diff --git a/packages/cursorless-engine/src/languages/LanguageDefinition.ts b/packages/cursorless-engine/src/languages/LanguageDefinition.ts
index c358b86121..f6eeeff61a 100644
--- a/packages/cursorless-engine/src/languages/LanguageDefinition.ts
+++ b/packages/cursorless-engine/src/languages/LanguageDefinition.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import {
   SimpleScopeType,
   showError,
 } from "@cursorless/common";
-import { dirname, join } from "path";
+import { basename, dirname, join } from "path";
 import { TreeSitterScopeHandler } from "../processTargets/modifiers/scopeHandlers";
 import { TreeSitterTextFragmentScopeHandler } from "../processTargets/modifiers/scopeHandlers/TreeSitterScopeHandler/TreeSitterTextFragmentScopeHandler";
 import { ScopeHandler } from "../processTargets/modifiers/scopeHandlers/scopeHandler.types";
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { ide } from "../singletons/ide.singleton";
 import { TreeSitter } from "../typings/TreeSitter";
 import { matchAll } from "../util/regex";
 import { TreeSitterQuery } from "./TreeSitterQuery";
+import { validateQueryCaptures } from "./TreeSitterQuery/validateQueryCaptures";
 import { TEXT_FRAGMENT_CAPTURE_NAME } from "./captureNames";
 
 /**
@@ -105,6 +106,8 @@ async function readQueryFileAndImports(
     [languageQueryPath]: null,
   };
 
+  const doValidation = ide().runMode !== "production";
+
   // Keep reading imports until we've read all the imports. Every time we
   // encounter an import in a query file, we add it to the map with a value
   // of null, so that it will be read on the next iteration
@@ -114,6 +117,8 @@ async function readQueryFileAndImports(
         continue;
       }
 
+      const fileName = basename(queryPath);
+
       let rawQuery = await fileSystem.readBundledFile(queryPath);
 
       if (rawQuery == null) {
@@ -137,6 +142,10 @@ async function readQueryFileAndImports(
         rawQuery = "";
       }
 
+      if (doValidation) {
+        validateQueryCaptures(fileName, rawQuery);
+      }
+
       rawQueryStrings[queryPath] = rawQuery;
       matchAll(
         rawQuery,
@@ -150,18 +159,9 @@ async function readQueryFileAndImports(
         /^[^\S\r\n]*;;?[^\S\r\n]*(?:import|include)[^\S\r\n]+['"]?([\w|/.]+)['"]?[^\S\r\n]*$/gm,
         (match) => {
           const relativeImportPath = match[1];
-          const canonicalSyntax = `;; import ${relativeImportPath}`;
-
-          if (match[0] !== canonicalSyntax) {
-            showError(
-              ide().messages,
-              "LanguageDefinition.readQueryFileAndImports.malformedImport",
-              `Malformed import statement in ${queryPath}: "${match[0]}". Import statements must be of the form "${canonicalSyntax}"`,
-            );
-
-            if (ide().runMode === "test") {
-              throw new Error("Invalid import statement");
-            }
+
+          if (doValidation) {
+            validateImportSyntax(fileName, relativeImportPath, match[0]);
           }
 
           const importQueryPath = join(dirname(queryPath), relativeImportPath);
@@ -174,3 +174,23 @@ async function readQueryFileAndImports(
 
