diff --git a/website/docs/configuration/locals.html.md b/website/docs/configuration/locals.html.md
index 33452efd11..54502a288b 100644
--- a/website/docs/configuration/locals.html.md
+++ b/website/docs/configuration/locals.html.md
@@ -14,13 +14,15 @@ earlier, see
 [0.11 Configuration Language: Local Values](../configuration-0-11/locals.html).
 
 A local value assigns a name to an [expression](./expressions.html),
-allowing it to be used multiple times within a module without repeating
+so you can use it multiple times within a module without repeating
 it.
 
-Comparing modules to functions in a traditional programming language:
-if [input variables](./variables.html) are analogous to function arguments and
-[outputs values](./outputs.html) are analogous to function return values, then
-_local values_ are comparable to a function's local temporary symbols.
+If you're familiar with traditional programming languages, it can be useful to
+compare Terraform modules to function definitions:
+
+- [Input variables](./variables.html) are like function arguments.
+- [Output values](./outputs.html) are like function return values.
+- Local values are like a function's temporary local variables.
 
 -> **Note:** For brevity, local values are often referred to as just "locals"
 when the meaning is clear from context.
@@ -37,10 +39,9 @@ locals {
 }
 ```
 
-The expressions assigned to local value names can either be simple constants
-like the above, allowing these values to be defined only once but used many
-times, or they can be more complex expressions that transform or combine
-values from elsewhere in the module:
+The expressions in local values are not limited to literal constants; they can
+also reference other values in the module in order to transform or combine them,
+including variables, resource attributes, or other local values:
 
 ```hcl
 locals {
@@ -51,24 +52,32 @@ locals {
 locals {
   # Common tags to be assigned to all resources
   common_tags = {
-    Service = local.service_name #notice it's "local," no "s."
+    Service = local.service_name
     Owner   = local.owner
   }
 }
 ```
 
-As shown above, local values can be referenced from elsewhere in the module
-with an expression like `local.common_tags`, and locals can reference
-each other in order to build more complex values from simpler ones.
+## Using Local Values
+
+Once a local value is declared, you can reference it in
+[expressions](./expressions.html) as `local.<NAME>`.
+
+-> **Note:** Local values are _created_ by a `locals` block (plural), but you
+_reference_ them as attributes on an object named `local` (singular). Make sure
+to leave off the "s" when referencing a local value!
 
 ```
 resource "aws_instance" "example" {
   # ...
 
-  tags = local.common_tags #notice it's "local," no "s."
+  tags = local.common_tags
 }
 ```
 
+A local value can only be accessed in expressions within the module where it
+was declared.
+
 ## When To Use Local Values
 
 Local values can be helpful to avoid repeating the same values or expressions
diff --git a/website/docs/configuration/variables.html.md b/website/docs/configuration/variables.html.md
index 1632c6e707..294995a76b 100644
--- a/website/docs/configuration/variables.html.md
+++ b/website/docs/configuration/variables.html.md
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@ set their values using CLI options and environment variables.
 When you declare them in [child modules](./modules.html),
 the calling module should pass values in the `module` block.
 
+If you're familiar with traditional programming languages, it can be useful to
+compare Terraform modules to function definitions:
+
+- Input variables are like function arguments.
+- [Output values](./outputs.html) are like function return values.
+- [Local values](./locals.html) are like a function's temporary local variables.
+
 Input variable usage is introduced in the Getting Started guide section
 [_Input Variables_](https://learn.hashicorp.com/terraform/getting-started/variables).
 
@@ -100,6 +107,9 @@ Within the module that declared a variable, its value can be accessed from
 within [expressions](./expressions.html) as `var.<NAME>`,
 where `<NAME>` matches the label given in the declaration block:
 
+-> **Note:** Local values are _created_ by a `variable` block, but you
+_reference_ them as attributes on an object named `var`.
+
 ```hcl
 resource "aws_instance" "example" {
   instance_type = "t2.micro"
@@ -107,7 +117,7 @@ resource "aws_instance" "example" {
 }
 ```
 
-The value assigned to a variable can be accessed only from expressions within
+The value assigned to a variable can only be accessed in expressions within
 the module where it was declared.
 
 ## Type Constraints