diff --git a/lib/internal/child_process.js b/lib/internal/child_process.js
index 216a2fb85a0efe..5afb01b652e4c4 100644
--- a/lib/internal/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/internal/child_process.js
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ ChildProcess.prototype.spawn = function(options) {
       options.envPairs = [];
     else if (!Array.isArray(options.envPairs)) {
       throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'options.envPairs',
-                                 'array', options.envPairs);
+                                 'Array', options.envPairs);
     }
 
     options.envPairs.push('NODE_CHANNEL_FD=' + ipcFd);
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ ChildProcess.prototype.spawn = function(options) {
   else if (options.args === undefined)
     this.spawnargs = [];
   else
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'options.args', 'array',
+    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'options.args', 'Array',
                                options.args);
 
   var err = this._handle.spawn(options);
diff --git a/lib/path.js b/lib/path.js
index 456510b2817e16..90f73a6f7c2809 100644
--- a/lib/path.js
+++ b/lib/path.js
@@ -959,7 +959,7 @@ const win32 = {
 
   format: function format(pathObject) {
     if (pathObject === null || typeof pathObject !== 'object') {
-      throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'pathObject', 'Object',
+      throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'pathObject', 'object',
                                  pathObject);
     }
     return _format('\\', pathObject);
@@ -1502,7 +1502,7 @@ const posix = {
 
   format: function format(pathObject) {
     if (pathObject === null || typeof pathObject !== 'object') {
-      throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'pathObject', 'Object',
+      throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'pathObject', 'object',
                                  pathObject);
     }
     return _format('/', pathObject);
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert.js b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
index d4a1b277bcc195..854924bf461ee8 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
@@ -676,7 +676,14 @@ try {
 {
   // Verify that throws() and doesNotThrow() throw on non-function block
   function typeName(value) {
-    return value === null ? 'null' : typeof value;
+    if (value == null) {
+      return value;
+    }
+    const type = typeof value;
+    if (type !== 'object') {
+      return `type ${type}`;
+    }
+    return `instance of ${value.constructor.name}`;
   }
 
   const testBlockTypeError = (method, block) => {
@@ -690,7 +697,7 @@ try {
         code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
         type: TypeError,
         message: 'The "block" argument must be of type function. Received ' +
-                 'type ' + typeName(block)
+                 typeName(block)
       })(e);
     }
 
@@ -732,7 +739,7 @@ assert.throws(() => {
 {
   // bad args to AssertionError constructor should throw TypeError
   const args = [1, true, false, '', null, Infinity, Symbol('test'), undefined];
-  const re = /^The "options" argument must be of type object$/;
+  const re = /^The "options" argument must be of type object\. Received /;
   args.forEach((input) => {
     assert.throws(
       () => new assert.AssertionError(input),
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-child-process-constructor.js b/test/parallel/test-child-process-constructor.js
index ea81f806060cb6..b11f9e900cd6fc 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-child-process-constructor.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-child-process-constructor.js
@@ -6,7 +6,14 @@ const { ChildProcess } = require('child_process');
 assert.strictEqual(typeof ChildProcess, 'function');
 
 function typeName(value) {
-  return value === null ? 'null' : typeof value;
+  if (value == null) {
+    return value;
+  }
+  const type = typeof value;
+  if (type !== 'object') {
+    return `type ${type}`;
+  }
+  return `instance of ${value.constructor.name}`;
 }
 
