log in
"log-in" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“log in” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To gain access to a computer system, usually by providing a previously registered username and password.
Corpus desk
Index EN-log-in · log in · English
log in · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 6 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "L" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | log in |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “log in” in English
Rare enough to double-check
log in is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for log in in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: By analogy with clock in. First use of the term appears in 1963 in the publication Compatible Time-Sharing System from the MIT Computation Center. The correct English form is log in, spelled L-O-G- -I-N.
Definition
- 1To gain access to a computer system, usually by providing a previously registered username and password.
- 2To be placed at a certain ranking.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how log in appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
I would like to log in to check my e-mail, but I can't remember my password.
Their cover version of Bobby "Blue" Bland's "Turn On Your Love Light" logged in at number 80 in 1968.
Etymology
By analogy with clock in. First use of the term appears in 1963 in the publication Compatible Time-Sharing System from the MIT Computation Center.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.