diff --git a/expressions/parser.go b/expressions/parser.go
index 714836f..322a639 100644
--- a/expressions/parser.go
+++ b/expressions/parser.go
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ type parseValue struct {
 	val func(Context) interface{}
 }
 
-// ParseError represents a parse error. The yacc-generated compiler
+// SyntaxError represents a syntax error. The yacc-generated compiler
 // doesn't use error returns; this lets us recognize them.
-type ParseError string
+type SyntaxError string
 
-func (e ParseError) Error() string { return string(e) }
+func (e SyntaxError) Error() string { return string(e) }
 
 // Parse parses an expression string into an Expression.
 func Parse(source string) (expr Expression, err error) {
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func parse(source string) (p *parseValue, err error) {
 	defer func() {
 		if r := recover(); r != nil {
 			switch e := r.(type) {
-			case ParseError:
+			case SyntaxError:
 				err = e
 			case UndefinedFilter:
 				err = e
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func parse(source string) (p *parseValue, err error) {
 	lex := newLexer([]byte(source + ";"))
 	n := yyParse(lex)
 	if n != 0 {
-		return nil, ParseError(fmt.Errorf("parse error in %q", source).Error())
+		return nil, SyntaxError(fmt.Errorf("syntax error in %q", source).Error())
 	}
 	return &lex.parseValue, nil
 }
diff --git a/expressions/parser_test.go b/expressions/parser_test.go
index 59cfeb6..5dc79b9 100644
--- a/expressions/parser_test.go
+++ b/expressions/parser_test.go
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@ var parseTests = []struct {
 }
 
 var parseErrorTests = []struct{ in, expected string }{
-	{"a syntax error", "parse error"},
-	{`%assign a`, "parse error"},
-	{`%assign a 3`, "parse error"},
-	{`%cycle 'a' 'b'`, "parse error"},
-	{`%loop a in in`, "parse error"},
-	{`%when a b`, "parse error"},
+	{"a syntax error", "syntax error"},
+	{`%assign a`, "syntax error"},
+	{`%assign a 3`, "syntax error"},
+	{`%cycle 'a' 'b'`, "syntax error"},
+	{`%loop a in in`, "syntax error"},
+	{`%when a b`, "syntax error"},
 }
 
 func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/expressions/y.go b/expressions/y.go
index b3b14ca..94fec75 100644
--- a/expressions/y.go
+++ b/expressions/y.go
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@ yydefault:
 		{
 			s, ok := yyDollar[1].val.(string)
 			if !ok {
-				panic(ParseError(fmt.Sprintf("expected a string for %q", yyDollar[1].val)))
+				panic(SyntaxError(fmt.Sprintf("expected a string for %q", yyDollar[1].val)))
 			}
 			yyVAL.s = s
 		}
@@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ yydefault:
 			case "reversed":
 				yyDollar[1].loopmods.Reversed = true
 			default:
-				panic(ParseError(fmt.Sprintf("undefined loop modifier %q", yyDollar[2].name)))
+				panic(SyntaxError(fmt.Sprintf("undefined loop modifier %q", yyDollar[2].name)))
 			}
 			yyVAL.loopmods = yyDollar[1].loopmods
 		}
@@ -683,23 +683,23 @@ yydefault:
 			case "cols":
 				cols, ok := yyDollar[3].val.(int)
 				if !ok {
-					panic(ParseError(fmt.Sprintf("loop cols must an integer")))
+					panic(SyntaxError(fmt.Sprintf("loop cols must an integer")))
 				}
 				yyDollar[1].loopmods.Cols = cols
 			case "limit":
 				limit, ok := yyDollar[3].val.(int)
 				if !ok {
-					panic(ParseError(fmt.Sprintf("loop limit must an integer")))
+					panic(SyntaxError(fmt.Sprintf("loop limit must an integer")))
 				}
 				yyDollar[1].loopmods.Limit = &limit
 			case "offset":
 				offset, ok := yyDollar[3].val.(int)
 				if !ok {
-					panic(ParseError(fmt.Sprintf("loop offset must an integer")))
+					panic(SyntaxError(fmt.Sprintf("loop offset must an integer")))
 				}
 				yyDollar[1].loopmods.Offset = offset
 			default:
-				panic(ParseError(fmt.Sprintf("undefined loop modifier %q", yyDollar[2].name)))
+				panic(SyntaxError(fmt.Sprintf("undefined loop modifier %q", yyDollar[2].name)))
 			}
 			yyVAL.loopmods = yyDollar[1].loopmods
 		}
diff --git a/parser/error.go b/parser/error.go
index 2d22be7..b50e78c 100644
--- a/parser/error.go
+++ b/parser/error.go
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package parser
 
 import "fmt"
 