   return Object.values(rawQueryStrings).join("\n");
 }
+
+function validateImportSyntax(
+  file: string,
+  relativeImportPath: string,
+  actual: string,
+) {
+  const canonicalSyntax = `;; import ${relativeImportPath}`;
+
+  if (actual !== canonicalSyntax) {
+    showError(
+      ide().messages,
+      "LanguageDefinition.readQueryFileAndImports.malformedImport",
+      `Malformed import statement in ${file}: "${actual}". Import statements must be of the form "${canonicalSyntax}"`,
+    );
+
+    if (ide().runMode === "test") {
+      throw new Error("Invalid import statement");
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/cursorless-engine/src/languages/TreeSitterQuery/validateQueryCaptures.test.ts b/packages/cursorless-engine/src/languages/TreeSitterQuery/validateQueryCaptures.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b3a803e95a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cursorless-engine/src/languages/TreeSitterQuery/validateQueryCaptures.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+import { FakeIDE } from "@cursorless/common";
+import assert from "assert";
+import { injectIde } from "../../singletons/ide.singleton";
+import { validateQueryCaptures } from "./validateQueryCaptures";
+
+const testCases: { name: string; isOk: boolean; content: string }[] = [
+  {
+    name: "Scope captures",
+    isOk: true,
+    content: "(if_statement) @statement @ifStatement @comment",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Relationships",
+    isOk: true,
+    content: "(if_statement) @statement.domain @statement.interior @_.removal",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Position captures",
+    isOk: true,
+    content:
+      "(if_statement) @statement.startOf @statement.leading.startOf @statement.trailing.endOf",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Range captures",
+    isOk: true,
+    content:
+      "(if_statement) @statement.start @statement.start.endOf @statement.removal.start @statement.interior.start.endOf",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Dummy capture",
+    isOk: true,
+    content: "(if_statement) @_foo",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "No range dummy relationships",
+    isOk: false,
+    content: "(if_statement) @_foo.start @_foo.startOf",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Text fragment",
+    isOk: true,
+    content: "(comment) @textFragment",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Iteration",
+    isOk: true,
+    content: "(document) @statement.iteration @statement.iteration.domain",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Unknown capture in comment",
+    isOk: true,
+    content: ";; (if_statement) @unknown",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Unknown capture",
+    isOk: false,
+    content: "(if_statement) @unknown",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Unknown relationship",
+    isOk: false,
+    content: "(if_statement) @statement.unknown",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Single @",
+    isOk: false,
+    content: "(if_statement) @",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Single wildcard",
+    isOk: false,
+    content: "(if_statement) @_",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Wildcard start",
+    isOk: false,
+    content: "(if_statement) @_.start",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Leading start",
+    isOk: false,
+    content: "(if_statement) @statement.leading.start",
+  },
+  {
+    name: "Text fragment removal",
+    isOk: false,
+    content: "(comment) @textFragment.removal",
+  },
+];
+
+suite("validateQueryCaptures", function () {
+  suiteSetup(() => {
+    injectIde(new FakeIDE());
+  });
+
+  for (const testCase of testCases) {
+    const name = [testCase.isOk ? "OK" : "Error", testCase.name].join(": ");
+
+    test(name, () => {
+      const runTest = () =>
+        validateQueryCaptures(testCase.name, testCase.content);
+
+      if (testCase.isOk) {
+        assert.doesNotThrow(runTest);
+      } else {
+        assert.throws(runTest);
+      }
+    });
+  }
+});
