diff --git a/xarray/core/dataarray.py b/xarray/core/dataarray.py
index b1da0ca1448..4e80ef222c2 100644
--- a/xarray/core/dataarray.py
+++ b/xarray/core/dataarray.py
@@ -2692,6 +2692,12 @@ def diff(self, dim: Hashable, n: int = 1, label: Hashable = "upper") -> "DataArr
         difference : same type as caller
             The n-th order finite difference of this object.
 
+        .. note::
+
+            `n` matches numpy's behavior and is different from pandas' first
+            argument named `periods`.
+
+
         Examples
         --------
         >>> arr = xr.DataArray([5, 5, 6, 6], [[1, 2, 3, 4]], ['x'])
diff --git a/xarray/core/dataset.py b/xarray/core/dataset.py
index 7252dd2f3df..52940e98b27 100644
--- a/xarray/core/dataset.py
+++ b/xarray/core/dataset.py
@@ -4879,6 +4879,11 @@ def diff(self, dim, n=1, label="upper"):
         difference : same type as caller
             The n-th order finite difference of this object.
 
+        .. note::
+
+            `n` matches numpy's behavior and is different from pandas' first
+            argument named `periods`.
+
         Examples
         --------
         >>> ds = xr.Dataset({'foo': ('x', [5, 5, 6, 6])})