diff --git a/tools/eslint-rules/alphabetize-errors.js b/tools/eslint-rules/alphabetize-errors.js
index 2f604130e995b4..b2dcacbb866816 100644
--- a/tools/eslint-rules/alphabetize-errors.js
+++ b/tools/eslint-rules/alphabetize-errors.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const { isDefiningError } = require('./rules-utils.js');
+
 const prefix = 'Out of ASCIIbetical order - ';
 const opStr = ' >= ';
 
@@ -7,13 +9,6 @@ function errorForNode(node) {
   return node.expression.arguments[0].value;
 }
 
-function isDefiningError(node) {
-  return node.expression &&
-         node.expression.type === 'CallExpression' &&
-         node.expression.callee &&
-         node.expression.callee.name === 'E';
-}
-
 module.exports = {
   create: function(context) {
     let previousNode;
diff --git a/tools/eslint-rules/rules-utils.js b/tools/eslint-rules/rules-utils.js
index 88ecf658ce37f0..0e89a715450edb 100644
--- a/tools/eslint-rules/rules-utils.js
+++ b/tools/eslint-rules/rules-utils.js
@@ -3,6 +3,14 @@
  */
 'use strict';
 
+module.exports.isDefiningError = function(node) {
+  return node.expression &&
+         node.expression.type === 'CallExpression' &&
+         node.expression.callee &&
+         node.expression.callee.name === 'E' &&
+         node.expression.arguments.length !== 0;
+};
+
 /**
  * Returns true if any of the passed in modules are used in
  * require calls.