diff --git a/django/forms/forms.py b/django/forms/forms.py
index 1a20b3b82a..dc0800b436 100644
--- a/django/forms/forms.py
+++ b/django/forms/forms.py
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class BaseForm(StrAndUnicode):
             normal_row = u'<tr%(html_class_attr)s><th>%(label)s</th><td>%(errors)s%(field)s%(help_text)s</td></tr>',
             error_row = u'<tr><td colspan="2">%s</td></tr>',
             row_ender = u'</td></tr>',
-            help_text_html = u'<br />%s',
+            help_text_html = u'<br /><span class="helptext">%s</span>',
             errors_on_separate_row = False)
 
     def as_ul(self):
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ class BaseForm(StrAndUnicode):
             normal_row = u'<li%(html_class_attr)s>%(errors)s%(label)s %(field)s%(help_text)s</li>',
             error_row = u'<li>%s</li>',
             row_ender = '</li>',
-            help_text_html = u' %s',
+            help_text_html = u' <span class="helptext">%s</span>',
             errors_on_separate_row = False)
 
     def as_p(self):
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ class BaseForm(StrAndUnicode):
             normal_row = u'<p%(html_class_attr)s>%(label)s %(field)s%(help_text)s</p>',
             error_row = u'%s',
             row_ender = '</p>',
-            help_text_html = u' %s',
+            help_text_html = u' <span class="helptext">%s</span>',
             errors_on_separate_row = True)
 
     def non_field_errors(self):