‘Log in' vs ' Login': What's the Difference Between the Two?

By Shanea Patterson, updated on January 24, 2023

Wondering whether to spell it – ‘log in’ or ‘login’? And what is the difference between the two? We’ll cover that in this article, plus teach you how to use the correct spelling in a sentence.

In short, ‘login’ is the correct way to spell the word. However, ‘log in’ acts as a verb and can also be used in the right context.

‘Log In’ vs. ‘Login’ – What’s the Difference? 

The difference between ‘log in’ and ‘log in’ is that the former is a noun, and the latter is a verb.

‘Log in’ refers to the act of logging into something, whether that’s a social media account or some kind of online dashboard.

‘Login’ refers to the information you use to log in, which includes your username and password.

One way to remember it is that you ‘log in’ with your ‘login’ info. 

‘Login’ or ‘Log In’ – How to Use Each Correctly

As you just saw, the correct way to use ‘login’ is as a noun, and ‘log in’ should be used as a verb.

You can ‘log in’ to your TikTok account with your ‘login’ info (username and password).

They might be considered homophones, since they sound the same but have different meanings.

Definition and Meaning of ‘Log In’ and ‘Login’

We briefly touched on the meaning of both words. Now, let’s see what Merriam-Webster says about the words.

‘Login’ isn’t technically a word in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as of yet, but it contains an entry for ‘log on.’ It’s a verb that means to start communication and begin interacting with a computer or system.

Pronunciation: How to Pronounce ‘Log In’ and ‘Login’

Unsure of how to pronounce the words? Here’s a short guide.

  • To pronounce both words correctly, use the phonetic spelling: LAH-GIN

The ‘g’ has the same sound as ‘girl,’ not ‘gene.’

How to Use ‘Log in’ and ‘Login’ in a Sentence

Now that you know what the words mean and how to pronounce them, let’s take a look at how to use them in a sentence correctly. Let’s start with ‘log in.’

  • I haven’t had a chance to log in to my dashboard to start working yet. I’ll be on in a second.
  • The freshmen never remember to log in and check their emails every week to check for important info from the professor.
  • I have to log in to Facebook every week to see what my family’s up to. I only go on for them.
  • Everyone has to log in to access their free download, which makes no sense.
  • Why don’t you log into your dashboard, and I’ll show you how to find what you’re looking for?
  • I don’t know how many times I’ve tried to log in. More than I can count.

Now let’s see how to use ‘login’ in a sentence.

  • I know I wrote my login information on a gray sticky note and put it on my laptop. Now it’s gone!
  • My login information isn’t the same for any of my accounts. I use a different username and password for every single site.
  • I change my login information bi-weekly to prevent my identity from being stolen.
  • Losing my login information is so nerve-wracking. I don’t want to have to reset it.
  • This website doesn’t remember my login information. How annoying.
  • My login information is hard to guess. I made it very hard to figure out.

Concluding Thoughts on ‘Log in’ vs. ‘Login’

To recap, we learned that ‘log in’ and ‘login’ are both acceptable in the English language. However, they mean two different things, so they can’t be used interchangeably.

If you ever forget the meaning or get stuck on usage, you can always come back for a quick refresher. We’ve got a whole library of content dedicated to explaining confusing words and phrases in the English language. Go check it out.

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Written By:
Shanea Patterson
Shanea Patterson is a writer based in New York and loves writing for brands big and small. She has a master's degree in professional writing from New York University and a bachelor's degree in English from Mercy College.

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