diff --git a/internal/languages/php/.snapshots/TestPattern-parameter_names_are_unanchored b/internal/languages/php/.snapshots/TestPattern-parameter_names_are_unanchored
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9748880a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/languages/php/.snapshots/TestPattern-parameter_names_are_unanchored
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+(*builder.Result)({
+  Query: (string) (len=210) "([(class_declaration  . (_) . [(declaration_list  [(method_declaration [ (visibility_modifier )]  (_) . [(formal_parameters  . [(simple_parameter . (_) (_) @match)] . )] [ (compound_statement )])] )] .)] @root)",
+  VariableNames: ([]string) (len=1) {
+    (string) (len=1) "_"
+  },
+  ParamToVariable: (map[string]string) {
+  },
+  EqualParams: ([][]string) <nil>,
+  ParamToContent: (map[string]map[string]string) {
+  },
+  RootVariable: (*language.PatternVariable)(<nil>)
+})
diff --git a/internal/languages/php/pattern/pattern.go b/internal/languages/php/pattern/pattern.go
index 608d699ff..de4b854b5 100644
--- a/internal/languages/php/pattern/pattern.go
+++ b/internal/languages/php/pattern/pattern.go
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ var (
 	patternMatchNodeContainerTypes = []string{"formal_parameters", "simple_parameter", "argument"}
 
 	allowedPatternQueryTypes = []string{"_"}
+
+	functionRegex      = regexp.MustCompile(`\bfunction\b`)
+	parameterTypeRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`[,(]\s*(public|private|protected|var)?\s*\z`)
 )
 
 type Pattern struct {
@@ -39,13 +42,26 @@ func (*Pattern) FixupMissing(node *tree.Node) string {
 }
 
 func (*Pattern) FixupVariableDummyValue(input []byte, node *tree.Node, dummyValue string) string {
+	addDollar := false
+
 	if parent := node.Parent(); parent != nil {
-		if parent.Type() == "named_type" ||
-			(parent.Type() == "ERROR" && parent.Parent() != nil && parent.Parent().Type() == "declaration_list") {
-			return "$" + dummyValue
+		if parent.Type() == "named_type" {
+			addDollar = true
+		}
+
+		if parent.Type() == "ERROR" && parent.Parent() != nil && parent.Parent().Type() == "declaration_list" {
+			parentContent := []byte(parent.Content())
+			parentPrefix := string(parentContent[:node.ContentStart.Byte-parent.ContentStart.Byte])
+
+			isFunctionName := functionRegex.MatchString(parentPrefix) && !strings.Contains(parentPrefix, "(")
+			addDollar = !isFunctionName && !parameterTypeRegex.MatchString(parentPrefix)
 		}
 	}
 
+	if addDollar {
+		return "$" + dummyValue
+	}
+
 	return dummyValue
 }
 
@@ -143,6 +159,12 @@ func (*Pattern) IsAnchored(node *tree.Node) (bool, bool) {
 		return true, true
 	}
 
+	// optional type on parameters
+	if slices.Contains([]string{"property_promotion_parameter", "simple_parameter"}, parent.Type()) &&
+		node == parent.ChildByFieldName("name") {
+		return false, true
+	}
+
 	if parent.Type() == "method_declaration" {
 		// visibility
 		if node == parent.ChildByFieldName("name") {
diff --git a/internal/languages/php/php_test.go b/internal/languages/php/php_test.go
index 832639599..12abf34bd 100644
--- a/internal/languages/php/php_test.go
+++ b/internal/languages/php/php_test.go
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ func TestPattern(t *testing.T) {
 					public $<!>$<_>;
 				}
 		`},
+		{"parameter names are unanchored", `
+				class $<_> {
+					public function $<_>($<_> $<!>$<_>) {}
+				}
+		`},
 	} {
 		t.Run(test.name, func(tt *testing.T) {
 			result, err := patternquerybuilder.Build(php.Get(), test.pattern, "")