stationery

American  

[stey-shuh-ner-ee] / ˈsteɪ ʃəˌnɛr i /

noun

1. 

   writing paper.

2. writing materials, as pens, pencils, paper, and envelopes.

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stationery British  

/ ˈsteɪʃənərɪ /

noun

1. any writing materials, such as paper, envelopes, pens, ink, rulers, etc

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Usage

What’s the difference between stationery and 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. 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. The two words mean completely different things, so the trick is remembering which spelling to use for each. Try this: think of the e in stationery as standing for envelope. Think of the a in stationary as standing for anchor, which keeps it fixed in place. Here’s an example of stationery and stationary 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 stationery and stationary.

Commonly Confused

See stationary

Etymology

Origin of stationery

First recorded in 1670–80; stationer + -y ³

Explanation

If your grandmother gives you a set of stationery as a birthday present, it might be a subtle hint to write her a thank you note. Stationery is a set of writing paper that comes with envelopes. Stationery refers to fancy paper you might use for a long-overdue thank you note, an old fashioned cover letter and resume, or even a love letter to a far away friend. Stationery is a tricky word that’s only one letter away from stationary, which means “remaining in one place.” But stationery (with an e) is what you’ll write your grandmother’s thank you note on. Won’t you?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stationery

For her wedding this past June, Jade Mitchell Clyde leveraged her audience of about 158,000 Instagram followers to get sponsorships from Minted, a stationery company, and Brilliant Earth, a fine jewelry retailer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

They found Murrell had used used charge cards, bank transfers and fake invoices to illicitly purchase items including jewellery, cosmetics, stationery, and games consoles.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

The Bazar, which opened in 1966, embodied every aspect of a socialist enterprise: from subsidized sugar and palm oil to fresh vegetables, wrist watches, stationery, construction materials, transistors and eventually even computers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

That faced some controversy from the community who argued the city was erasing their history and burdening them with the cost to change stationery.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2026

She perched on the delicate chair and helped herself to a sheet of stationery and a matching lilac-scented envelope.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• letterhead