diff --git a/doc/ffmpeg.texi b/doc/ffmpeg.texi
index b91e9f22f06a224bc589d315b816b26b31c365b6..77ac10d720c11307a68e20935b169abb0e223d70 100644
--- a/doc/ffmpeg.texi
+++ b/doc/ffmpeg.texi
@@ -11,13 +11,7 @@
 
 @chapter Synopsis
 
-The generic syntax is:
-
-@example
-@c man begin SYNOPSIS
-ffmpeg [global options] [[infile options][@option{-i} @var{infile}]]... @{[outfile options] @var{outfile}@}...
-@c man end
-@end example
+ffmpeg [@var{global_options}] @{[@var{input_file_options}] -i @file{input_file}@} ... @{[@var{output_file_options}] @file{output_file}@} ...
 
 @chapter Description
 @c man begin DESCRIPTION
diff --git a/doc/ffplay.texi b/doc/ffplay.texi
index 9886fd82ab7abdec7441a4cc23d4cd60244845a7..0a45a65e1df5e2513a661c181f68e083bfd37796 100644
--- a/doc/ffplay.texi
+++ b/doc/ffplay.texi
@@ -11,11 +11,7 @@
 
 @chapter Synopsis
 
-@example
-@c man begin SYNOPSIS
-ffplay [options] [@file{input_file}]
-@c man end
-@end example
+ffplay [@var{options}] [@file{input_file}]
 
 @chapter Description
 @c man begin DESCRIPTION
diff --git a/doc/ffprobe.texi b/doc/ffprobe.texi
index a5fa5b3fb7f515f491859f26bad4af69cfde6bfe..ba120d8b2ae98b45fbac8f8b0bed154ade4912d8 100644
--- a/doc/ffprobe.texi
+++ b/doc/ffprobe.texi
@@ -11,13 +11,7 @@
 
 @chapter Synopsis
 
-The generic syntax is:
-
-@example
-@c man begin SYNOPSIS
-ffprobe [options] [@file{input_file}]
-@c man end
-@end example
+ffprobe [@var{options}] [@file{input_file}]
 
 @chapter Description
 @c man begin DESCRIPTION
diff --git a/doc/ffserver.texi b/doc/ffserver.texi
index b85c724f18c90998b4dcc41065eeb3ba1ee3b6df..3004d85894c85b9dce8dcae41db73e182a1217b5 100644
--- a/doc/ffserver.texi
+++ b/doc/ffserver.texi
@@ -11,13 +11,7 @@
 
 @chapter Synopsys
 
-The generic syntax is:
-
-@example
-@c man begin SYNOPSIS
-ffserver [options]
-@c man end
-@end example
+ffserver [@var{options}]
 
 @chapter Description
 @c man begin DESCRIPTION