diff --git a/compiler/rustc_span/src/edit_distance.rs b/compiler/rustc_span/src/edit_distance.rs
index 259f423865480..4811bb2c35489 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_span/src/edit_distance.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_span/src/edit_distance.rs
@@ -238,8 +238,9 @@ fn find_best_match_for_name_impl(
 }
 
 fn find_match_by_sorted_words(iter_names: &[Symbol], lookup: &str) -> Option<Symbol> {
+    let lookup_sorted_by_words = sort_by_words(lookup);
     iter_names.iter().fold(None, |result, candidate| {
-        if sort_by_words(candidate.as_str()) == sort_by_words(lookup) {
+        if sort_by_words(candidate.as_str()) == lookup_sorted_by_words {
             Some(*candidate)
         } else {
             result