diff --git a/tests/spans/test_span.py b/tests/spans/test_span.py
index 99b96838a..720e921e8 100644
--- a/tests/spans/test_span.py
+++ b/tests/spans/test_span.py
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ from spacy.en import English
 import pytest
 
 
-EN = English()
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def doc():
+    EN = English()
     return EN('This is a sentence. This is another sentence. And a third.')