diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/spatialite/creation.py b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/spatialite/creation.py
index fb3606f7e9..521985259e 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/spatialite/creation.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/db/backends/spatialite/creation.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class SpatiaLiteCreation(DatabaseCreation):
         database already exists. Returns the name of the test database created.
 
         This method is overloaded to load up the SpatiaLite initialization
-        SQL prior to calling the `syncdb` command.
+        SQL prior to calling the `migrate` command.
         """
         # Don't import django.core.management if it isn't needed.
         from django.core.management import call_command
@@ -31,13 +31,13 @@ class SpatiaLiteCreation(DatabaseCreation):
         self.connection.close()
         self.connection.settings_dict["NAME"] = test_database_name
 
-        # Need to load the SpatiaLite initialization SQL before running `syncdb`.
+        # Need to load the SpatiaLite initialization SQL before running `migrate`.
         self.load_spatialite_sql()
 
-        # Report syncdb messages at one level lower than that requested.
+        # Report migrate messages at one level lower than that requested.
         # This ensures we don't get flooded with messages during testing
         # (unless you really ask to be flooded)
-        call_command('syncdb',
+        call_command('migrate',
             verbosity=max(verbosity - 1, 0),
             interactive=False,
             database=self.connection.alias,
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class SpatiaLiteCreation(DatabaseCreation):
         # custom SQL has been removed. The only test data should come from
         # test fixtures, or autogenerated from post_migrate triggers.
         # This has the side effect of loading initial data (which was
-        # intentionally skipped in the syncdb).
+        # intentionally skipped in the migrate).
         call_command('flush',
             verbosity=max(verbosity - 1, 0),
             interactive=False,