Stationary means staying in one place. Stationery means writing paper and related supplies. The spelling changes by one letter, but the two words describe different things.
Picture the bike and the envelope
- “I rode a stationary bike for twenty minutes.” The pedals move, and the bike stays in place.
- “Lena bought stationery for her thank-you notes.” The word can include paper, envelopes, and related writing supplies.
Remember a for at rest and e for envelope
In the sense of staying put, think stationary with an a for at rest. When the sentence is about writing supplies, think stationery with an e for envelope.
Try it
“The cart stayed ___ while we loaded it with boxes of ___.”
Show the answer
Use stationary for the cart that stayed in place and stationery for the supplies in the boxes.
See also Aisle vs. Isle.
