diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20221115-081021.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20221115-081021.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d995a2c4fa7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20221115-081021.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+kind: Fixes
+body: Clarify Error Message for how many models are allowed in a Python file
+time: 2022-11-15T08:10:21.527884-05:00
+custom:
+  Author: justbldwn
+  Issue: "6245"
+  PR: "6251"
diff --git a/core/dbt/parser/models.py b/core/dbt/parser/models.py
index aaf6a0d016e..0a3f87018d9 100644
--- a/core/dbt/parser/models.py
+++ b/core/dbt/parser/models.py
@@ -61,7 +61,11 @@ def visit_FunctionDef(self, node: ast.FunctionDef) -> None:
 
     def check_error(self, node):
         if self.num_model_def != 1:
-            raise ParsingException("dbt only allow one model defined per python file", node=node)
+            raise ParsingException(
+                f"dbt allows exactly one model defined per python file, found {self.num_model_def}",
+                node=node,
+            )
+
         if len(self.dbt_errors) != 0:
             raise ParsingException("\n".join(self.dbt_errors), node=node)