diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/utypes.h b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/utypes.h
index f224ae4..8d8f547 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/utypes.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/utypes.h
@@ -385,17 +385,31 @@
 /*===========================================================================*/
 
 /**
- * Error code to replace exception handling, so that the code is compatible with all C++ compilers,
- * and to use the same mechanism for C and C++.
+ * Standard ICU4C error code type, a substitute for exceptions.
  *
- * \par
- * ICU functions that take a reference (C++) or a pointer (C) to a UErrorCode
- * first test if(U_FAILURE(errorCode)) { return immediately; }
+ * Initialize the UErrorCode with U_ZERO_ERROR, and check for success or
+ * failure using U_SUCCESS() or U_FAILURE():
+ *
+ *     UErrorCode errorCode = U_ZERO_ERROR;
+ *     // call ICU API that needs an error code parameter.
+ *     if (U_FAILURE(errorCode)) {
+ *         // An error occurred. Handle it here.
+ *     }
+ *
+ * C++ code should use icu::ErrorCode, available in unicode/errorcode.h, or a
+ * suitable subclass.
+ *
+ * For more information, see:
+ * http://icu-project.org/userguide/conventions
+ *
+ * Note: By convention, ICU functions that take a reference (C++) or a pointer
+ * (C) to a UErrorCode first test:
+ *
+ *     if (U_FAILURE(errorCode)) { return immediately; }
+ *
  * so that in a chain of such functions the first one that sets an error code
  * causes the following ones to not perform any operations.
  *
- * \par
- * Error codes should be tested using U_FAILURE() and U_SUCCESS().
  * @stable ICU 2.0
  */
 typedef enum UErrorCode {