-// An Error is a parse error during template parsing.
+// An Error is a syntax error during template parsing.
 type Error interface {
 	error
 	Cause() error
diff --git a/parser/parser_test.go b/parser/parser_test.go
index 426e2be..78393f7 100644
--- a/parser/parser_test.go
+++ b/parser/parser_test.go
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ var parseErrorTests = []struct{ in, expected string }{
 	{"{% if test %}", `unterminated "if" block`},
 	{"{% if test %}{% endunless %}", "not inside unless"},
 	// TODO tag syntax could specify statement type to catch these in parser
-	// {"{{ syntax error }}", "parse error"},
-	// {"{% for syntax error %}{% endfor %}", "parse error"},
+	// {"{{ syntax error }}", "syntax error"},
+	// {"{% for syntax error %}{% endfor %}", "syntax error"},
 }
 
 var parserTests = []struct{ in string }{
diff --git a/render/blocks.go b/render/blocks.go
index c814fc5..ce80c00 100644
--- a/render/blocks.go
+++ b/render/blocks.go
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func (b blockDefBuilder) Compiler(fn BlockCompiler) {
 // Renderer sets the render action for a control tag definition.
 func (b blockDefBuilder) Renderer(fn func(io.Writer, Context) error) {
 	b.tag.parser = func(node BlockNode) (func(io.Writer, Context) error, error) {
-		// TODO parse error if there are arguments?
+		// TODO syntax error if there are arguments?
 		return fn, nil
 	}
 }
diff --git a/render/compiler_test.go b/render/compiler_test.go
index b1016b1..d7482b5 100644
--- a/render/compiler_test.go
+++ b/render/compiler_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ var compilerErrorTests = []struct{ in, expected string }{
 	{`{% unknown_tag %}`, "unknown tag"},
 	{`{% block %}{% endblock %}`, "block compiler error"},
 	// {`{% tag %}`, "tag compiler error"},
-	// {`{%for syntax error%}{%endfor%}`, "parse error"},
+	// {`{%for syntax error%}{%endfor%}`, "syntax error"},
 }
 
 func TestCompileErrors(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/render/context_test.go b/render/context_test.go
index 18a9577..41dd973 100644
--- a/render/context_test.go
+++ b/render/context_test.go
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ func TestContext(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 var contextErrorTests = []struct{ in, expect string }{
-	{`{% test_evaluate_string syntax error %}`, "parse error"},
-	{`{% test_expand_tag_arg {{ syntax error }} %}`, "parse error"},
+	{`{% test_evaluate_string syntax error %}`, "syntax error"},
+	{`{% test_expand_tag_arg {{ syntax error }} %}`, "syntax error"},
 	{`{% test_expand_tag_arg {{ x | undefined_filter }} %}`, "undefined filter"},
 }
 
diff --git a/tags/control_flow_tags.go b/tags/control_flow_tags.go
index 55a076e..5db38cc 100644
--- a/tags/control_flow_tags.go
+++ b/tags/control_flow_tags.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func (c elseCase) body() *render.BlockNode { return c.b }
 func (c elseCase) test(interface{}, render.Context) (bool, error) { return true, nil }
 
 func caseTagCompiler(node render.BlockNode) (func(io.Writer, render.Context) error, error) {
-	// TODO parse error on non-empty node.Body
+	// TODO syntax error on non-empty node.Body
 	expr, err := e.Parse(node.Args)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func ifTagCompiler(polarity bool) func(render.BlockNode) (func(io.Writer, render
 			test := e.Constant(true)
 			switch c.Name {
 			case "else":
-			// TODO parse error if this isn't the last branch
+			// TODO syntax error if this isn't the last branch
 			case "elsif":
 				t, err := e.Parse(c.Args)
 				if err != nil {
diff --git a/tags/iteration_tags_test.go b/tags/iteration_tags_test.go
index c90d453..66114d0 100644
--- a/tags/iteration_tags_test.go
+++ b/tags/iteration_tags_test.go
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ var iterationTests = []struct{ in, expected string }{
 }
 
 var iterationSyntaxErrorTests = []struct{ in, expected string }{
-	{`{% for a b c %}{% endfor %}`, "parse error"},
+	{`{% for a b c %}{% endfor %}`, "syntax error"},
 	{`{% for a in array offset %}{% endfor %}`, "undefined loop modifier"},
-	{`{% cycle %}`, "parse error"},
+	{`{% cycle %}`, "syntax error"},
 }
 
 var iterationErrorTests = []struct{ in, expected string }{
diff --git a/tags/standard_tags_test.go b/tags/standard_tags_test.go
index 8ac4c0a..33957d4 100644
--- a/tags/standard_tags_test.go
+++ b/tags/standard_tags_test.go
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ import (
 
 var parseErrorTests = []struct{ in, expected string }{
 	{"{% unknown_tag %}", "unknown tag"},
-	{"{% assign v x y z %}", "parse error"},
+	{"{% assign v x y z %}", "syntax error"},
 	{"{% if syntax error %}", `unterminated "if" block`},
 	// TODO once expression parsing is moved to template parse stage
-	// {"{% if syntax error %}{% endif %}", "parse error"},
+	// {"{% if syntax error %}{% endif %}", "syntax error"},
 	// {"{% for a in ar unknown %}{{ a }} {% endfor %}", "TODO"},
 }