diff --git a/tests/backend/test_piping.py b/tests/backend/test_piping.py
index 3c2f63338e..5a6e658b1c 100644
--- a/tests/backend/test_piping.py
+++ b/tests/backend/test_piping.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def test_pipe_pipe_invalid_data_mocked(mocker, sentinel, mock_run, quiet):
          reason='https://gitlab.com/graphviz/graphviz/-/issues/1269'))])
 def test_pipe(capsys, engine, format_, renderer, formatter, pattern,
               data=b'graph { spam }'):
-    with pytest.deprecated_call(match=r'3 positional args'):
+    with pytest.deprecated_call(match=r'\b3 positional args\b'):
         out = graphviz.pipe(engine, format_, data,
                             renderer, formatter).decode('ascii')
 
diff --git a/tests/backend/test_rendering.py b/tests/backend/test_rendering.py
index ed3531f300..756d0555d3 100644
--- a/tests/backend/test_rendering.py
+++ b/tests/backend/test_rendering.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def test_render_missing_file(quiet, engine='dot', format_='pdf'):
     ids=lambda x: getattr(x, '__name__', x))
 def test_render_unknown_parameter_raises(args, expected_exception, match,
                                          supported_number=3):
-    checker = (pytest.deprecated_call(match=rf'{supported_number:d} positional args')
+    checker = (pytest.deprecated_call(match=rf'\b{supported_number:d} positional args\b')
                if len(args) > supported_number
                else contextlib.nullcontext())
     with pytest.raises(expected_exception, match=match), checker:
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def test_render(capsys, tmp_path, engine, format_, renderer, formatter,
     assert lpath.write_bytes(data) == len(data) == lpath.stat().st_size
     rendered = lpath.with_suffix(f'{lpath.suffix}.{expected_suffix}')
 
-    with pytest.deprecated_call(match=r'3 positional args'):
+    with pytest.deprecated_call(match=r'\b3 positional args\b'):
         result = graphviz.render(engine, format_, str(lpath),
                                  renderer, formatter)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_all_classes.py b/tests/test_all_classes.py
index 3c7f46ae17..122bff1c53 100644
--- a/tests/test_all_classes.py
+++ b/tests/test_all_classes.py
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ def test_save_mocked(mocker, dot, filename='nonfilename', directory='nondirector
     mock_makedirs = mocker.patch('os.makedirs', autospec=True)
     mock_open = mocker.patch('builtins.open', mocker.mock_open())
 
-    with pytest.deprecated_call(match=r'2 positional args\b'):
+    with pytest.deprecated_call(match=r'\b2 positional args\b'):
         assert dot.save(filename, directory) == dot.filepath
 
     assert dot.filename == filename
diff --git a/tests/test_sources.py b/tests/test_sources.py
index c15341798c..5872d0e952 100644
--- a/tests/test_sources.py
+++ b/tests/test_sources.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def test_filepath(platform, source):
 
 def test_from_file(tmp_path, filename='hello.gv', directory='source_hello',
                    data='digraph { hello -> world }', encoding='utf-8',
-                   deprecation_match=r'2 positional args\b'):
+                   deprecation_match=r'\b2 positional args\b'):
     lpath = tmp_path / directory
     lpath.mkdir()
     (lpath / filename).write_text(data, encoding=encoding)