Good Night or Goodnight: What’s the Difference? (2024)

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You’ve written the sweetest message to send to your loved one before they go to bed. But right before you hit “send,” doubt lurks over you. Is the correct spelling “good night” or “goodnight”? We’ll review everything you need to know about how to use these expressions correctly.

Good Night or Goodnight: What’s the Difference? (1)
“Good Night” or “Goodnight”: Quick Summary

If you want to send someone good wishes when parting ways at night or before going to sleep, good night is the standard spelling, whereas goodnight is an informal alternative.

  • Good night, Mom.
  • Goodnight, Mom.

However, use the two-word spelling as a noun phrase to describe a night and the closed compound word as a modifier to describe a noun.

  • We had a really good night.
  • I wanted a goodnight hug.
Table of Contents

Which Is Correct: “Good Night” or “Goodnight”?

When To Use “Good Night”

Is it “Good Night Sleep” or “Good Night’s Sleep”?

When To Use “Goodnight”

Synonyms of “Good Night”

Which Is Correct: “Good Night” or “Goodnight”?

The answer is simple: when used as a farewell expression, good night and goodnight are both acceptable, but good night is the standard spelling, whereas goodnight is an informal alternative.

However, if you’re meticulous about your grammar and spelling, there’s more you should know about how to properly use the phrases good night and goodnight.

Intrigued? Let’s dive in!

Good Night or Goodnight: What’s the Difference? (2)

When To Use “Good Night”

Good night is an interjection (or exclamation) used when parting ways at night or before going to bed. It’s a shortened version of longer expressions.

I hope you’ll have a good night, Lidia.
or
Have yourself a good night, Lidia.
=
Good night, Lidia.

The longer expressions aren’t necessary, as we can interpret what one means when they say good night. However, if you use a full phrase, it’s recommended to write good night and not goodnight.

I hope you’ll have a good night, Lidia.

I hope you’ll have a goodnight, Lidia.

Furthermore, when spelled as two separate words, good night is a noun phrase. Good functions as an adjective that describes the noun night.

We had a good night together.

You know it will be a good night when all your friends coincidentally end up in the same spot.

Julie and Thomas sang, danced, and had a good night together.

When using good night in this sense, using the spelling variant goodnight is incorrect.

We had a goodnight together.

“Good Night’s Sleep” or “Good Night Sleep”

The more grammatically correct way to say this expression is good night’s sleep. This is because noun phrases can indicate possessions; therefore, a good night’s sleep conveys that the sleep belongs to the good night.

He said he had a good night’s sleep.

He said he had a good night sleep.

Good Night or Goodnight: What’s the Difference? (3)

When To Use “Goodnight”

When used as a farewell expression, goodnight is a more casual spelling of the interjection good night.

Goodnight, Frank. See you in the morning.

It was nice seeing you. Goodnight.

Get some rest. Goodnight.

In this sense, goodnight is typically used as an isolated expression. As we previously mentioned, using goodnight as part of longer expressions is not recommended.

I hope you have a goodnight, Frank. See you in the morning.

Goodnight can also be used as a modifier. In this case, it should be spelled as a closed compound word.

I read her a goodnight story.

Here, goodnight is used to add information to the type of story that was read—one that is told at night before going to sleep. Take a look at what happens if we use the two-word spelling as an adjective:

I read her a good night story.

This sentence can be interpreted in different ways: Someone read a story that took place at night, or someone read a good story that happens to be told at night. Do you see how confusion can arise?

Here are a few more examples of goodnight being used as a modifier.

I told Sarah to give Jonny a goodnight kiss and then go to bed.
Lily asked that I sing her a goodnight lullaby.
Before going to sleep, I sent her a goodnight message.

Synonyms of “Good Night”

When using good night and goodnight as interjections, there are other expressions you can try instead. Here are a few of them:

Sweet dreams
Sleep well
Have a pleasant night
Sleep tight
Until tomorrow
Pleasant dreams
Nighty-night
Good Night or Goodnight: What’s the Difference? (4)

Sleep Tight Knowing Your Writing is Bright

We know there’s a lot to remember when it comes to using good night and goodnight correctly. So, here’s a recap:

  • When you want to send someone well wishes before going to bed or parting ways at night, good night and goodnight are both acceptable, but good night is the standard spelling. You can remember this by considering the expressions good morning and good afternoon, which are never spelled goodmorning nor goodafternoon.
  • If you intend to describe a night, use the two-word spelling (good night, not goodnight).
  • To modify a noun, use the closed compound spelling (goodnight kiss, not good night kiss).

