stationary

Stationary with an a is typically used as an adjective that means standing still, fixed in place, or not moving, as in a stationary bike or Face the camera and try to remain stationary. Stationery with an e is a noun that refers to paper for writing or writing materials. It most commonly refers to nice paper for writing, such as fancy notecards or special monogrammed paper for writing letters—you normally wouldn’t call just any old paper stationery.

The two words mean completely different things, so the trick is remembering which spelling to use for each.

Try this: think of the a in stationary as standing for anchor, which keeps it fixed in place. Think of the e in stationery as standing for envelope.

Here’s an example of stationary and stationery used correctly in a sentence.

Example: If you think about it, paperweights were invented to keep stationery stationary.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between stationary and stationery.

Should stationary or stationery be used in the following sentence?

I love writing letters on hotel _____.