diff --git a/distutils/extension.py b/distutils/extension.py
index 33159079..f925987e 100644
--- a/distutils/extension.py
+++ b/distutils/extension.py
@@ -26,12 +26,14 @@ class Extension:
       name : string
         the full name of the extension, including any packages -- ie.
         *not* a filename or pathname, but Python dotted name
-      sources : [string | os.PathLike]
-        list of source filenames, relative to the distribution root
-        (where the setup script lives), in Unix form (slash-separated)
-        for portability.  Source files may be C, C++, SWIG (.i),
-        platform-specific resource files, or whatever else is recognized
-        by the "build_ext" command as source for a Python extension.
+      sources : Iterable[string | os.PathLike]
+        iterable of source filenames (except strings, which could be misinterpreted
+        as a single filename), relative to the distribution root (where the setup
+        script lives), in Unix form (slash-separated) for portability. Can be any
+        non-string iterable (list, tuple, set, etc.) containing strings or
+        PathLike objects. Source files may be C, C++, SWIG (.i), platform-specific
+        resource files, or whatever else is recognized by the "build_ext" command
+        as source for a Python extension.
       include_dirs : [string]
         list of directories to search for C/C++ header files (in Unix
         form for portability)
@@ -105,17 +107,23 @@ def __init__(
         **kw,  # To catch unknown keywords
     ):
         if not isinstance(name, str):
-            raise AssertionError("'name' must be a string")  # noqa: TRY004
-        if not (
-            isinstance(sources, list)
-            and all(isinstance(v, (str, os.PathLike)) for v in sources)
-        ):
-            raise AssertionError(
-                "'sources' must be a list of strings or PathLike objects."
+            raise TypeError("'name' must be a string")  # noqa: TRY004
+
+        # handle the string case first; since strings are iterable, disallow them
+        if isinstance(sources, str):
+            raise TypeError(
+                "'sources' must be an iterable of strings or PathLike objects, not a string"
+            )
+
+        # now we check if it's iterable and contains valid types
+        try:
+            self.sources = list(map(os.fspath, sources))
+        except TypeError:
+            raise TypeError(
+                "'sources' must be an iterable of strings or PathLike objects"
             )
 
         self.name = name
-        self.sources = list(map(os.fspath, sources))
         self.include_dirs = include_dirs or []
         self.define_macros = define_macros or []
         self.undef_macros = undef_macros or []
diff --git a/distutils/tests/test_extension.py b/distutils/tests/test_extension.py
index 41872e04..dc998ec5 100644
--- a/distutils/tests/test_extension.py
+++ b/distutils/tests/test_extension.py
@@ -63,22 +63,32 @@ def test_read_setup_file(self):
 
     def test_extension_init(self):
         # the first argument, which is the name, must be a string
-        with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError):
             Extension(1, [])
         ext = Extension('name', [])
         assert ext.name == 'name'
 
         # the second argument, which is the list of files, must
-        # be a list of strings or PathLike objects
-        with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+        # be an iterable of strings or PathLike objects, and not a string
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError):
             Extension('name', 'file')
-        with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError):
             Extension('name', ['file', 1])
         ext = Extension('name', ['file1', 'file2'])
         assert ext.sources == ['file1', 'file2']
         ext = Extension('name', [pathlib.Path('file1'), pathlib.Path('file2')])
         assert ext.sources == ['file1', 'file2']
 
+        # any non-string iterable of strings or PathLike objects should work
+        ext = Extension('name', ('file1', 'file2'))  # tuple
+        assert ext.sources == ['file1', 'file2']
+        ext = Extension('name', {'file1', 'file2'})  # set
+        assert sorted(ext.sources) == ['file1', 'file2']
+        ext = Extension('name', iter(['file1', 'file2']))  # iterator
+        assert ext.sources == ['file1', 'file2']
+        ext = Extension('name', [pathlib.Path('file1'), 'file2'])  # mixed types
+        assert ext.sources == ['file1', 'file2']
+
         # others arguments have defaults
         for attr in (
             'include_dirs',