diff --git a/packages/cursorless-engine/src/languages/TreeSitterQuery/validateQueryCaptures.ts b/packages/cursorless-engine/src/languages/TreeSitterQuery/validateQueryCaptures.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ce3e91b58a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cursorless-engine/src/languages/TreeSitterQuery/validateQueryCaptures.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+import { showError, simpleScopeTypeTypes } from "@cursorless/common";
+import { ide } from "../../singletons/ide.singleton";
+
+const wildcard = "_";
+const textFragment = "textFragment";
+const captureNames = [wildcard, ...simpleScopeTypeTypes];
+
+const positionRelationships = ["prefix", "leading", "trailing"];
+const positionSuffixes = ["startOf", "endOf"];
+
+const rangeRelationships = [
+  "domain",
+  "removal",
+  "interior",
+  "iteration",
+  "iteration.domain",
+];
+const rangeSuffixes = [
+  "start",
+  "end",
+  "start.startOf",
+  "start.endOf",
+  "end.startOf",
+  "end.endOf",
+];
+
+const allowedCaptures = new Set<string>();
+
+allowedCaptures.add(textFragment);
+
+for (const suffix of rangeSuffixes) {
+  allowedCaptures.add(`${textFragment}.${suffix}`);
+}
+
+for (const captureName of captureNames) {
+  // Wildcard is not allowed by itself without a relationship
+  if (captureName !== wildcard) {
+    // eg: statement
+    allowedCaptures.add(captureName);
+
+    // eg: statement.start | statement.start.endOf
+    for (const suffix of rangeSuffixes) {
+      allowedCaptures.add(`${captureName}.${suffix}`);
+    }
+  }
+
+  for (const relationship of positionRelationships) {
+    // eg: statement.leading
+    allowedCaptures.add(`${captureName}.${relationship}`);
+
+    for (const suffix of positionSuffixes) {
+      // eg: statement.leading.endOf
+      allowedCaptures.add(`${captureName}.${relationship}.${suffix}`);
+    }
+  }
+
+  for (const relationship of rangeRelationships) {
+    // eg: statement.domain
+    allowedCaptures.add(`${captureName}.${relationship}`);
+
+    for (const suffix of rangeSuffixes) {
+      // eg: statement.domain.start | statement.domain.start.endOf
+      allowedCaptures.add(`${captureName}.${relationship}.${suffix}`);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// Not a comment. ie line is not starting with `;;`
+// Capture starts with `@` and is followed by words and/or dots
+const capturePattern = new RegExp(`^(?!;;).*@([\\w.]*)`, "gm");
+
+export function validateQueryCaptures(file: string, rawQuery: string): void {
+  const matches = rawQuery.matchAll(capturePattern);
+
+  const errors: string[] = [];
+
+  for (const match of matches) {
+    const captureName = match[1];
+
+    if (
+      captureName.length > 1 &&
+      !captureName.includes(".") &&
+      captureName.startsWith("_")
+    ) {
+      // Allow @_foo dummy captures to use for referring to in query predicates
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    if (!allowedCaptures.has(captureName)) {
+      const lineNumber = match.input!.slice(0, match.index!).split("\n").length;
+      errors.push(`${file}(${lineNumber}) invalid capture '@${captureName}'.`);
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (errors.length === 0) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const message = errors.join("\n");
+
+  showError(
+    ide().messages,
+    "validateQueryCaptures.invalidCaptureName",
+    message,
+  );
+
+  if (ide().runMode === "test") {
+    throw new Error(message);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/cursorless-vscode-e2e/src/suite/fixtures/recorded/languages/scm/clearEveryEntry4.yml b/packages/cursorless-vscode-e2e/src/suite/fixtures/recorded/languages/scm/clearEveryEntry4.yml
index 1b93695f54..ae6c0b318c 100644
--- a/packages/cursorless-vscode-e2e/src/suite/fixtures/recorded/languages/scm/clearEveryEntry4.yml
+++ b/packages/cursorless-vscode-e2e/src/suite/fixtures/recorded/languages/scm/clearEveryEntry4.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ initialState:
   documentContents: |-
     (
       (_
-        (_) @dummy
+        (_) @_dummy
         (capture) @name @_.domain.end
       ) @_.domain.start
     )
diff --git a/queries/go.scm b/queries/go.scm
index 09bd1707db..45cc515747 100644
--- a/queries/go.scm
+++ b/queries/go.scm
@@ -246,8 +246,8 @@
 (
   (if_statement
     consequence: (block) @branch.end.endOf
-  ) @_if @branch.start.startOf
-  (#not-parent-type? @_if if_statement)
+  ) @branch.start.startOf
+  (#not-parent-type? @branch.start.startOf if_statement)
   (#insertion-delimiter! @branch.start.startOf " ")
 )
 
