Stationary vs. Stationery

Stationary vs Stationery

Do you not know when to use stationary vs stationery? Use this page to discover stationary vs stationery examples. You can also use this page to learn the definition of stationary vs stationery.

Stationary vs Stationery: The easy explanation

Stationary means “not moving or not changing”:

The mother ordered her daughters to remain stationary while she ran to get milk.

Stationery refers to “the paper used for writing letters”:

Mrs. Van Buren used her monogrammed stationery to decline the invitation for tea.

When to Use Stationary vs. Stationery

The word stationary is an adjective that means “not moving or not changing” (as in “a stationary bike”).

The word stationery refers to the special paper (and envelopes sometimes) used for writing letters (as in “flowered stationery”).

Examples of Stationary vs. Stationery

Stationary vs Stationery Example #1) Keep the bicycle stationary and use it for balance during the stretch.

(In this sentence, “stationary” means “not moving.”)

Stationary vs Stationery Example #2) Jason pulled out a piece of stationery and wrote a quick letter.

(In this sentence, “stationery” means “the paper used for writing letters.”)

How to Remember the Difference Between Stationary vs Stationery

When in doubt about choosing between stationary vs stationery, remember that the word “letter” has two e’s in it, just as the word for the paper used for writing letters, “stationery,” is spelled with an “e.”

Theory Into Practice: Stationary vs Stationery

Is the underlined word correct? See if you can tell.

He was advised to stay stationery until the bomb squad arrived.

Wrong: This sentence needs the word that means to be immobile, which should be “stationary.”

The stationary car still had the motor running.

Right: This sentence needs the word that means to be immobile, so this is correct.

He reached for some very fancy stationery on the upper shelf and sat down to write a love letter.

Right: This sentence needs the word that means paper for writing letters, so this is correct.