*Lable or Label | Correct Spelling & Meaning

Label is a noun referring to a piece of material that identifies or describes an object it’s affixed to. It’s also used as a verb to refer to the act of attaching a label to something or, more negatively, to refer to the act of assigning someone to a specific category.

‘Lable’ is sometimes used instead of label, but this is incorrect. ‘Lable’ is not a real word and should be avoided.

Examples: Label and lable in a sentence
  • Sara read the lable on the jumper.
  • Sara read the label on the jumper.
  • You shouldn’t lable people based on their religious beliefs.
  • You shouldn’t label people based on their religious beliefs.

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Label as a noun

Label is a noun that refers to a piece of material that’s affixed to an object to identify or describe it or metaphorically to the name that is given to something or someone. It can also be used to refer to a company that records music, or to a fashion company.

Example: Label as a noun
The nutritional information is on the label.

The band were signed by a well-known record label.

I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but I think you bought the coat only because of the label.

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Label as a verb

Label can be used as a verb to refer to the act of affixing a label to something or, more negatively, to the act of assigning someone to a category (often based on superficial reasons or stereotypes).

Examples: Label as a verb
Please label the files correctly!

I don’t label people based on how they dress.

Note
While label is standard in both US and UK English, other forms of the verb are spelled differently depending on the version of English you’re using (e.g., ‘labelled’ or ‘labeled’).

Other interesting language articles

If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

Frequently asked questions

What is a synonym for ‘label’?

There are numerous synonyms for the different meanings of label:

Information about an object (noun) Attach a label (verb) Label a person (verb)
Docket Tag Classify
Tag Ticket Pigeonhole
Ticket Stereotype
What does ‘lable’ mean?

‘Lable’ is sometimes mistakenly used instead of label. Because the word is pronounced like some words that end in ‘-able’ (e.g., ‘table’), people sometimes mistakenly write ‘lable’. But ‘lable’ is not an acceptable spelling and should be avoided.

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Ryan, E. (2023, March 14). *Lable or Label | Correct Spelling & Meaning. Scribbr. Retrieved 18 November 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/common-errors/label-or-lable/

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Eoghan Ryan

Eoghan has a lot of experience with theses and dissertations at bachelor's, MA, and PhD level. He has taught university English courses, helping students to improve their research and writing.