diff --git a/tests/test_queries.py b/tests/test_queries.py
index b307e0c..70205fe 100644
--- a/tests/test_queries.py
+++ b/tests/test_queries.py
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ def test_freq_examples():
 
 
 def test_compatibility():
-    eq_(metanl_word_frequency(':|en'), 1e9)
-    eq_(metanl_word_frequency(':|en', offset=1e9), 2e9)
+    eq_(metanl_word_frequency('the|en'), 1e9)
+    eq_(metanl_word_frequency('the|en', offset=1e9), 2e9)
 
 
 def _check_normalized_frequencies(wordlist, lang):
diff --git a/wordfreq/query.py b/wordfreq/query.py
index c089911..64a6729 100644
--- a/wordfreq/query.py
+++ b/wordfreq/query.py
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ def wordlist_info(connection=None):
         yield {'wordlist': wordlist, 'lang': lang, 'count': count}
 
 
-METANL_CONSTANT = 50291582139.907646
+METANL_CONSTANT = 38328308509.73808
 def metanl_word_frequency(wordlang, offset=0.):
     """
     Return a word's frequency in a form that matches the output of