Why is stationary and stationary

Love words? Need even more definitions? Ask the Editors 'Everyday' vs. What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'? How 'literally' can mean "figuratively". Literally How to use a word that literally drives some pe Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice? The awkward case of 'his or her'. Take a quick test. Stationery is the Culprit The most common error associated with this pairing is writing "stationary" instead of "stationery. This error occurs because many are not aware that the word "stationery" exists.

E is for Envelope Let the "e" in "station e ry" remind you of " e nvelope. Ready for the Test? Here is a confirmatory test for this lesson.

This test can also be: Edited i. Printed to create a handout. Stationary is an adjective that describes objects that are not moving, while stationery is a noun that refers to pens, pencils, paper, envelopes, etc.

That is to say, a station ar y place is where you ar e, sitting still. This is somewhat confusing and not that easy to remember, however. I prefer to think of stationary as manning a military station. The two words stationery vs.

Misusing them is an easily avoidable mistake.