diff --git a/django/contrib/comments/views/comments.py b/django/contrib/comments/views/comments.py
index 5f540b3dbb..3640da90fe 100644
--- a/django/contrib/comments/views/comments.py
+++ b/django/contrib/comments/views/comments.py
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class PublicCommentManipulator(AuthenticationForm):
         # send the comment to the managers.
         if self.user_cache.comment_set.count() <= settings.COMMENTS_FIRST_FEW:
             message = ngettext('This comment was posted by a user who has posted fewer than %(count)s comment:\n\n%(text)s',
-                'This comment was posted by a user who has posted fewer than %(count)s comments:\n\n%(text)s') % \
+                'This comment was posted by a user who has posted fewer than %(count)s comments:\n\n%(text)s', settings.COMMENTS_FIRST_FEW) % \
                 {'count': settings.COMMENTS_FIRST_FEW, 'text': c.get_as_text()}
             mail_managers("Comment posted by rookie user", message)
         if settings.COMMENTS_SKETCHY_USERS_GROUP and settings.COMMENTS_SKETCHY_USERS_GROUP in [g.id for g in self.user_cache.get_group_list()]: