diff --git a/Lib/test/test_syntax.py b/Lib/test/test_syntax.py
index 99433df73387d0..ece1366076798c 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_syntax.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_syntax.py
@@ -2336,7 +2336,7 @@ def test_error_parenthesis(self):
 
         # Examples with dencodings
         s = b'# coding=latin\n(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa\naaaaaaaaaaa\xb5'
-        self._check_error(s, "'\(' was never closed")
+        self._check_error(s, r"'\(' was never closed")
 
     def test_error_string_literal(self):