diff --git a/lexers/embedded/c.xml b/lexers/embedded/c.xml
index 1682943cc..f941802e1 100644
--- a/lexers/embedded/c.xml
+++ b/lexers/embedded/c.xml
@@ -218,6 +218,9 @@
           <token type="Punctuation"/>
         </bygroups>
       </rule>
+      <rule pattern="\b[A-Za-z_]\w*(?=\s*\()">
+          <token type="NameFunction"/>
+      </rule>
       <rule pattern="[a-zA-Z_]\w*">
         <token type="Name"/>
       </rule>
@@ -226,7 +229,7 @@
       <rule>
         <include state="whitespace"/>
       </rule>
-      <rule pattern="((?:[\w*\s])+?(?:\s|[*]))([a-zA-Z_]\w*)(\s*\([^;]*?\))([^;{]*)(\{)|\b[a-z_]\w*(?=\s*\()">
+      <rule pattern="((?:[\w*\s])+?(?:\s|[*]))([a-zA-Z_]\w*)(\s*\([^;]*?\))([^;{]*)(\{)">
         <bygroups>
           <usingself state="root"/>
           <token type="NameFunction"/>