diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go
index 4675966090..a79b78fb45 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ir/expr.go
@@ -776,12 +776,12 @@ func IsZero(n Node) bool {
 }
 
 // lvalue etc
-func IsAssignable(n Node) bool {
+func IsAddressable(n Node) bool {
 	switch n.Op() {
 	case OINDEX:
 		n := n.(*IndexExpr)
 		if n.X.Type() != nil && n.X.Type().IsArray() {
-			return IsAssignable(n.X)
+			return IsAddressable(n.X)
 		}
 		if n.X.Type() != nil && n.X.Type().IsString() {
 			return false
@@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ func IsAssignable(n Node) bool {
 
 	case ODOT:
 		n := n.(*SelectorExpr)
-		return IsAssignable(n.X)
+		return IsAddressable(n.X)
 
 	case ONAME:
 		n := n.(*Name)
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssagen/ssa.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssagen/ssa.go
index cf683e578d..69e1696423 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssagen/ssa.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssagen/ssa.go
@@ -2736,7 +2736,7 @@ func (s *state) expr(n ir.Node) *ssa.Value {
 		// SSA, then load just the selected field. This
 		// prevents false memory dependencies in race/msan
 		// instrumentation.
-		if ir.IsAssignable(n) && !s.canSSA(n) {
+		if ir.IsAddressable(n) && !s.canSSA(n) {
 			p := s.addr(n)
 			return s.load(n.Type(), p)
 		}
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/expr.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/expr.go
index 6bbb68550e..879ae385c7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/expr.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/expr.go
@@ -842,7 +842,7 @@ func tcSlice(n *ir.SliceExpr) ir.Node {
 		return n
 	}
 	if l.Type().IsArray() {
-		if !ir.IsAssignable(n.X) {
+		if !ir.IsAddressable(n.X) {
 			base.Errorf("invalid operation %v (slice of unaddressable value)", n)
 			n.SetType(nil)
 			return n
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/typecheck.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/typecheck.go
index bf43402d3d..87daee123d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/typecheck.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/typecheck/typecheck.go
@@ -1638,7 +1638,7 @@ func nonexported(sym *types.Sym) bool {
 }
 
 func checklvalue(n ir.Node, verb string) {
-	if !ir.IsAssignable(n) {
+	if !ir.IsAddressable(n) {
 		base.Errorf("cannot %s %v", verb, n)
 	}
 }
@@ -1656,7 +1656,7 @@ func checkassign(stmt ir.Node, n ir.Node) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if ir.IsAssignable(n) {
+	if ir.IsAddressable(n) {
 		return
 	}
 	if n.Op() == ir.OINDEXMAP {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/compare.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/compare.go
index 40b45d4dea..a4ea31bf55 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/compare.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/compare.go
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func walkCompare(n *ir.BinaryExpr, init *ir.Nodes) ir.Node {
 	// Chose not to inline. Call equality function directly.
 	if !inline {
 		// eq algs take pointers; cmpl and cmpr must be addressable
-		if !ir.IsAssignable(cmpl) || !ir.IsAssignable(cmpr) {
+		if !ir.IsAddressable(cmpl) || !ir.IsAddressable(cmpr) {
 			base.Fatalf("arguments of comparison must be lvalues - %v %v", cmpl, cmpr)
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/convert.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/convert.go
index fd954d6113..99abf30668 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/convert.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/convert.go
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func walkConvInterface(n *ir.ConvExpr, init *ir.Nodes) ir.Node {
 		// with a non-interface, especially in a switch on interface value
 		// with non-interface cases, is not visible to order.stmt, so we
 		// have to fall back on allocating a temp here.
-		if !ir.IsAssignable(v) {
+		if !ir.IsAddressable(v) {
 			v = copyExpr(v, v.Type(), init)
 		}
 		v = typecheck.NodAddr(v)
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/expr.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/expr.go
index 658a579fda..882e455749 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/expr.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/expr.go
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ func safeExpr(n ir.Node, init *ir.Nodes) ir.Node {
 	}
 
 	// make a copy; must not be used as an lvalue
-	if ir.IsAssignable(n) {
+	if ir.IsAddressable(n) {
 		base.Fatalf("missing lvalue case in safeexpr: %v", n)
 	}
 	return cheapExpr(n, init)
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/order.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/order.go
index 1fcebf5194..ef95dc14c7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/order.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/walk/order.go
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ func (o *orderState) safeExpr(n ir.Node) ir.Node {
 // because we emit explicit VARKILL instructions marking the end of those
 // temporaries' lifetimes.
 func isaddrokay(n ir.Node) bool {
-	return ir.IsAssignable(n) && (n.Op() != ir.ONAME || n.(*ir.Name).Class_ == ir.PEXTERN || ir.IsAutoTmp(n))
+	return ir.IsAddressable(n) && (n.Op() != ir.ONAME || n.(*ir.Name).Class_ == ir.PEXTERN || ir.IsAutoTmp(n))
 }
 
 // addrTemp ensures that n is okay to pass by address to runtime routines.