diff --git a/src/hb-font-private.hh b/src/hb-font-private.hh
index bd3000add..203cd238e 100644
--- a/src/hb-font-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-font-private.hh
@@ -115,11 +115,11 @@ struct _hb_font_t {
 
 
   /* Convert from font-space to user-space */
-  inline hb_position_t scale_x (int16_t v) { return scale (v, this->x_scale); }
-  inline hb_position_t scale_y (int16_t v) { return scale (v, this->y_scale); }
+  inline hb_position_t em_scale_x (int16_t v) { return em_scale (v, this->x_scale); }
+  inline hb_position_t em_scale_y (int16_t v) { return em_scale (v, this->y_scale); }
 
   private:
-  inline hb_position_t scale (int16_t v, int scale) { return v * (int64_t) scale / this->face->upem; }
+  inline hb_position_t em_scale (int16_t v, int scale) { return v * (int64_t) scale / this->face->upem; }
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-gdef-private.hh b/src/hb-ot-layout-gdef-private.hh
index 52ac0642a..910f32d1a 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-gdef-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-gdef-private.hh
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ struct CaretValueFormat1
   private:
   inline int get_caret_value (hb_font_t *font, hb_direction_t direction, hb_codepoint_t glyph_id HB_UNUSED) const
   {
-    return HB_DIRECTION_IS_HORIZONTAL (direction) ? font->scale_x (coordinate) : font->scale_y (coordinate);
+    return HB_DIRECTION_IS_HORIZONTAL (direction) ? font->em_scale_x (coordinate) : font->em_scale_y (coordinate);
   }
 
   inline bool sanitize (hb_sanitize_context_t *c) {
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@ struct CaretValueFormat3
   inline int get_caret_value (hb_font_t *font, hb_direction_t direction, hb_codepoint_t glyph_id) const
   {
     return HB_DIRECTION_IS_HORIZONTAL (direction) ?
-           font->scale_x (coordinate) + (this+deviceTable).get_x_delta (font) :
-           font->scale_y (coordinate) + (this+deviceTable).get_y_delta (font);
+           font->em_scale_x (coordinate) + (this+deviceTable).get_x_delta (font) :
+           font->em_scale_y (coordinate) + (this+deviceTable).get_y_delta (font);
   }
 
   inline bool sanitize (hb_sanitize_context_t *c) {
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-private.hh b/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-private.hh
index e8b504612..21c624148 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-private.hh
@@ -105,10 +105,10 @@ struct ValueFormat : USHORT
     if (!format) return;
 
     /* design units -> fractional pixel */
-    if (format & xPlacement) glyph_pos.x_offset  += font->scale_x (get_short (values++));
-    if (format & yPlacement) glyph_pos.y_offset  += font->scale_y (get_short (values++));
-    if (format & xAdvance)   glyph_pos.x_advance += font->scale_x (get_short (values++));
-    if (format & yAdvance)   glyph_pos.y_advance += font->scale_y (get_short (values++));
+    if (format & xPlacement) glyph_pos.x_offset  += font->em_scale_x (get_short (values++));
+    if (format & yPlacement) glyph_pos.y_offset  += font->em_scale_y (get_short (values++));
+    if (format & xAdvance)   glyph_pos.x_advance += font->em_scale_x (get_short (values++));
+    if (format & yAdvance)   glyph_pos.y_advance += font->em_scale_y (get_short (values++));
 
     if (!has_device ()) return;
 
@@ -212,8 +212,8 @@ struct AnchorFormat1
   inline void get_anchor (hb_font_t *font, hb_codepoint_t glyph_id HB_UNUSED,
 			  hb_position_t *x, hb_position_t *y) const
   {
-      *x = font->scale_x (xCoordinate);
-      *y = font->scale_y (yCoordinate);
+      *x = font->em_scale_x (xCoordinate);
+      *y = font->em_scale_y (yCoordinate);
   }
 
   inline bool sanitize (hb_sanitize_context_t *c) {
@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ struct AnchorFormat2
 
       if (x_ppem || y_ppem)
 	ret = hb_font_get_contour_point (font, anchorPoint, glyph_id, &cx, &cy);
-      *x = x_ppem && ret ? cx : font->scale_x (xCoordinate);
-      *y = y_ppem && ret ? cy : font->scale_y (yCoordinate);
+      *x = x_ppem && ret ? cx : font->em_scale_x (xCoordinate);
+      *y = y_ppem && ret ? cy : font->em_scale_y (yCoordinate);
   }
 
   inline bool sanitize (hb_sanitize_context_t *c) {
@@ -270,8 +270,8 @@ struct AnchorFormat3
   inline void get_anchor (hb_font_t *font, hb_codepoint_t glyph_id HB_UNUSED,
 			  hb_position_t *x, hb_position_t *y) const
   {
-      *x = font->scale_x (xCoordinate);
-      *y = font->scale_y (yCoordinate);
+      *x = font->em_scale_x (xCoordinate);
+      *y = font->em_scale_y (yCoordinate);
 
       /* pixel -> fractional pixel */
       if (font->x_ppem)