diff --git a/basis/interpolate/interpolate-docs.factor b/basis/interpolate/interpolate-docs.factor
index 41be14d2ae0..768b2e9025e 100644
--- a/basis/interpolate/interpolate-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/interpolate/interpolate-docs.factor
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ HELP: interpolate
 { $examples
     { $example
         "USING: interpolate ;"
-        "\"Bob\" \"Alice\" \"Hi ${1}, it's ${0}.\" interpolate"
+        "\"Bob\" \"Alice\" \"Hi ${0}, it's ${1}.\" interpolate"
         "Hi Bob, it's Alice."
     }
     { $example
diff --git a/basis/interpolate/interpolate-tests.factor b/basis/interpolate/interpolate-tests.factor
index b694878427c..d456ce0a5c9 100644
--- a/basis/interpolate/interpolate-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/interpolate/interpolate-tests.factor
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 USING: interpolate io.streams.string namespaces tools.test locals ;
 IN: interpolate.tests
 
-{ "A B" } [ "A" "B" "${1} ${0}" interpolate>string ] unit-test
-{ "B A" } [ "A" "B" "${0} ${1}" interpolate>string ] unit-test
-{ "C A" } [ "A" "B" "C" "${0} ${2}" interpolate>string ] unit-test
+{ "A B" } [ "A" "B" "${0} ${1}" interpolate>string ] unit-test
+{ "B A" } [ "A" "B" "${1} ${0}" interpolate>string ] unit-test
+{ "C A" } [ "A" "B" "C" "${2} ${0}" interpolate>string ] unit-test
 
 { "Hello, Jane." } [
     "Jane" "name" set
diff --git a/basis/interpolate/interpolate.factor b/basis/interpolate/interpolate.factor
index d8c7c965891..ccfcf6c7f27 100644
--- a/basis/interpolate/interpolate.factor
+++ b/basis/interpolate/interpolate.factor
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ TUPLE: stack-var n ;
             name>> quot call '[ _ @ present write ]
         ] [
             dup stack-var? [
-                n>> 1 + '[ _ npick present write ]
+                n>> vars swap - 1 + '[ _ npick present write ]
             ] [
                 '[ _ write ]
             ] if