 {
@@ -19,7 +26,7 @@ function typeName(value) {
     }, common.expectsError({
       code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
       type: TypeError,
-      message: 'The "options" argument must be of type object. Received type ' +
+      message: 'The "options" argument must be of type object. Received ' +
                typeName(options)
     }));
   });
@@ -36,7 +43,7 @@ function typeName(value) {
       code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
       type: TypeError,
       message: 'The "options.file" property must be of type string. Received ' +
-               'type ' + typeName(file)
+               typeName(file)
     }));
   });
 }
@@ -51,8 +58,8 @@ function typeName(value) {
     }, common.expectsError({
       code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
       type: TypeError,
-      message: 'The "options.envPairs" property must be of type array. ' +
-               'Received type ' + typeName(envPairs)
+      message: 'The "options.envPairs" property must be instance of Array. ' +
+               'Received ' + typeName(envPairs)
     }));
   });
 }
@@ -67,8 +74,8 @@ function typeName(value) {
     }, common.expectsError({
       code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
       type: TypeError,
-      message: 'The "options.args" property must be of type array. Received ' +
-               'type ' + typeName(args)
+      message: 'The "options.args" property must be instance of Array. ' +
+               'Received ' + typeName(args)
     }));
   });
 }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-dgram-send-address-types.js b/test/parallel/test-dgram-send-address-types.js
index 6b26c23a266558..5bc8a0fb98a593 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-dgram-send-address-types.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-dgram-send-address-types.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const onMessage = common.mustCall((err, bytes) => {
 const expectedError = { code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
                         type: TypeError,
                         message:
-  /^The "address" argument must be one of type string or falsy$/
+  /^The "address" argument must be of type string or falsy\. Received /
 };
 
 const client = dgram.createSocket('udp4').bind(0, () => {
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-dgram-sendto.js b/test/parallel/test-dgram-sendto.js
index c922dc1039e732..7866e1b1068d15 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-dgram-sendto.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-dgram-sendto.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const dgram = require('dgram');
 const socket = dgram.createSocket('udp4');
 
 const errorMessageOffset =
-  /^The "offset" argument must be of type number$/;
+  /^The "offset" argument must be of type number\. Received /;
 
 assert.throws(() => {
   socket.sendto();
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ assert.throws(() => {
 }, common.expectsError({
   code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
   type: TypeError,
-  message: /^The "length" argument must be of type number$/
+  message: /^The "length" argument must be of type number\. Received /
 }));
 
 assert.throws(() => {
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ assert.throws(() => {
 }, common.expectsError({
   code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
   type: TypeError,
-  message: /^The "address" argument must be of type string$/
+  message: /^The "address" argument must be of type string\. Received /
 }));
 
 assert.throws(() => {
@@ -44,5 +44,5 @@ assert.throws(() => {
 }, common.expectsError({
   code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
   type: TypeError,
-  message: /^The "port" argument must be of type number$/
+  message: /^The "port" argument must be of type number\. Received /
 }));
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-internal-errors.js b/test/parallel/test-internal-errors.js
index 8e06bab34944a1..d01617736d89ff 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-internal-errors.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-internal-errors.js
@@ -181,24 +181,42 @@ assert.throws(() => {
 }));
 
 // // Test ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE
-assert.strictEqual(errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', ['a', 'b']),
-                   'The "a" argument must be of type b');
-assert.strictEqual(errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', ['a', ['b']]),
-                   'The "a" argument must be of type b');
-assert.strictEqual(errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', ['a', ['b', 'c']]),
-                   'The "a" argument must be one of type b or c');
-assert.strictEqual(errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
-                                  ['a', ['b', 'c', 'd']]),
-                   'The "a" argument must be one of type b, c, or d');
-assert.strictEqual(errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', ['a', 'b', 'c']),
-                   'The "a" argument must be of type b. Received type string');
-assert.strictEqual(errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
-                                  ['a', 'b', undefined]),
-                   'The "a" argument must be of type b. Received type ' +
-                   'undefined');
-assert.strictEqual(errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
-                                  ['a', 'b', null]),
-                   'The "a" argument must be of type b. Received type null');
+const specialArray = [];
+Object.defineProperty(specialArray, 'constructor', {
+  enumerable: false,
+  configurable: false,
+  writable: false,
+  value: null
+});
+assert.strictEqual(
+  errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', ['a', 'b', specialArray]),
+  'The "a" argument must be of type b. Received a plain object'
+);
+assert.strictEqual(
+  errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', ['a', ['b'], new Error()]),
+  'The "a" argument must be of type b. Received instance of Error'
+);
+assert.strictEqual(
+  errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
+                 ['a', ['b', 'Array'], Object.create(null)]),
+  'The "a" argument must be of type b or Array. Received a plain object'
+);
+assert.strictEqual(
+  errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', ['a', ['Array', 'c', 'd'], null]),
+  'The "a" argument must be instance of Array, c, or d. Received null'
+);
+assert.strictEqual(
+  errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', ['a', 'B', 'c']),
+  'The "a" argument must be instance of B. Received type string'
+);
+assert.strictEqual(
+  errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', ['a', 'b', undefined]),
+  'The "a" argument must be of type b. Received undefined'
+);
+assert.strictEqual(
+  errors.message('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', ['a', 'b', /a/]),
+  'The "a" argument must be of type b. Received instance of RegExp'
+);
 
