diff --git a/compiler/build_cf_graph.jou b/compiler/build_cf_graph.jou
index e54e39b5..0ab88bc4 100644
--- a/compiler/build_cf_graph.jou
+++ b/compiler/build_cf_graph.jou
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ def build_class_field_pointer(
 
     for f = class_type->classdata.fields; f < &class_type->classdata.fields[class_type->classdata.nfields]; f++:
         if strcmp(f->name, fieldname) == 0:
-            result = add_local_var(st, f->type->pointer())
+            result = add_local_var(st, f->type->pointer_type())
 
             ins = CfInstruction{
                 location = location,
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ def build_class_field(
     fieldname: byte*,
     location: Location,
 ) -> LocalVariable*:
-    ptr = add_local_var(st, instance->type->pointer())
+    ptr = add_local_var(st, instance->type->pointer_type())
     add_unary_op(st, location, CfInstructionKind::AddressOfLocalVar, instance, ptr)
     field_ptr = build_class_field_pointer(st, ptr, fieldname, location)
     field = add_local_var(st, field_ptr->type->value_type)
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ def build_and_or(
 
 def build_address_of_expression(st: State*, address_of_what: AstExpression*) -> LocalVariable*:
     if address_of_what->kind == AstExpressionKind::GetVariable:
-        ptrtype = get_expr_types(st, address_of_what)->type->pointer()
+        ptrtype = get_expr_types(st, address_of_what)->type->pointer_type()
         addr = add_local_var(st, ptrtype)
 
         local_var = find_local_var_cf(st, address_of_what->varname)
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ def build_address_of_expression(st: State*, address_of_what: AstExpression*) ->
         return addr
 
     if address_of_what->kind == AstExpressionKind::Self:
-        ptrtype = get_expr_types(st, address_of_what)->type->pointer()
+        ptrtype = get_expr_types(st, address_of_what)->type->pointer_type()
         addr = add_local_var(st, ptrtype)
 
         local_var = find_local_var_cf(st, "self")
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ def build_function_or_method_call(
 
 def build_instantiation(st: State*, type: Type*, inst: AstInstantiation*, location: Location) -> LocalVariable*:
     instance = add_local_var(st, type)
-    instanceptr = add_local_var(st, type->pointer())
+    instanceptr = add_local_var(st, type->pointer_type())
 
     add_unary_op(st, location, CfInstructionKind::AddressOfLocalVar, instance, instanceptr)
     add_unary_op(st, location, CfInstructionKind::PtrMemsetToZero, instanceptr, NULL)
@@ -603,9 +603,9 @@ def build_array(st: State*, type: Type*, items: AstExpression*, location: Locati
     assert type->kind == TypeKind::Array
 
     arr = add_local_var(st, type)
-    arrptr = add_local_var(st, type->pointer())
+    arrptr = add_local_var(st, type->pointer_type())
     add_unary_op(st, location, CfInstructionKind::AddressOfLocalVar, arr, arrptr)
-    first_item_ptr = add_local_var(st, type->array.item_type->pointer())
+    first_item_ptr = add_local_var(st, type->array.item_type->pointer_type())
     add_unary_op(st, location, CfInstructionKind::PtrCast, arrptr, first_item_ptr)
 
     for i = 0; i < type->array.len; i++:
@@ -896,8 +896,8 @@ def build_assert(st: State*, assert_location: Location, assertion: AstAssertion*
     strcpy(argnames[2], "lineno")
 
     argtypes: Type** = malloc(3 * sizeof(argtypes[0]))
-    argtypes[0] = byteType->pointer()
-    argtypes[1] = byteType->pointer()
+    argtypes[0] = byteType->pointer_type()
+    argtypes[1] = byteType->pointer_type()
     argtypes[2] = intType
 
     ins = CfInstruction{
diff --git a/compiler/structs.jou b/compiler/structs.jou
index 6dc9810c..b7845501 100644
--- a/compiler/structs.jou
+++ b/compiler/structs.jou
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class Constant:
         if self->kind == ConstantKind::Bool:
             return boolType
         if self->kind == ConstantKind::String:
-            return byteType->pointer()
+            return byteType->pointer_type()
         if self->kind == ConstantKind::Integer:
             return get_integer_type(self->integer.size_in_bits, self->integer.is_signed)
         assert False
diff --git a/compiler/typecheck.jou b/compiler/typecheck.jou
index bc394a64..b14c2554 100644
--- a/compiler/typecheck.jou
+++ b/compiler/typecheck.jou
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ def type_from_ast(ft: FileTypes*, asttype: AstType*) -> Type*:
     if asttype->kind == AstTypeKind::Pointer:
         if asttype->value_type->is_void():
             return voidPtrType
-        return type_from_ast(ft, asttype->value_type)->pointer()
+        return type_from_ast(ft, asttype->value_type)->pointer_type()
 
