Wi-Fi does not actually stand for anything. Despite popular belief, it is not an acronym for "wireless fidelity" or any other phrase. The term "Wi-Fi" was created by the marketing firm Interbrand as a catchy, consumer-friendly name for the wireless networking technology originally known as IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence. The name was chosen simply because it was easy to remember and sounded similar to "hi-fi," but it has no specific meaning

. The misconception that Wi-Fi stands for "wireless fidelity" arose because the Wi-Fi Alliance once used the tagline "The Standard for Wireless Fidelity" to help explain the name to consumers. However, this tagline was created after the name and does not reflect any technical meaning. The Wi-Fi Alliance eventually discontinued the tagline, but the myth has persisted

. In summary, Wi-Fi is a trademarked term describing a wireless networking technology based on the IEEE 802.11 standards, but the term itself is simply a brand name without an expanded form or acronym meaning