@@ -271,6 +271,6 @@
 
 ;; iteration scope is always the outermost if statement
 (
-  (if_statement) @_if @branch.iteration
-  (#not-parent-type? @_if if_statement)
+  (if_statement) @branch.iteration
+  (#not-parent-type? @branch.iteration if_statement)
 )
diff --git a/queries/javascript.core.scm b/queries/javascript.core.scm
index 4bb1837695..5e853f2aee 100644
--- a/queries/javascript.core.scm
+++ b/queries/javascript.core.scm
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@
 (export_statement
   (_
     name: (_) @name
-  ) @dummy
+  ) @_dummy
 
   ;; We have a special case for this one.  Note we don't need to list the other
   ;; special cases from above because they can't be exported
-  (#not-type? @dummy variable_declarator)
+  (#not-type? @_dummy variable_declarator)
 ) @_.domain
 
 ;; Special cases for `(let | const | var) foo = ...;` because the full statement
@@ -266,8 +266,8 @@
       .
       value: (_)? @value
     ) @_.domain
-  ) @dummy
-  (#has-multiple-children-of-type? @dummy variable_declarator)
+  ) @_dummy
+  (#has-multiple-children-of-type? @_dummy variable_declarator)
 )
 
 (expression_statement
@@ -696,9 +696,9 @@
     (_) @argumentOrParameter
     .
     (_)? @_.trailing.startOf
-  ) @dummy
+  ) @_dummy
   (#not-type? @argumentOrParameter "comment")
-  (#single-or-multi-line-delimiter! @argumentOrParameter @dummy ", " ",\n")
+  (#single-or-multi-line-delimiter! @argumentOrParameter @_dummy ", " ",\n")
 )
 
 ;;!! foo("bar")
@@ -710,9 +710,9 @@
     (_) @argumentOrParameter
     .
     (_)? @_.trailing.startOf
-  ) @dummy
+  ) @_dummy
   (#not-type? @argumentOrParameter "comment")
-  (#single-or-multi-line-delimiter! @argumentOrParameter @dummy ", " ",\n")
+  (#single-or-multi-line-delimiter! @argumentOrParameter @_dummy ", " ",\n")
 )
 
 (_
diff --git a/queries/javascript.fieldAccess.scm b/queries/javascript.fieldAccess.scm
index 5a0f33fc6b..355f2f0756 100644
--- a/queries/javascript.fieldAccess.scm
+++ b/queries/javascript.fieldAccess.scm
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@
 (
   (member_expression
     object: (call_expression
-      function: (_) @dummy
+      function: (_) @_dummy
     ) @private.fieldAccess
   )
-  (#not-type? @dummy member_expression)
+  (#not-type? @_dummy member_expression)
 )
 
 ;;!! foo[0].bar
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@
 (
   (member_expression
     object: (subscript_expression
-      object: (_) @dummy
+      object: (_) @_dummy
     ) @private.fieldAccess
   )
-  (#not-type? @dummy member_expression)
+  (#not-type? @_dummy member_expression)
 )
 
 ;;!! foo.bar
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
       (optional_chain)
     ] @private.fieldAccess.start
     property: (_) @private.fieldAccess.end
-  ) @dummy
-  (#not-parent-type? @dummy call_expression subscript_expression)
+  ) @_dummy
+  (#not-parent-type? @_dummy call_expression subscript_expression)
 )
 
 ;;!! foo.bar()
diff --git a/queries/python.fieldAccess.scm b/queries/python.fieldAccess.scm
index 56284aa6f9..583952ba0f 100644
--- a/queries/python.fieldAccess.scm
+++ b/queries/python.fieldAccess.scm
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@
 (
   (attribute
     object: (call
-      function: (_) @dummy
+      function: (_) @_dummy
     ) @private.fieldAccess
   )
-  (#not-type? @dummy attribute)
+  (#not-type? @_dummy attribute)
 )
 
