diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index e98bcd0a..aebcafe1 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 # net -- graph theory
 
-rename `placeholder/create*` to `placeholder/add*`
-
 `Node` should not `input` and `output` ports
 
 [maybe] `ActiveEdge` should not have `rule` -- all edges are the same
diff --git a/src/lang/check/checkWords.ts b/src/lang/check/checkWords.ts
index 433a6e31..802a4224 100644
--- a/src/lang/check/checkWords.ts
+++ b/src/lang/check/checkWords.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { compose } from "../compose/compose"
 import { createEnv } from "../env/createEnv"
 import { freshenType } from "../freshen/freshenType"
 import { Mod } from "../mod"
-import { createPlaceholderOutputPortFromType } from "../placeholder/createPlaceholderOutputPortFromType"
+import { addPlaceholderOutputPortFromType } from "../placeholder/addPlaceholderOutputPortFromType"
 import { unifyTypes } from "../unify/unifyTypes"
 import { formatValue } from "../value/formatValue"
 import { Word } from "../word"
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export function checkWords(
 
   const placeholderOutputPorts = inputValues
     .reverse()
-    .map((t) => createPlaceholderOutputPortFromType(env.net, mod, t))
+    .map((t) => addPlaceholderOutputPortFromType(env.net, mod, t))
 
   env.stack.push(...placeholderOutputPorts)
 
diff --git a/src/lang/placeholder/createPlaceholderInputPortForPort.ts b/src/lang/placeholder/addPlaceholderInputPortForPort.ts
similarity index 91%
rename from src/lang/placeholder/createPlaceholderInputPortForPort.ts
rename to src/lang/placeholder/addPlaceholderInputPortForPort.ts
index 81e50633..6723ab0e 100644
--- a/src/lang/placeholder/createPlaceholderInputPortForPort.ts
+++ b/src/lang/placeholder/addPlaceholderInputPortForPort.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { Net } from "../net"
 import { addNode } from "../net/addNode"
 import { Port } from "../port"
 
-export function createPlaceholderInputPortForPort(
+export function addPlaceholderInputPortForPort(
   net: Net,
   mod: Mod,
   port: Port,
diff --git a/src/lang/placeholder/createPlaceholderOutputPortForPort.ts b/src/lang/placeholder/addPlaceholderOutputPortForPort.ts
similarity index 91%
rename from src/lang/placeholder/createPlaceholderOutputPortForPort.ts
rename to src/lang/placeholder/addPlaceholderOutputPortForPort.ts
index d86dec65..b6929bf9 100644
--- a/src/lang/placeholder/createPlaceholderOutputPortForPort.ts
+++ b/src/lang/placeholder/addPlaceholderOutputPortForPort.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { Net } from "../net"
 import { addNode } from "../net/addNode"
 import { Port } from "../port"
 
-export function createPlaceholderOutputPortForPort(
+export function addPlaceholderOutputPortForPort(
   net: Net,
   mod: Mod,
   port: Port,
diff --git a/src/lang/placeholder/createPlaceholderOutputPortFromType.ts b/src/lang/placeholder/addPlaceholderOutputPortFromType.ts
similarity index 91%
rename from src/lang/placeholder/createPlaceholderOutputPortFromType.ts
rename to src/lang/placeholder/addPlaceholderOutputPortFromType.ts
index f64f336f..dd503ee7 100644
--- a/src/lang/placeholder/createPlaceholderOutputPortFromType.ts
+++ b/src/lang/placeholder/addPlaceholderOutputPortFromType.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { addNode } from "../net/addNode"
 import { Port } from "../port"
 import { Value } from "../value"
 
-export function createPlaceholderOutputPortFromType(
+export function addPlaceholderOutputPortFromType(
   net: Net,
   mod: Mod,
   t: Value,
diff --git a/src/lang/placeholder/connectNodeWithPlaceholderPorts.ts b/src/lang/placeholder/connectNodeWithPlaceholderPorts.ts
index 6357f771..ccdc873f 100644
--- a/src/lang/placeholder/connectNodeWithPlaceholderPorts.ts
+++ b/src/lang/placeholder/connectNodeWithPlaceholderPorts.ts
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ import { connect } from "../connect/connect"
 import { Mod } from "../mod"
 import { Net } from "../net"
 import { Node } from "../node"
-import { createPlaceholderInputPortForPort } from "./createPlaceholderInputPortForPort"
-import { createPlaceholderOutputPortForPort } from "./createPlaceholderOutputPortForPort"
+import { addPlaceholderInputPortForPort } from "./addPlaceholderInputPortForPort"
+import { addPlaceholderOutputPortForPort } from "./addPlaceholderOutputPortForPort"
 
 export function connectNodeWithPlaceholderPorts(
   mod: Mod,
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@ export function connectNodeWithPlaceholderPorts(
 ): void {
   for (const port of node.input) {
     if (!port.isPrincipal) {
-      const placeholderPort = createPlaceholderOutputPortForPort(net, mod, port)
+      const placeholderPort = addPlaceholderOutputPortForPort(net, mod, port)
       connect(net, port, placeholderPort)
     }
   }
 
   for (const port of node.output) {
     if (!port.isPrincipal) {
-      const placeholderPort = createPlaceholderInputPortForPort(net, mod, port)
+      const placeholderPort = addPlaceholderInputPortForPort(net, mod, port)
       connect(net, port, placeholderPort)
     }
   }