diff --git a/kwant/physics/selfenergy.py b/kwant/physics/selfenergy.py
index 1b5ace68856b8268fbeb177d7be30f82f10182ca..e741a66193ba99cf654c02001d99a4cee336178a 100644
--- a/kwant/physics/selfenergy.py
+++ b/kwant/physics/selfenergy.py
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ def modes(h_onslice, h_hop, tol=1e6):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    (vecs, vecslmbdainv, nmodes, svd) : Modes
+    Modes(vecs, vecslmbdainv, nmodes, svd) : a named tuple
         `vecs` is the matrix of eigenvectors of the translation operator.
         `vecslmbdainv` is the matrix of eigenvectors multiplied with their
         corresponding inverse eigenvalue.  `nmodes` is the number of