diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ea05413a78..41aaea6f6a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ For a list of breaking changes, check [here](#breaking-changes).
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- Add `printf` to vars linted by `analyze-format`. ([@tomdl89](https://github.com/tomdl89))
 - [#2272](https://github.com/clj-kondo/clj-kondo/issues/2272): Report var usage in `if-let` etc condition as always truthy
 - [#2272](https://github.com/clj-kondo/clj-kondo/issues/2272): Report var usage in `if-not` condition as always truthy
 - [#2433](https://github.com/clj-kondo/clj-kondo/issues/2433): false positive redundant ignore with hook
diff --git a/src/clj_kondo/impl/analyzer.clj b/src/clj_kondo/impl/analyzer.clj
index 557c6b2d8f..7a091cf932 100644
--- a/src/clj_kondo/impl/analyzer.clj
+++ b/src/clj_kondo/impl/analyzer.clj
@@ -2478,7 +2478,7 @@
                           this-as (analyze-this-as ctx expr)
                           memfn (analyze-memfn ctx expr)
                           empty? (analyze-empty? ctx expr)
-                          format (analyze-format ctx expr)
+                          (format printf) (analyze-format ctx expr)
                           (use require)
                           (if top-level? (namespace-analyzer/analyze-require ctx expr)
                               (analyze-children ctx children))
diff --git a/test/clj_kondo/format_test.clj b/test/clj_kondo/format_test.clj
index 9d6a507fe7..e6edbf8a4f 100644
--- a/test/clj_kondo/format_test.clj
+++ b/test/clj_kondo/format_test.clj
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
   (assert-submaps
    '({:file "<stdin>", :row 1, :col 68, :level :error, :message "Format string expects 1 arguments instead of 2."})
    (lint! "(require '[clojure.tools.logging :as l]) (l/errorf (ex-info \"\" {}) \"%s\" 1 2)"))
+  (assert-submaps
+   '({:file "<stdin>", :row 1, :col 9, :level :error, :message "Format string expects 2 arguments instead of 1."})
+   (lint! "(printf \"%s %s\" 1)"))
   (is (empty? (lint! "(format \"%3$s\" 1 2 3)")))
   (is (empty? (lint! "(format \"%3$s %s %s %s\" 1 2 3)")))
   (is (empty? (lint! "(format \"%3$s %s %s %s %s\" 1 2 3 4)")))