     if asttype->kind == AstTypeKind::Array:
         tmp = type_from_ast(ft, asttype->value_type)
@@ -228,11 +228,11 @@ def handle_signature(ft: FileTypes*, astsig: AstSignature*, self_class: Type*) -
             and astsig->args[i].type.name[0] == '\0'
         ):
             # just "self" without a type after it --> default to "self: Foo*" in class Foo
-            argtype = self_class->pointer()
+            argtype = self_class->pointer_type()
         else:
             argtype = type_from_ast(ft, &astsig->args[i].type)
 
-        if strcmp(sig.argnames[i], "self") == 0 and argtype != self_class and argtype != self_class->pointer():
+        if strcmp(sig.argnames[i], "self") == 0 and argtype != self_class and argtype != self_class->pointer_type():
             snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "type of self must be %s* (default) or %s", self_class->name, self_class->name)
             fail(astsig->args[i].type.location, msg)
 
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ def handle_signature(ft: FileTypes*, astsig: AstSignature*, self_class: Type*) -
             and not (
                 sig.nargs == 2
                 and sig.argtypes[0] == intType
-                and sig.argtypes[1] == byteType->pointer()->pointer()
+                and sig.argtypes[1] == byteType->pointer_type()->pointer_type()
             )
         ):
             fail(
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ def do_implicit_cast(
 
     if (
         types->expr->kind == AstExpressionKind::String
-        and from == byteType->pointer()
+        and from == byteType->pointer_type()
         and to->kind == TypeKind::Array
         and to->array.item_type == byteType
     ):
@@ -640,7 +640,7 @@ def do_implicit_cast(
 
 def cast_array_to_pointer(fom: FunctionOrMethodTypes*, types: ExpressionTypes*) -> None:
     assert types->type->kind == TypeKind::Array
-    do_implicit_cast(fom, types, types->type->array.item_type->pointer(), Location{}, NULL)
+    do_implicit_cast(fom, types, types->type->array.item_type->pointer_type(), Location{}, NULL)
 
 def do_explicit_cast(fom: FunctionOrMethodTypes*, types: ExpressionTypes*, to: Type*, location: Location) -> None:
     assert types->implicit_cast_type == NULL
@@ -1120,7 +1120,7 @@ def typecheck_expression(ft: FileTypes*, expr: AstExpression*) -> ExpressionType
     elif expr->kind == AstExpressionKind::Null:
         result = voidPtrType
     elif expr->kind == AstExpressionKind::String:
-        result = byteType->pointer()
+        result = byteType->pointer_type()
 
     elif expr->kind == AstExpressionKind::GetEnumMember:
         result = find_type(ft, expr->enum_member.enum_name)
@@ -1224,7 +1224,7 @@ def typecheck_expression(ft: FileTypes*, expr: AstExpression*) -> ExpressionType
     elif expr->kind == AstExpressionKind::AddressOf:
         ensure_can_take_address(ft->current_fom_types, &expr->operands[0], "the '&' operator cannot be used with %s")
         temptype = typecheck_expression_not_void(ft, &expr->operands[0])->type
-        result = temptype->pointer()
+        result = temptype->pointer_type()
 
     elif expr->kind == AstExpressionKind::GetVariable:
         result = find_any_var(ft, expr->varname)
diff --git a/compiler/types.jou b/compiler/types.jou
index bc9bb28f..4daff9ab 100644
--- a/compiler/types.jou
+++ b/compiler/types.jou
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class Type:
 
     # Returns a type that represents pointer to the original type.
     # Result is cached. Don't worry about freeing it.
-    def pointer(self) -> Type*:
+    def pointer_type(self) -> Type*:
         info = self as TypeInfo*
         assert self == &info->type  # the 'type' field is first member and has 0 bytes offset