Is it ‘checkin’ or ‘check-in’? And what’s the difference between these two words? We’ll go over that in more detail below, plus teach you how to use the correct one in a sentence.
In short, the difference between these words is:
An alternate spelling of the word is ‘check in,’ and that’s used as an action verb. It describes the act of checking in.
Now that we know ‘checkin’ isn’t a real word let’s look at ‘check in’ and ‘check-in.’
They sound the same but mean slightly different things, making them homophones.
‘Check in’ is used as a verb to refer to the act of checking in. It means ‘to register upon arrival.’ You might use this phrase when talking about checking into a hotel or to an appointment at the doctor’s office.
Sometimes, people also ‘check in’ on social media, meaning they let everyone know where they are in the world. Usually, it’s a restaurant or some kind of entertainment venue.
‘Check-in’ is used as a noun or adjective, and it refers to the act of registering upon arrival. As an adjective, it describes the object that’s being used for the purpose of registering.
You already know that ‘checkin’ isn’t a recognized word in the English language.
And you learned that ‘check in’ means register upon arrival.
‘Check-in’ refers to the act of registering upon arrival when used as a noun. As an adjective, it describes the object that’s being used for the purpose of registering.
The Merriam-Webster definition of the word is the act of checking in. It also means to register at a hotel, to report your presence or arrival, or find out the report or status of someone or something.
However, it could also mean meeting all the requirements when you return something.
The first known use of the verb version of the word was in 1918. The first known use of the noun was in 1927.
Wondering how to pronounce the word? Here’s a short guide.
Now that you know what the word means and how to pronounce it let’s see some examples of how to use it in a sentence.
To use the non-hyphenated version of the word, here are some examples.
To recap, the difference between these words is:
An alternate spelling of the word is ‘check in,’ and that’s used as an action verb. It describes the act of checking in.
If you ever get stuck on meaning or usage, you can always come back to refresh your memory. We’ve got a whole library of content dedicated to explaining confusing words and phrases people commonly have trouble with in the English language. Go check it out anytime.
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