When in doubt, use LanguageTool as your writing assistant. This multilingual spell and grammar checker can verify the correct usage of good night and goodnight while ensuring optimal tone and style. Give it a try today and start writing flawless and moving goodnight messages.

Checking provided by LanguageToolCheck your text with LanguageTool

  • Good Night or Goodnight: What’s the Difference? (5)

Gina

Gina holds a Bachelor of Arts in English. With a passion for creating art with words, she spends her free time reading and writing. And no, we didn’t force her to say that. You can find her strolling the shorelines with her loyal canine companion, Mango, or (painfully) cheering on her favorite team, the Miami Dolphins.

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Good Night or Goodnight: What’s the Difference? (2024)

FAQs

Good Night or Goodnight: What’s the Difference? ›

Which Is Correct: “Good Night” or “Goodnight”? The answer is simple: when used as a farewell expression, good night and goodnight are both acceptable, but good night is the standard spelling, whereas goodnight is an informal alternative.

What is correct, goodnight or good night? ›

The short answer is that both forms are acceptable spellings. You can use either goodnight or good night when you're saying farewell to someone at the end of the evening. However, good night, with two separate words‌, is considered the more correct way to spell this word in formal writing.

Is have a good night the same as goodnight? ›

Do “goodnight” and “have a good night” mean the same thing? Good question! In the vaguest sense, both are expressions used to wish someone a pleasant night. Beyond that, however, they are not interchangeable.

When to say goodnight? ›

Say “Good night” to say “goodbye” – when you are leaving to go home. Family members also say “good night” when they are going to bed.

Why do humans say goodnight? ›

“Goodnight” implies the other person is going to sleep soon.

While the phrase “have a good night” can be used earlier in the day (i.e. right after work, a party, etc.), “goodnight” is usually reserved for bedtime. It suggests the other is about to go to sleep, and they won't be awake for long after you part ways.

Is saying night instead of goodnight rude? ›

Not really but it's needs to carry some weight. The recipient has to feel you really care. This really depends on the person, but 'nite' does come off as a quick, low effort, reply. A few more letters wouldn't hurt, just to be on the safe side.

Is Goodnight a proper greeting? ›

No, "good night" is not typically used as a greeting. It's either a farewell or a description of the night's quality.

What does "goodnight" mean? ›

interjection. used to express good wishes in the evening especially when someone is leaving or going to sleep.

What can we say instead of good night? ›

Use these cute expressions.
  • Sleep tight, little star.
  • Nighty night, sleepyhead.
  • Sweet dreams, tiny dreamer.
  • See you in Dreamland, little one.
  • Time for twinkling dreams.
  • Hush-a-bye, little darling.
  • Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite.
  • Off to dreamy adventures!
Nov 2, 2023

When did people start saying goodnight? ›

The earliest known use of the verb good-night is in the 1820s. OED's earliest evidence for good-night is from 1828, in the writing of Theodore Hook, writer and hoaxer. It is also recorded as a noun from the Middle English period (1150—1500).

Is Goodnight a single word? ›

Is “goodnight” one word or two? The greeting said to someone at the end of the day is usually written “goodnight,” though “good night” is also sometimes used. “Good night” can also be a phrase composed of an adjective and noun to describe a particular night, in which case it should always be two words.

Should I reply after saying goodnight? ›

Yes you should but make sure to do just say goodnight without touching any new topic. Simply be simple. I do as long as I see it before it is too late to reply with something like “sweet dreams”. Replying to someone is the polite way - imho.

Is saying goodnight flirty? ›

Because goodnight texts indicate that you're thinking about someone right before you go to bed, they may be construed as flirty.

Why did a girl say goodnight? ›

I could tell you that it means she's going to bed, but when she says “goodnight” she wants you to say it back and may say something else after(that doesn't always happen but it can). She says this to show that she cares for you too, and it might hurt her feelings if you don't say it back. Good Luck!

What is goodnight love? ›

If a boy says “good night love ” it means he is in love with you and wants you to feel special. Love is one of the most warmest and heartfelt words that a boy or girl can say to their partner. In this way, you can realize that they want to show their love towards you.

How do you use goodnight in a sentence? ›

said when people leave each other in the evening or before going to bed or to sleep: Well, good night - sleep well. Give the children a good-night kiss. "Good night, Mummy." "Goodnight, darling!"

How do you abbreviate goodnight? ›

Gn” is an abbreviation for “good night.” It is a way of saying goodbye and wishing someone a good night's rest.

Is good night hyphenated? ›

The phrase “Good night” consists of an adjective (“Good”) and a noun (“night”). This combination does not need hyphenation. However, if the words are used as a phrasal adjective, as in “He gave her a good-night kiss,” then it is hyphenated.

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