diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
index 6901b6693d57..0734602eb050 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -1629,7 +1629,7 @@ def set_major_formatter(self, formatter):
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        formatter : ~matplotlib.ticker.Formatter
+        formatter : `~matplotlib.ticker.Formatter`
         """
         if not isinstance(formatter, mticker.Formatter):
             raise TypeError("formatter argument should be instance of "
@@ -1645,7 +1645,7 @@ def set_minor_formatter(self, formatter):
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        formatter : ~matplotlib.ticker.Formatter
+        formatter : `~matplotlib.ticker.Formatter`
         """
         if not isinstance(formatter, mticker.Formatter):
             raise TypeError("formatter argument should be instance of "
@@ -1661,7 +1661,7 @@ def set_major_locator(self, locator):
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        locator : ~matplotlib.ticker.Locator
+        locator : `~matplotlib.ticker.Locator`
         """
         if not isinstance(locator, mticker.Locator):
             raise TypeError("locator argument should be instance of "
@@ -1679,7 +1679,7 @@ def set_minor_locator(self, locator):
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        locator : ~matplotlib.ticker.Locator
+        locator : `~matplotlib.ticker.Locator`
         """
         if not isinstance(locator, mticker.Locator):
             raise TypeError("locator argument should be instance of "