diff --git a/cmd/jwt/main.go b/cmd/jwt/main.go
index 6ab3b94f..d25cd5f5 100644
--- a/cmd/jwt/main.go
+++ b/cmd/jwt/main.go
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ func signToken() error {
 	// add command line claims
 	if len(flagClaims) > 0 {
 		for k, v := range flagClaims {
-			claims[k] = v
+			claims[jwt.MapClaimsKey(k)] = v
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/map_claims.go b/map_claims.go
index 3b920527..6ddab6e1 100644
--- a/map_claims.go
+++ b/map_claims.go
@@ -5,44 +5,67 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 )
 
-// MapClaims is a claims type that uses the map[string]any for JSON
-// decoding. This is the default claims type if you don't supply one
-type MapClaims map[string]any
+// MapClaimsKey is a type alias for claim keys in the [MapClaims] type.
+type MapClaimsKey string
+
+var (
+	// Exp is the "exp" claim key according to RFC 7519 section 4.1.4.
+	Exp MapClaimsKey = "exp"
+
+	// Nbf is the "nbf" claim key according to RFC 7519 section 4.1.5.
+	Nbf MapClaimsKey = "nbf"
+
+	// Iat is the "iat" claim key according to RFC 7519 section 4.1.6.
+	Iat MapClaimsKey = "iat"
+
+	// Aud is the "aud" claim key according to RFC 7519 section 4.1.3.
+	Aud MapClaimsKey = "aud"
+
+	// Iss is the "iss" claim key according to RFC 7519 section 4.1.1.
+	Iss MapClaimsKey = "iss"
+
+	// Sub is the "sub" claim key according to RFC 7519 section 4.1.2.
+	Sub MapClaimsKey = "sub"
+)
+
+// MapClaims is a claims type that uses of map of [MapClaimsKey] with value [any]
+// for JSON decoding. This is the default claims type if you do not supply one.
+type MapClaims map[MapClaimsKey]any
 
 // GetExpirationTime implements the Claims interface.
 func (m MapClaims) GetExpirationTime() (*NumericDate, error) {
-	return m.parseNumericDate("exp")
+	return m.parseNumericDate(Exp)
 }
 
 // GetNotBefore implements the Claims interface.
 func (m MapClaims) GetNotBefore() (*NumericDate, error) {
-	return m.parseNumericDate("nbf")
+	return m.parseNumericDate(Nbf)
 }
 
 // GetIssuedAt implements the Claims interface.
 func (m MapClaims) GetIssuedAt() (*NumericDate, error) {
-	return m.parseNumericDate("iat")
+	return m.parseNumericDate(Iat)
 }
 
 // GetAudience implements the Claims interface.
 func (m MapClaims) GetAudience() (ClaimStrings, error) {
-	return m.parseClaimsString("aud")
+	return m.parseClaimsString(Aud)
 }
 
 // GetIssuer implements the Claims interface.
 func (m MapClaims) GetIssuer() (string, error) {
-	return m.parseString("iss")
+	return m.parseString(Iss)
 }
 
 // GetSubject implements the Claims interface.
 func (m MapClaims) GetSubject() (string, error) {
-	return m.parseString("sub")
+	return m.parseString(Sub)
 }
 
 // parseNumericDate tries to parse a key in the map claims type as a number
 // date. This will succeed, if the underlying type is either a [float64] or a
 // [json.Number]. Otherwise, nil will be returned.
-func (m MapClaims) parseNumericDate(key string) (*NumericDate, error) {
+func (m MapClaims) parseNumericDate(key MapClaimsKey) (*NumericDate, error) {
 	v, ok := m[key]
 	if !ok {
 		return nil, nil
@@ -66,7 +89,7 @@ func (m MapClaims) parseNumericDate(key string) (*NumericDate, error) {
 
 // parseClaimsString tries to parse a key in the map claims type as a
 // [ClaimsStrings] type, which can either be a string or an array of string.
-func (m MapClaims) parseClaimsString(key string) (ClaimStrings, error) {
+func (m MapClaims) parseClaimsString(key MapClaimsKey) (ClaimStrings, error) {
 	var cs []string
 	switch v := m[key].(type) {
 	case string:
@@ -89,7 +112,7 @@ func (m MapClaims) parseClaimsString(key string) (ClaimStrings, error) {
 // parseString tries to parse a key in the map claims type as a [string] type.
 // If the key does not exist, an empty string is returned. If the key has the
 // wrong type, an error is returned.
-func (m MapClaims) parseString(key string) (string, error) {
+func (m MapClaims) parseString(key MapClaimsKey) (string, error) {
 	var (
 		ok  bool
 		raw any
diff --git a/map_claims_example_test.go b/map_claims_example_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..60697bd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/map_claims_example_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package jwt_test
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v5"
+)
+
+var (
+	// OpenIdConnectEMail represents the "email" claim as defined in
+	// OpenID Connect Core 1.0, section 5.1.
+	//
+	// Reference: https://openid.net/specs/openid-connect-core-1_0.html#StandardClaims
+	OpenIdConnectEMail jwt.MapClaimsKey = "email"
+)
+
+// ExampleMapClaims shows how to create a token with custom claims using
+// [jwt.MapClaims] and the custom [jwt.MapClaimsKey].
+func ExampleMapClaims() {
+	claims := jwt.MapClaims{
+		"custom_claim":     "custom_value",
+		OpenIdConnectEMail: "me@example.com",
+		jwt.Sub:            "me",
+	}
+
+	t := jwt.NewWithClaims(jwt.SigningMethodHS256, claims)
+	s, err := t.SignedString([]byte("secret"))
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	fmt.Println(s)
+
+	// Output:
+	// eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJjdXN0b21fY2xhaW0iOiJjdXN0b21fdmFsdWUiLCJlbWFpbCI6Im1lQGV4YW1wbGUuY29tIiwic3ViIjoibWUifQ.ylWqOBiOzsJpcJQarXmPtvgGMP9d72Zc2GtEdriqXko
+}
diff --git a/map_claims_test.go b/map_claims_test.go
index e055b33f..4e0cbd8a 100644
--- a/map_claims_test.go
+++ b/map_claims_test.go
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func TestMapClaimsVerifyExpiresAtExpire(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestMapClaims_parseString(t *testing.T) {
 	type args struct {
-		key string
+		key MapClaimsKey
 	}
 	tests := []struct {
 		name    string