diff --git a/content/programming-guides/encoding.md b/content/programming-guides/encoding.md
index bcd4db81..d0c1dba5 100644
--- a/content/programming-guides/encoding.md
+++ b/content/programming-guides/encoding.md
@@ -323,7 +323,8 @@ message Test4 {
 ```
 
 and we construct a `Test4` message with `d` set to `"hello"`, and `e` set to
-`1`, `2`, and `3`, this *could* be encoded as `` `3206038e029ea705` ``, or
+`3`, `270`, and `86942` (varints of byte length `1`, `2`, and `3`, respectively)
+this *could* be encoded as `` `220568656c6c6f3206038e029ea705` ``, or
 written out as Protoscope,
 
 ```proto