 // Test ERR_INVALID_URL_SCHEME
 assert.strictEqual(errors.message('ERR_INVALID_URL_SCHEME', ['file']),
@@ -206,9 +224,9 @@ assert.strictEqual(errors.message('ERR_INVALID_URL_SCHEME', ['file']),
 assert.strictEqual(errors.message('ERR_INVALID_URL_SCHEME', [['file']]),
                    'The URL must be of scheme file');
 assert.strictEqual(errors.message('ERR_INVALID_URL_SCHEME', [['http', 'ftp']]),
-                   'The URL must be one of scheme http or ftp');
+                   'The URL must be of scheme http or ftp');
 assert.strictEqual(errors.message('ERR_INVALID_URL_SCHEME', [['a', 'b', 'c']]),
-                   'The URL must be one of scheme a, b, or c');
+                   'The URL must be of scheme a, b, or c');
 assert.throws(
   () => errors.message('ERR_INVALID_URL_SCHEME', [[]]),
   common.expectsError({
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-path-parse-format.js b/test/parallel/test-path-parse-format.js
index b253249472cb08..5e44e35f6616ab 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-path-parse-format.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-path-parse-format.js
@@ -209,7 +209,14 @@ function checkFormat(path, testCases) {
   });
 
   function typeName(value) {
-    return value === null ? 'null' : typeof value;
+    if (value == null) {
+      return value;
+    }
+    const type = typeof value;
+    if (type !== 'object') {
+      return `type ${type}`;
+    }
+    return `instance of ${value.constructor.name}`;
   }
 
   [null, undefined, 1, true, false, 'string'].forEach((pathObject) => {
@@ -218,8 +225,8 @@ function checkFormat(path, testCases) {
     }, common.expectsError({
       code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
       type: TypeError,
-      message: 'The "pathObject" argument must be of type Object. Received ' +
-               'type ' + typeName(pathObject)
+      message: 'The "pathObject" argument must be of type object. Received ' +
+               typeName(pathObject)
     }));
   });
 }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-process-hrtime.js b/test/parallel/test-process-hrtime.js
index faf05fef112cb7..5ce5da6bba665e 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-process-hrtime.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-process-hrtime.js
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ assert.throws(() => {
 }, common.expectsError({
   code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
   type: TypeError,
-  message: 'The "time" argument must be of type Array. Received type number'
+  message: 'The "time" argument must be instance of Array. ' +
+    'Received type number'
 }));
 assert.throws(() => {
   process.hrtime([]);
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-url-format-invalid-input.js b/test/parallel/test-url-format-invalid-input.js
index cc4f6bdc0f178c..b641762b6a52b8 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-url-format-invalid-input.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-url-format-invalid-input.js
@@ -6,19 +6,19 @@ const url = require('url');
 const throwsObjsAndReportTypes = new Map([
   [undefined, 'undefined'],
   [null, 'null'],
-  [true, 'boolean'],
-  [false, 'boolean'],
-  [0, 'number'],
-  [function() {}, 'function'],
-  [Symbol('foo'), 'symbol']
+  [true, 'type boolean'],
+  [false, 'type boolean'],
+  [0, 'type number'],
+  [function() {}, 'type function'],
+  [Symbol('foo'), 'type symbol']
 ]);
 
