diff --git a/Doc/tutorial/modules.rst b/Doc/tutorial/modules.rst
--- a/Doc/tutorial/modules.rst
+++ b/Doc/tutorial/modules.rst
@@ -155,23 +155,22 @@
 
 .. index:: triple: module; search; path
 
-When a module named :mod:`spam` is imported, the interpreter searches for a file
-named :file:`spam.py` in the current directory, and then in the list of
-directories specified by the environment variable :envvar:`PYTHONPATH`.  This
-has the same syntax as the shell variable :envvar:`PATH`, that is, a list of
-directory names.  When :envvar:`PYTHONPATH` is not set, or when the file is not
-found there, the search continues in an installation-dependent default path; on
-Unix, this is usually :file:`.:/usr/local/lib/python`.
+When a module named :mod:`spam` is imported, the interpreter first searches for
+a built-in module with that name. If not found, it then searches for a file
+named :file:`spam.py` in a list of directories given by the variable
+:data:`sys.path`.  :data:`sys.path` is initialized from these locations:
 
-Actually, modules are searched in the list of directories given by the variable
-``sys.path`` which is initialized from the directory containing the input script
-(or the current directory), :envvar:`PYTHONPATH` and the installation- dependent
-default.  This allows Python programs that know what they're doing to modify or
-replace the module search path.  Note that because the directory containing the
-script being run is on the search path, it is important that the script not have
-the same name as a standard module, or Python will attempt to load the script as
-a module when that module is imported. This will generally be an error.  See
-section :ref:`tut-standardmodules` for more information.
+* the directory containing the input script (or the current directory).
+* :envvar:`PYTHONPATH` (a list of directory names, with the same syntax as the
+  shell variable :envvar:`PATH`).
+* the installation-dependent default.
+
+After initialization, Python programs can modify :data:`sys.path`.  The
+directory containing the script being run is placed at the beginning of the
+search path, ahead of the standard library path. This means that scripts in that
+directory will be loaded instead of modules of the same name in the library
+directory. This is an error unless the replacement is intended.  See section
+:ref:`tut-standardmodules` for more information.
 
 
 "Compiled" Python files