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HaydnH

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I don't suppose anyone runs a company that specializes in stationary/envelope do they?

 

Stationary vs stationery

 

The key to understanding the distinction between these two words is to know what each one means and to be aware of the role they play in a sentence (that is, their part of speech or word class).

Stationary

This word is an adjective, and in general use, it means ‘not moving, or not meant to move’:

He drove the car in a negligent way and hit a stationary lorry.

It is difficult for me to sit stationary for long periods.

When people think of shooting for sport, they visualize competitors firing at stationary targets.

There are two specialized meanings of stationary, related to stability or lack of movement:

  • Not changing in quantity or condition: population estimates did not differ over time; therefore, we constructed a life table under the assumption of a stationary
  • (In Astronomy, referring to a planet) having no apparent motion or longitude: after being retrograde since July, the planet appears stationary on the 30th.

Stationery

This is a noun, with two meanings, both related to paper goods:

  • Items such as paper, pens, folders, notebooks, etc. used in an office:

We supply office stationery for all types of companies and corporations.

  • Specially designed and printed notepaper, envelopes, invitations, etc.:

They created an emblem that was incorporated throughout the wedding stationery.

Confusion can arise because stationery, like many nouns, can be used to modify (add to or change the meaning of) another noun – behaving rather like an adjective. So it’s perfectly correct to refer to a stationery cupboard or a stationery store.

But essentially, it’s very simple: there’s a clear distinction in meaning between the two words. A handy tip is to remember:

  • StationERy is papER.

If ‘paper/writing materials’ *isn’t* the meaning you want (there’s an extremely good chance that bicycles or cars aren’t stationery, for example), then the spelling has got to be stationary.

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Whoa. Check out the spelling and grammar police!!!! I was told that the simplest way to remember it the E in envelope for stationery!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by Paul K
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