 for (const [urlObject, type] of throwsObjsAndReportTypes) {
   const error = common.expectsError({
     code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
     type: TypeError,
-    message: 'The "urlObject" argument must be one of type object or string. ' +
-             `Received type ${type}`
+    message: 'The "urlObject" argument must be of type object or string. ' +
+             `Received ${type}`
   });
   assert.throws(function() { url.format(urlObject); }, error);
 }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-url-format-whatwg.js b/test/parallel/test-url-format-whatwg.js
index d6afe46426b2ac..8c30258c2153a6 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-url-format-whatwg.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-url-format-whatwg.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ assert.strictEqual(
   const expectedErr = common.expectsError({
     code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
     type: TypeError,
-    message: 'The "options" argument must be of type object'
+    message: /^The "options" argument must be of type object\. Received /
   }, 4);
   assert.throws(() => url.format(myURL, true), expectedErr);
   assert.throws(() => url.format(myURL, 1), expectedErr);
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-url-parse-invalid-input.js b/test/parallel/test-url-parse-invalid-input.js
index 86751a2935a7bf..1e44ef0e5b2731 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-url-parse-invalid-input.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-url-parse-invalid-input.js
@@ -7,19 +7,19 @@ const url = require('url');
 [
   [undefined, 'undefined'],
   [null, 'null'],
-  [true, 'boolean'],
-  [false, 'boolean'],
-  [0.0, 'number'],
-  [0, 'number'],
-  [[], 'object'],
-  [{}, 'object'],
-  [() => {}, 'function'],
-  [Symbol('foo'), 'symbol']
+  [true, 'type boolean'],
+  [false, 'type boolean'],
+  [0.0, 'type number'],
+  [0, 'type number'],
+  [[], 'instance of Array'],
+  [{}, 'instance of Object'],
+  [() => {}, 'type function'],
+  [Symbol('foo'), 'type symbol']
 ].forEach(([val, type]) => {
   const error = common.expectsError({
     code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
     type: TypeError,
-    message: `The "url" argument must be of type string. Received type ${type}`
+    message: `The "url" argument must be of type string. Received ${type}`
   });
   assert.throws(() => { url.parse(val); }, error);
 });
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-util-callbackify.js b/test/parallel/test-util-callbackify.js
index 68ffc6e9207e23..18872d20bc2842 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-util-callbackify.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-util-callbackify.js
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ const values = [
     }, common.expectsError({
       code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
       type: TypeError,
-      message: 'The "original" argument must be of type function'
+      message: /^The "original" argument must be of type function\. Received /
     }));
   });
 }
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ const values = [
     }, common.expectsError({
       code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
       type: TypeError,
-      message: 'The "last argument" argument must be of type function'
+      message: /^The "last argument" argument must be of type function\./
     }));
   });
 }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-util-inherits.js b/test/parallel/test-util-inherits.js
index 31b7e6ad3d6b15..380d607e343993 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-util-inherits.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-util-inherits.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const inherits = require('util').inherits;
 const errCheck = common.expectsError({
   code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
   type: TypeError,
-  message: 'The "superCtor" argument must be of type function'
+  message: /The "superCtor" argument must be of type function/
 });
 
 // super constructor
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ assert.throws(function() {
 }, common.expectsError({
     code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
     type: TypeError,
-    message: 'The "superCtor.prototype" property must be of type function'
+    message: /^The "superCtor\.prototype" property must be of type function\./
 })
 );
 assert.throws(function() {
@@ -96,6 +96,6 @@ assert.throws(function() {
 }, common.expectsError({
     code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
     type: TypeError,
-    message: 'The "ctor" argument must be of type function'
+    message: 'The "ctor" argument must be of type function. Received null'
 })
 );
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js b/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js
index 3b3b93dc00353b..4dd74f19f045ef 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js
@@ -1032,7 +1032,7 @@ if (typeof Symbol !== 'undefined') {
   }, common.expectsError({
       code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
       type: TypeError,
-      message: 'The "options" argument must be of type object'
+      message: 'The "options" argument must be of type object. Received null'
   })
   );
 
@@ -1041,7 +1041,7 @@ if (typeof Symbol !== 'undefined') {
   }, common.expectsError({
       code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
       type: TypeError,
-      message: 'The "options" argument must be of type object'
+      message: /^The "options" argument must be of type object\. Received /
   })
   );
 }