diff --git a/lib/internal/assert/assertion_error.js b/lib/internal/assert/assertion_error.js
index 29c5c966a1d596..18d9951af0ddf0 100644
--- a/lib/internal/assert/assertion_error.js
+++ b/lib/internal/assert/assertion_error.js
@@ -391,10 +391,9 @@ class AssertionError extends Error {
           if (operator === 'deepEqual') {
             res = `${knownOperator}\n\n${res}\n\nshould loosely deep-equal\n\n`;
           } else {
-            const newOperator = kReadableOperator[`${operator}Unequal`];
-            if (newOperator) {
-              const eq = operator === 'notDeepEqual' ? 'deep-equal' : 'equal';
-              res = `${newOperator}\n\n${res}\n\nshould not loosely ${eq}\n\n`;
+            const newOp = kReadableOperator[`${operator}Unequal`];
+            if (newOp) {
+              res = `${newOp}\n\n${res}\n\nshould not loosely deep-equal\n\n`;
             } else {
               other = ` ${operator} ${other}`;
             }