stationary vs. stationery
One letter apart, entirely different meanings, and no way to tell them apart by sound. This is a pure spelling problem rather than a usage one, which makes it a good candidate for a memory device — and there happens to be an unusually clean one. Both words come from the same root, oddly: medieval booksellers had fixed stalls rather than travelling, so a "stationer" was a seller who stayed put.
stationary
An adjective meaning not moving, fixed in place.
- The traffic was stationary for an hour.
- Keep the camera stationary while it focuses.
- Prices have remained stationary since March.
stationery
A noun meaning writing materials — paper, envelopes, pens.
- We ordered new stationery with the updated logo.
- The letter arrived on hotel stationery.
- Stationery costs came in under budget.
- Her stationery drawer was better organised than her calendar.
Why stationary and stationery get mixed up
Stationary and stationery sound the same and differ by one vowel near the end. Stationary is an adjective meaning not moving: a stationary car, a stationary bike, stay stationary. Stationery is a noun for writing materials: paper, envelopes, pens, and office supplies generally.
Both come from the same Latin word for standing still. Medieval booksellers had fixed stalls instead of traveling, and were called stationers; what they sold became stationery.
The standard memory trick: stationery with an e is for envelopes and letters. Stationary with an a means it is at rest, or stays in one place.
Common mistakes
We need to order more stationary for the front desk.
✓We need to order more stationery for the front desk.
Office supplies are stationery, with an e for envelopes.
Traffic was stationery for twenty minutes.
✓Traffic was stationary for twenty minutes.
Not moving is stationary, with an a for at rest.
The gym has ten new stationery bikes.
✓The gym has ten new stationary bikes.
A bike that stays in one place is stationary.
Quick way to remember
Stationery contains an "e," and so does envelope — paper things. Stationary contains an "a," and so does "stay" — standing still. If you can picture it in a cupboard, it takes the "e."
Questions
Is stationer a real word?
Yes. A stationer is a person or store that sells stationery, and the word is where the spelling of stationery comes from.
Is it "a stationary front" in a weather forecast?
Yes, with an a. It is a weather front that is not moving.