diff --git a/exercises/practice/phone-number/.meta/example.ex b/exercises/practice/phone-number/.meta/example.ex
index 759d15858e..ae0240d3a5 100644
--- a/exercises/practice/phone-number/.meta/example.ex
+++ b/exercises/practice/phone-number/.meta/example.ex
@@ -36,10 +36,12 @@ defmodule PhoneNumber do
   end
 
   defp validate_length(number) do
-    if String.length(number) in 10..11 do
-      {:ok, number}
-    else
-      {:error, "incorrect number of digits"}
+    length = String.length(number)
+
+    cond do
+      length < 10 -> {:error, "must not be fewer than 10 digits"}
+      length > 11 -> {:error, "must not be greater than 11 digits"}
+      true -> {:ok, number}
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/exercises/practice/phone-number/.meta/tests.toml b/exercises/practice/phone-number/.meta/tests.toml
index ee308c3e59..24dbf07a76 100644
--- a/exercises/practice/phone-number/.meta/tests.toml
+++ b/exercises/practice/phone-number/.meta/tests.toml
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ description = "cleans numbers with multiple spaces"
 
 [598d8432-0659-4019-a78b-1c6a73691d21]
 description = "invalid when 9 digits"
+include = false
+
+[2de74156-f646-42b5-8638-0ef1d8b58bc2]
+description = "invalid when 9 digits"
+reimplements = "598d8432-0659-4019-a78b-1c6a73691d21"
 
 [57061c72-07b5-431f-9766-d97da7c4399d]
 description = "invalid when 11 digits does not start with a 1"
@@ -32,6 +37,11 @@ description = "valid when 11 digits and starting with 1 even with punctuation"
 
 [c6a5f007-895a-4fc5-90bc-a7e70f9b5cad]
 description = "invalid when more than 11 digits"
+include = false
+
+[4a1509b7-8953-4eec-981b-c483358ff531]
+description = "invalid when more than 11 digits"
+reimplements = "c6a5f007-895a-4fc5-90bc-a7e70f9b5cad"
 
 [63f38f37-53f6-4a5f-bd86-e9b404f10a60]
 description = "invalid with letters"
diff --git a/exercises/practice/phone-number/test/phone_number_test.exs b/exercises/practice/phone-number/test/phone_number_test.exs
index ec5b64df47..82fb90cd0d 100644
--- a/exercises/practice/phone-number/test/phone_number_test.exs
+++ b/exercises/practice/phone-number/test/phone_number_test.exs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ defmodule PhoneNumberTest do
 
     @tag :pending
     test "invalid when 9 digits" do
-      assert PhoneNumber.clean("212555010") == {:error, "incorrect number of digits"}
+      assert PhoneNumber.clean("123456789") == {:error, "must not be fewer than 10 digits"}
     end
 
     @tag :pending
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ defmodule PhoneNumberTest do
 
     @tag :pending
     test "invalid when more than 11 digits" do
-      assert PhoneNumber.clean("321234567890") == {:error, "incorrect number of digits"}
+      assert PhoneNumber.clean("321234567890") == {:error, "must not be greater than 11 digits"}
     end
 
     @tag :pending