diff --git a/compose/environment-variables/envvars.md b/compose/environment-variables/envvars.md
index 77b687eeeb..23c22cffad 100644
--- a/compose/environment-variables/envvars.md
+++ b/compose/environment-variables/envvars.md
@@ -43,16 +43,15 @@ the container's name on startup.
 For example, if your project name is `myapp` and it includes two services `db` and `web`, 
 then Compose starts containers named `myapp-db-1` and `myapp-web-1` respectively.
 
-Compose sets the project name using the following mechanisms, in order of
-precedence:
+Compose can set the project name in different ways. The level of precedence (from highest to lowest) for each method is as follows:
 
-- The `-p` command line flag 
-- `COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME`
-- The top level `name:` variable from the config file (or the last `name:` from
+1. The `-p` command line flag 
+2. `COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME`
+3. The top level `name:` variable from the config file (or the last `name:` from
   a series of config files specified using `-f`)
-- The `basename` of the project directory containing the config file (or
+4. The `basename` of the project directory containing the config file (or
   containing the first config file specified using `-f`)
-- The `basename` of the current directory if no config file is specified
+5. The `basename` of the current directory if no config file is specified
 
 Project names must contain only lowercase letters, decimal digits, dashes, and
 underscores, and must begin with a lowercase letter or decimal digit. If the
diff --git a/compose/reference/index.md b/compose/reference/index.md
index 8d97b012e7..27397b2bc1 100644
--- a/compose/reference/index.md
+++ b/compose/reference/index.md
@@ -185,16 +185,15 @@ Status: Downloaded newer image for postgres:latest
 
 ## Use `-p` to specify a project name
 
-Each configuration has a project name. Compose sets the project name using the
-following mechanisms, in order of precedence:
+Each configuration has a project name which Compose can set in different ways. The level of precedence (from highest to lowest) for each method is as follows: 
 
-- The `-p` command line flag 
-- The [COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME environment variable][]
-- The top level `name:` variable from the config file (or the last `name:` from
+1. The `-p` command line flag 
+2. The [COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME environment variable][]
+3. The top level `name:` variable from the config file (or the last `name:` from
   a series of config files specified using `-f`)
-- The `basename` of the project directory containing the config file (or
+4. The `basename` of the project directory containing the config file (or
   containing the first config file specified using `-f`)
-- The `basename` of the current directory if no config file is specified
+5. The `basename` of the current directory if no config file is specified
 
 [COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME environment variable]: ../environment-variables/envvars.md#compose_project_name