 ;;!! foo[0].bar
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@
 (
   (attribute
     object: (subscript
-      value: (_) @dummy
+      value: (_) @_dummy
     ) @private.fieldAccess
   )
-  (#not-type? @dummy attribute)
+  (#not-type? @_dummy attribute)
 )
 
 ;;!! foo.bar
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
   (attribute
     "." @private.fieldAccess.start
     attribute: (_) @private.fieldAccess.end
-  ) @dummy
-  (#not-parent-type? @dummy call subscript)
+  ) @_dummy
+  (#not-parent-type? @_dummy call subscript)
 )
 
 ;;!! foo.bar()
diff --git a/queries/scm.name.scm b/queries/scm.name.scm
index 1926a67a76..247b0ad971 100644
--- a/queries/scm.name.scm
+++ b/queries/scm.name.scm
@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@
 ;;!  ---------------
 (
   (_
-    _ @dummy
+    _ @_dummy
     .
     (capture) @name.start
     (capture)? @name.end
     .
   ) @_.domain
   (#not-type? @_.domain parameters)
-  (#not-type? @dummy capture)
+  (#not-type? @_dummy capture)
   (#not-parent-type? @_.domain field_definition)
 )
 
@@ -20,14 +20,14 @@
 (
   (field_definition
     (_
-      _ @dummy
+      _ @_dummy
       .
       (capture) @name.start
       (capture)? @name.end
       .
     )
   ) @_.domain
-  (#not-type? @dummy capture)
+  (#not-type? @_dummy capture)
 )
 
 ;;!! (aaa) @bbb @ccc
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@
 (
   (_
     (capture) @name
-  ) @dummy
-  (#not-type? @dummy parameters)
-  (#has-multiple-children-of-type? @dummy capture)
+  ) @_dummy
+  (#not-type? @_dummy parameters)
+  (#has-multiple-children-of-type? @_dummy capture)
 )
 
 ;;!! (aaa) @bbb @ccc
@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@
 ;;!  --------------- <~ iteration domain
 (
   (_
-    _ @dummy
+    _ @_dummy
     .
     (capture) @name.iteration.start
   ) @name.iteration.end.endOf @name.iteration.domain
-  (#not-type? @dummy capture)
+  (#not-type? @_dummy capture)
   (#not-type? @name.iteration.start parameters)
   (#not-parent-type? @name.iteration.domain field_definition)
 )
@@ -63,21 +63,21 @@
       ;; Note that we can't use wildcard node due to
       ;; https://github.com/tree-sitter/tree-sitter/issues/2483
       (named_node
-        _ @dummy
+        _ @_dummy
         .
         (capture) @name.iteration.start
       )
       (anonymous_node
-        _ @dummy
+        _ @_dummy
         .
         (capture) @name.iteration.start
       )
       (list
-        _ @dummy
+        _ @_dummy
         .
         (capture) @name.iteration.start
       )
     ]
   ) @name.iteration.end.endOf @name.iteration.domain
-  (#not-type? @dummy capture)
+  (#not-type? @_dummy capture)
 )
diff --git a/queries/typescript.core.scm b/queries/typescript.core.scm
index b4ca34752e..f8dd45a6f3 100644
--- a/queries/typescript.core.scm
+++ b/queries/typescript.core.scm
@@ -152,8 +152,8 @@
         (_) @type
       ) @type.removal
     ) @_.domain
-  ) @dummy
-  (#has-multiple-children-of-type? @dummy variable_declarator)
+  ) @_dummy
+  (#has-multiple-children-of-type? @_dummy variable_declarator)
 )
 
 ;;!! function ccc(aaa: string, bbb?: string) {}
@@ -194,8 +194,8 @@
 ;;!                  ^^^^^^  ^^^^^^
 (type_arguments
   (_) @type
-  (#not-parent-type? @dummy type_assertion)
-) @dummy
+  (#not-parent-type? @_dummy type_assertion)
+) @_dummy
 
 ;;!! function foo<A>() {}
 ;;!               ^