ] struct{}
-	_[T interface{ int|T /* ERROR cannot embed a type parameter */ }] struct{}
+	_[T interface{ T /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ } ] struct{}
+	_[T interface{ ~T /* ERROR type in term ~T cannot be a type parameter */ } ] struct{}
+	_[T interface{ int|T /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }] struct{}
 )
 
 // Multiple embedded union elements are intersected. The order in which they
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue39948.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue39948.go
index e38e57268d..c893cc049e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue39948.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue39948.go
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@
 package p
 
 type T[P any] interface{
-	P // ERROR cannot embed a type parameter
+	P // ERROR term cannot be a type parameter
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue47127.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue47127.go
index 108d600a38..bb4b487eb2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue47127.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/testdata/fixedbugs/issue47127.go
@@ -8,30 +8,30 @@ package p
 
 type (
         _[P any] interface{ *P | []P | chan P | map[string]P }
-        _[P any] interface{ P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-        _[P any] interface{ ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-        _[P any] interface{ int | P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-        _[P any] interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
+        _[P any] interface{ P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }
+        _[P any] interface{ ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }
+        _[P any] interface{ int | P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }
+        _[P any] interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }
 )
 
 func _[P any]() {
         type (
                 _[P any] interface{ *P | []P | chan P | map[string]P }
-                _[P any] interface{ P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-                _[P any] interface{ ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-                _[P any] interface{ int | P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-                _[P any] interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
+                _[P any] interface{ P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }
+                _[P any] interface{ ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }
+                _[P any] interface{ int | P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }
+                _[P any] interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }
 
                 _ interface{ *P | []P | chan P | map[string]P }
-                _ interface{ P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-                _ interface{ ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-                _ interface{ int | P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-                _ interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
+                _ interface{ P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }
+                _ interface{ ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }
+                _ interface{ int | P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }
+                _ interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }
         )
 }
 
 func _[P any, Q interface{ *P | []P | chan P | map[string]P }]() {}
-func _[P any, Q interface{ P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }]() {}
-func _[P any, Q interface{ ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }]() {}
-func _[P any, Q interface{ int | P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }]() {}
-func _[P any, Q interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }]() {}
+func _[P any, Q interface{ P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }]() {}
+func _[P any, Q interface{ ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }]() {}
+func _[P any, Q interface{ int | P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }]() {}
+func _[P any, Q interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }]() {}
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/union.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/union.go
index 132e73098a..57f1a4fe2a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/union.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/union.go
@@ -148,7 +148,11 @@ func parseTilde(check *Checker, tx syntax.Expr) *Term {
 	// simply use its underlying type (like we do for other named, embedded interfaces),
 	// and since the underlying type is an interface the embedding is well defined.
 	if isTypeParam(typ) {
-		check.error(x, "cannot embed a type parameter")
+		if tilde {
+			check.errorf(x, "type in term %s cannot be a type parameter", tx)
+		} else {
+			check.error(x, "term cannot be a type parameter")
+		}
 		typ = Typ[Invalid]
 	}
 	term := NewTerm(tilde, typ)
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/examples/constraints.go b/src/go/types/testdata/examples/constraints.go
index 4d7f70313a..fb01be56a2 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/examples/constraints.go
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/examples/constraints.go
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ type (
 type (
 	_[T interface{ *T } ] struct{}        // ok
 	_[T interface{ int | *T } ] struct{}  // ok
-	_[T interface{ T /* ERROR cannot embed a type parameter */ } ] struct{}
-	_[T interface{ ~T /* ERROR cannot embed a type parameter */ } ] struct{}
-	_[T interface{ int|T /* ERROR cannot embed a type parameter */ }] struct{}
+	_[T interface{ T /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ } ] struct{}
+	_[T interface{ ~T /* ERROR type in term ~T cannot be a type parameter */ } ] struct{}
+	_[T interface{ int|T /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }] struct{}
 )
 
 // Multiple embedded union elements are intersected. The order in which they
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue39948.go b/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue39948.go
index e38e57268d..c893cc049e 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue39948.go
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue39948.go
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@
 package p
 
 type T[P any] interface{
-	P // ERROR cannot embed a type parameter
+	P // ERROR term cannot be a type parameter
 }
diff --git a/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue47127.go b/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue47127.go
index 108d600a38..bb4b487eb2 100644
--- a/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue47127.go
+++ b/src/go/types/testdata/fixedbugs/issue47127.go
@@ -8,30 +8,30 @@ package p
 
 type (
         _[P any] interface{ *P | []P | chan P | map[string]P }
-        _[P any] interface{ P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-        _[P any] interface{ ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-        _[P any] interface{ int | P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-        _[P any] interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
+        _[P any] interface{ P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }
+        _[P any] interface{ ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }
+        _[P any] interface{ int | P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }
+        _[P any] interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }
 )
 
 func _[P any]() {
         type (
                 _[P any] interface{ *P | []P | chan P | map[string]P }
-                _[P any] interface{ P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-                _[P any] interface{ ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-                _[P any] interface{ int | P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-                _[P any] interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
+                _[P any] interface{ P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }
+                _[P any] interface{ ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }
+                _[P any] interface{ int | P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }
+                _[P any] interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }
 
                 _ interface{ *P | []P | chan P | map[string]P }
-                _ interface{ P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-                _ interface{ ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-                _ interface{ int | P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
-                _ interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }
+                _ interface{ P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }
+                _ interface{ ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }
+                _ interface{ int | P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }
+                _ interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }
         )
 }
 
 func _[P any, Q interface{ *P | []P | chan P | map[string]P }]() {}
-func _[P any, Q interface{ P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }]() {}
-func _[P any, Q interface{ ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }]() {}
-func _[P any, Q interface{ int | P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }]() {}
-func _[P any, Q interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR "cannot embed a type parameter" */ }]() {}
+func _[P any, Q interface{ P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }]() {}
+func _[P any, Q interface{ ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }]() {}
+func _[P any, Q interface{ int | P /* ERROR term cannot be a type parameter */ }]() {}
+func _[P any, Q interface{ int | ~P /* ERROR type in term ~P cannot be a type parameter */ }]() {}
diff --git a/src/go/types/union.go b/src/go/types/union.go
index 1a8825fcab..b288dfab5c 100644
--- a/src/go/types/union.go
+++ b/src/go/types/union.go
@@ -151,7 +151,11 @@ func parseTilde(check *Checker, tx ast.Expr) *Term {
 	// simply use its underlying type (like we do for other named, embedded interfaces),
 	// and since the underlying type is an interface the embedding is well defined.
 	if isTypeParam(typ) {
-		check.error(x, _MisplacedTypeParam, "cannot embed a type parameter")
+		if tilde {
+			check.errorf(x, _MisplacedTypeParam, "type in term %s cannot be a type parameter", tx)
+		} else {
+			check.error(x, _MisplacedTypeParam, "term cannot be a type parameter")
+		}
 		typ = Typ[Invalid]
 	}
 	term := NewTerm(tilde, typ)