diff --git a/packages/melonjs/skills/melonjs-particles-and-trails/SKILL.md b/packages/melonjs/skills/melonjs-particles-and-trails/SKILL.md
index 391d9b3b0..e847d0ba1 100644
--- a/packages/melonjs/skills/melonjs-particles-and-trails/SKILL.md
+++ b/packages/melonjs/skills/melonjs-particles-and-trails/SKILL.md
@@ -151,15 +151,21 @@ fountain and wrong for an explosion: additive sprites piled on one point clip
 all three channels there however well they are tinted, so a burst reads as one
 bright flash rather than as debris.
 
-Give it the size of whatever broke. The area is measured from the emitter's own
-position, NOT centred on it, so offset by half or the whole burst sits down and
-to the right of its source:
+Give it the size of whatever broke. The constructor centres the area on the
+point it is given, so pass the centre of the source:
 
 ```js
 const area = radius * 2;
-const emitter = new ParticleEmitter(x - area / 2, y - area / 2, {
-    width: area, height: area,
-});
+const emitter = new ParticleEmitter(x, y, { width: area, height: area });
+```
+
+After that, `pos` is the area's top-left corner, as on any renderable. To move
+the emitter to a new source later, offset by half, or the burst sits down and
+to the right of it:
+
+```js
+emitter.pos.set(x - area / 2, y - area / 2);   // re-aimed at (x, y)
+emitter.burstParticles();
 ```
 
 Under a `Camera3d`, `depth` (20.13) gives the area its third side: each
@@ -392,7 +398,8 @@ answer when you want discrete puffs rather than a continuous ribbon.
 | frame rate drops with many effects | an emitter per event instead of one re-aimed emitter |
 | a 3D burst is invisible under a `Camera3d` | before 20.8 a particle was culled at twice its depth; update |
 | the whole burst launches from one pixel | `width`/`height` are the spawn area and default to `1` |
-| the burst sits down-right of its source | the spawn area starts at the emitter's position; offset by half |
+| the burst sits down-right of its source | the emitter was moved by setting `pos` to the source: `pos` is the area's top-left corner, so offset by half (only the constructor centres it) |
+| the burst sits up-left of its source | the constructor was given the top-left corner: it centres the area on (x, y), so pass the centre |
 | the middle of a burst goes white | additive sprites overlapping — `textureAdditive: false`, or spread them |
 | debris chunks look like squares | the default sprite is a filled square; pass your own `image` |
 | a ring tilts with the camera instead of staying on a surface | the launch axis is in WORLD axes, not the camera basis |
diff --git a/packages/melonjs/src/particles/emitter.ts b/packages/melonjs/src/particles/emitter.ts
index e163dbe7a..656982ddb 100644
--- a/packages/melonjs/src/particles/emitter.ts
+++ b/packages/melonjs/src/particles/emitter.ts
@@ -361,11 +361,15 @@ export default class ParticleEmitter extends Container {
 	_spawnMap: Matrix3d | undefined;
 
 	/**
-	 * @param x - x position of the particle emitter
-	 * @param y - y position of the particle emitter
+	 * The spawn area (`settings.width` by `settings.height`) is centred on
+	 * (x, y). After construction `pos` is the area's top left corner, as on
+	 * any renderable: to move the emitter to a new point, offset by half the
+	 * area.
+	 * @param x - x position of the centre of the spawn area
+	 * @param y - y position of the centre of the spawn area
 	 * @param [settings=ParticleEmitterSettings] - the settings for the particle emitter.
 	 * @example
-	 * // Create a particle emitter at position 100, 100
+	 * // Create a particle emitter centred on 100, 100
 	 * let emitter = new ParticleEmitter(100, 100, {
 	 *     width: 16,
 	 *     height : 16,
diff --git a/packages/melonjs/src/particles/settings.ts b/packages/melonjs/src/particles/settings.ts
index 26c5d23cc..ac3f00a18 100644
--- a/packages/melonjs/src/particles/settings.ts
+++ b/packages/melonjs/src/particles/settings.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ import type ParticleEmitter from "./emitter.ts";
  */
 export interface ParticleEmitterSettings {
 	/**
-	 * Width of the particle spawn area.
+	 * Width of the particle spawn area. The constructor centres the area on
+	 * the point it is given; `pos` is then its top left corner.
 	 * @default 1
 	 */
 	width: number;
diff --git a/packages/melonjs/tests/particle-spawn-area.spec.js b/packages/melonjs/tests/particle-spawn-area.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..08832e552
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/melonjs/tests/particle-spawn-area.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { Application, boot, ParticleEmitter, video } from "../src/index.js";
+
+/**
+ * Where the spawn area is. The constructor centres it on the point it is
+ * given; after that, `pos` is its top left corner, as for any renderable.
+ */
+describe("particle spawn area", () => {
+	let app;
+
+	beforeAll(async () => {
+		boot();
+		app = new Application(800, 600, {
+			parent: "screen",
+			renderer: video.CANVAS,
+		});
+		await app.init();
+	});
+
+	afterAll(() => {
+		app.destroy?.();
+	});
+
+	const spawned = (emitter) => {
+		app.world.addChild(emitter);
+		emitter.burstParticles(200);
+		const xs = emitter.getChildren().map((p) => {
+			return p.pos.x;
+		});
+		const ys = emitter.getChildren().map((p) => {
+			return p.pos.y;
+		});
+		app.world.removeChildNow(emitter);
+		return {
+			minX: Math.min(...xs),
+			maxX: Math.max(...xs),
+			minY: Math.min(...ys),
+			maxY: Math.max(...ys),
+		};
+	};
+
+	it("the constructor centres the area on (x, y)", () => {
+		const emitter = new ParticleEmitter(200, 150, {
+			width: 100,
+			height: 60,
+			referenceSpace: "world",
+		});
+		expect(emitter.pos.x).toBe(150);
+		expect(emitter.pos.y).toBe(120);
+		const area = spawned(emitter);
+		expect(area.minX).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(150);
+		expect(area.maxX).toBeLessThanOrEqual(250);
+		expect(area.minY).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(120);
+		expect(area.maxY).toBeLessThanOrEqual(180);
+		// and it is spread around that centre, not piled in one corner
+		expect(area.minX).toBeLessThan(170);
+		expect(area.maxX).toBeGreaterThan(230);
+	});
+
+	it("moving pos afterwards places the area's top left corner", () => {
+		const emitter = new ParticleEmitter(0, 0, {
+			width: 100,
+			height: 60,
+			referenceSpace: "world",
+		});
+		emitter.pos.set(300, 200);
+		const area = spawned(emitter);
+		expect(area.minX).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(300);
+		expect(area.maxX).toBeLessThanOrEqual(400);
+		expect(area.minY).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(200);
+		expect(area.maxY).toBeLessThanOrEqual(260);
+	});
+});