diff --git a/man/feh.pre b/man/feh.pre
index b70d9481cd6d2347d46816bf6cb12336c3c1b9d9..faedce13304c99f8a304f7adbacf7add0f7a1594 100644
--- a/man/feh.pre
+++ b/man/feh.pre
@@ -1206,7 +1206,7 @@ file
 .
 .It %a
 .
-Information about slideshow state (play/pause)
+Information about slideshow state (playing/paused)
 .
 .It %f
 .
diff --git a/src/help.raw b/src/help.raw
index 0a87b70cee4f4e0bf90854a93f44b78b358a8443..e0fb62a1862ac2fcf921f1fcc48ad5f56ec1f562 100644
--- a/src/help.raw
+++ b/src/help.raw
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ INDEX MODE OPTIONS
                            font is specified, a title will not be printed
 
 FORMAT SPECIFIERS
- %a     information about slideshow state (play/pause)
+ %a     information about slideshow state (playing/paused)
  %f     image path/filename
  %F     image path/filename (shell-escaped)
  %g     window dimensions (\"width,height\") in pixels
diff --git a/src/slideshow.c b/src/slideshow.c
index d9f33de2249c9e4a286c310235edfce699bc8e29..03e8e065ae662671fa3cb7c12e3708ecfd7b5d8f 100644
--- a/src/slideshow.c
+++ b/src/slideshow.c
@@ -399,10 +399,10 @@ char *feh_printf(char *str, feh_file * file, winwidget winwid)
 			switch (*c) {
 			case 'a':
 				if (opt.paused == 1) {
-				   strncat(ret, "pause", sizeof(ret) - strlen(ret) - 1);
+				   strncat(ret, "paused", sizeof(ret) - strlen(ret) - 1);
 				}
 				else {
-				   strncat(ret, "play", sizeof(ret) - strlen(ret) - 1);
+				   strncat(ret, "playing", sizeof(ret) - strlen(ret) - 1);
 				}
 				break;
 			case 'f':