Yes, they are different although most people regard them as
being one and the same. They are not. WLAN is an acronym for
Wireless Local Area Network while Wi-Fi is described by the Wi-Fi
Alliance as being any WLAN that is based upon IEEE 802.11
standards. To be Wi-Fi certified, the WLAN must successfully
complete Wi-Fi Alliance interoperability certification testing. So,
while any LAN that is Wi-Fi certified is regarded as a WLAN, not
all WLAN are Wi-Fi certified.