| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| stationary (adj.), stationery (n.) |
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| Americans pronounce these alike, with four syllables and a secondary stress on the third syllable: STAI-shuhn-ER-ee. The British usually give each word only three syllables, the third being unstressed: STAI-shuhn-ree. See STRESS. | 1 |
| The usage problem results from these homophones’ different meanings and spellings: stationary is an adjective meaning “standing still, not moving”; stationery is a noun meaning “writing paper.” The mnemonic device some people use to help them choose the right spelling is this: a stationer sells writing paper, and both the paper and the seller are spelled with an e; the other word is spelled with an a. | 2 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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