diff --git a/src/librustc_passes/dead.rs b/src/librustc_passes/dead.rs
index 2aeec029cc334..db661e7f4d2a5 100644
--- a/src/librustc_passes/dead.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_passes/dead.rs
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ impl Visitor<'tcx> for DeadVisitor<'tcx> {
 
     fn visit_struct_field(&mut self, field: &'tcx hir::StructField) {
         if self.should_warn_about_field(&field) {
-            self.warn_dead_code(field.hir_id, field.span, field.ident.name, "field", "used");
+            self.warn_dead_code(field.hir_id, field.span, field.ident.name, "field", "read");
         }
         intravisit::walk_struct_field(self, field);
     }
diff --git a/src/test/ui/lint/dead-code/lint-dead-code-4.rs b/src/test/ui/lint/dead-code/lint-dead-code-4.rs
index 3f4a9e210401e..8bcb1e5ba8c0d 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/lint/dead-code/lint-dead-code-4.rs
+++ b/src/test/ui/lint/dead-code/lint-dead-code-4.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 struct Foo {
     x: usize,
-    b: bool, //~ ERROR: field is never used
+    b: bool, //~ ERROR: field is never read
 }
 
 fn field_read(f: Foo) -> usize {
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ enum IJK {
     I, //~ ERROR variant is never constructed
     J {
         a: String,
-        b: i32, //~ ERROR field is never used
-        c: i32, //~ ERROR field is never used
+        b: i32, //~ ERROR field is never read
+        c: i32, //~ ERROR field is never read
     },
     K //~ ERROR variant is never constructed
 
@@ -58,9 +58,9 @@ fn field_match_in_patterns(b: XYZ) -> String {
 }
 
 struct Bar {
-    x: usize, //~ ERROR: field is never used
+    x: usize, //~ ERROR: field is never read
     b: bool,
-    c: bool, //~ ERROR: field is never used
+    c: bool, //~ ERROR: field is never read
     _guard: ()
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/ui/lint/dead-code/lint-dead-code-4.stderr b/src/test/ui/lint/dead-code/lint-dead-code-4.stderr
index 8eaf789f8f793..cc00fa4e42afd 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/lint/dead-code/lint-dead-code-4.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/lint/dead-code/lint-dead-code-4.stderr
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-error: field is never used: `b`
+error: field is never read: `b`
   --> $DIR/lint-dead-code-4.rs:7:5
    |
 LL |     b: bool,
@@ -38,13 +38,13 @@ error: variant is never constructed: `I`
 LL |     I,
    |     ^
 
-error: field is never used: `b`
+error: field is never read: `b`
   --> $DIR/lint-dead-code-4.rs:39:9
    |
 LL |         b: i32,
    |         ^^^^^^
 
-error: field is never used: `c`
+error: field is never read: `c`
   --> $DIR/lint-dead-code-4.rs:40:9
    |
 LL |         c: i32,
@@ -56,13 +56,13 @@ error: variant is never constructed: `K`
 LL |     K
    |     ^
 
-error: field is never used: `x`
+error: field is never read: `x`
   --> $DIR/lint-dead-code-4.rs:61:5
    |
 LL |     x: usize,
    |     ^^^^^^^^
 
-error: field is never used: `c`
+error: field is never read: `c`
   --> $DIR/lint-dead-code-4.rs:63:5
    |
 LL |     c: bool,
diff --git a/src/test/ui/union/union-fields-1.rs b/src/test/ui/union/union-fields-1.rs
index 6d76e18cc7e06..edef41de159ba 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/union/union-fields-1.rs
+++ b/src/test/ui/union/union-fields-1.rs
@@ -3,19 +3,19 @@
 union U1 {
     a: u8, // should not be reported
     b: u8, // should not be reported
-    c: u8, //~ ERROR field is never used
+    c: u8, //~ ERROR field is never read
 }
 union U2 {
-    a: u8, //~ ERROR field is never used
+    a: u8, //~ ERROR field is never read
     b: u8, // should not be reported
     c: u8, // should not be reported
 }
-union NoDropLike { a: u8 } //~ ERROR field is never used
+union NoDropLike { a: u8 } //~ ERROR field is never read
 
 union U {
     a: u8, // should not be reported
     b: u8, // should not be reported
-    c: u8, //~ ERROR field is never used
+    c: u8, //~ ERROR field is never read
 }
 type A = U;
 
diff --git a/src/test/ui/union/union-fields-1.stderr b/src/test/ui/union/union-fields-1.stderr
index f848db726f9ef..be145c9496c6c 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/union/union-fields-1.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/union/union-fields-1.stderr
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-error: field is never used: `c`
+error: field is never read: `c`
   --> $DIR/union-fields-1.rs:6:5
    |
 LL |     c: u8,
@@ -10,19 +10,19 @@ note: lint level defined here
 LL | #![deny(dead_code)]
    |         ^^^^^^^^^
 
-error: field is never used: `a`
+error: field is never read: `a`
   --> $DIR/union-fields-1.rs:9:5
    |
 LL |     a: u8,
    |     ^^^^^
 
-error: field is never used: `a`
+error: field is never read: `a`
   --> $DIR/union-fields-1.rs:13:20
    |
 LL | union NoDropLike { a: u8 }
    |                    ^^^^^
 
-error: field is never used: `c`
+error: field is never read: `c`
   --> $DIR/union-fields-1.rs:18:5
    |
 LL |     c: u8,
diff --git a/src/test/ui/union/union-lint-dead-code.rs b/src/test/ui/union/union-lint-dead-code.rs
index cb6415c18a83b..ae5337c618a75 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/union/union-lint-dead-code.rs
+++ b/src/test/ui/union/union-lint-dead-code.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 union Foo {
     x: usize,
-    b: bool, //~ ERROR: field is never used
+    b: bool, //~ ERROR: field is never read
     _unused: u16,
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/ui/union/union-lint-dead-code.stderr b/src/test/ui/union/union-lint-dead-code.stderr
index 79c38a4681445..5fe26dc253844 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/union/union-lint-dead-code.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/union/union-lint-dead-code.stderr
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-error: field is never used: `b`
+error: field is never read: `b`
   --> $DIR/union-lint-dead-code.rs:5:5
    |
 LL |     b: bool,