diff --git a/Doc/library/doctest.rst b/Doc/library/doctest.rst
index 75c6ee289a91..c106d5a3383a 100644
--- a/Doc/library/doctest.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/doctest.rst
@@ -696,10 +696,10 @@ special Python comments following an example's source code:
 
 .. productionlist:: doctest
    directive: "#" "doctest:" `directive_options`
-   directive_options: `directive_option` ("," `directive_option`)\*
+   directive_options: `directive_option` ("," `directive_option`)*
    directive_option: `on_or_off` `directive_option_name`
-   on_or_off: "+" \| "-"
-   directive_option_name: "DONT_ACCEPT_BLANKLINE" \| "NORMALIZE_WHITESPACE" \| ...
+   on_or_off: "+" | "-"
+   directive_option_name: "DONT_ACCEPT_BLANKLINE" | "NORMALIZE_WHITESPACE" | ...
 
 Whitespace is not allowed between the ``+`` or ``-`` and the directive option
 name.  The directive option name can be any of the option flag names explained