diff --git a/queries/bash/highlights.scm b/queries/bash/highlights.scm
index 892546fc2..783b149e8 100644
--- a/queries/bash/highlights.scm
+++ b/queries/bash/highlights.scm
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@
  (heredoc_start)
  ] @punctuation.delimiter
 
+[
+ "$"
+] @punctuation.special
+
 [
  ">"
  "<"
@@ -31,6 +35,8 @@
  (heredoc_body)
 ] @string
 
+(variable_assignment (word) @string)
+
 [
  "if"
  "then"
@@ -95,9 +101,6 @@
   descriptor: (file_descriptor) @operator
   destination: (word) @parameter)
 
-
-("$" (variable_name)) @variable
-
 (expansion
   [ "${" "}" ] @punctuation.bracket)
 
@@ -107,4 +110,3 @@
   value: (word) @parameter)
 
 (concatenation (word) @parameter)
-