diff --git a/lib/internal/assert.js b/lib/internal/assert.js
index 74f7e3f7c053c4..b6dd61b657d153 100644
--- a/lib/internal/assert.js
+++ b/lib/internal/assert.js
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ function createErrDiff(actual, expected, operator) {
   const actualLines = inspectValue(actual);
   const expectedLines = inspectValue(expected);
   const msg = READABLE_OPERATOR[operator] +
-        `:\n${green}+ expected${white} ${red}- actual${white}`;
+        `:\n${green}- expected${white} ${red}+ actual${white}`;
   const skippedMsg = ` ${blue}...${white} Lines skipped`;
 
   // Remove all ending lines that match (this optimizes the output for
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ function createErrDiff(actual, expected, operator) {
         printedLines++;
       }
       lastPos = i;
-      other += `\n${green}+${white} ${expectedLines[i]}`;
+      other += `\n${green}-${white} ${expectedLines[i]}`;
       printedLines++;
     // Only extra actual lines exist
     } else if (expectedLines.length < i + 1) {
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ function createErrDiff(actual, expected, operator) {
         printedLines++;
       }
       lastPos = i;
-      res += `\n${red}-${white} ${actualLines[i]}`;
+      res += `\n${red}+${white} ${actualLines[i]}`;
       printedLines++;
     // Lines diverge
     } else if (actualLines[i] !== expectedLines[i]) {
@@ -138,8 +138,8 @@ function createErrDiff(actual, expected, operator) {
         printedLines++;
       }
       lastPos = i;
-      res += `\n${red}-${white} ${actualLines[i]}`;
-      other += `\n${green}+${white} ${expectedLines[i]}`;
+      res += `\n${red}+${white} ${actualLines[i]}`;
+      other += `\n${green}-${white} ${expectedLines[i]}`;
       printedLines += 2;
     // Lines are identical
     } else {