diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.rst b/CONTRIBUTING.rst
index 2c24e62bb4d1acd60579eb0064c0a79c08748d7f..be12afc1552dc2b6d6cb398bc2a456392ef21b9d 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.rst
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.rst
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ Working with the Git repository
 
 The Git repository shall be used as a historic documentation of development
 and as change management. It is important that the Git commit history
-describes waht was changed, by whom and why.
+describes what was changed, by whom and why.
 
 Help and information on Git for beginners are available in the `Git guide`_