TOEIC Link Part 5: stationary versus stationery
Stationary and stationery are separated by a single vowel, but they are different parts of speech with unrelated meanings. Stationary (with an a) is an adjective meaning not moving, fixed in place. Stationery (with an e) is a noun meaning writing materials — paper, envelopes, pens, letterhead. Part 5 puts them where either could look right, so it checks whether you spell the meaning you intend. For the wider set of look-alike traps, start with the commonly confused word pairs master index.
The core rule: standing still versus writing supplies
- stationary (adjective) = standing still; not moving. The train remained stationary for twenty minutes. / Cardio bikes are also called stationary bikes. It answers is it moving? — no. Link the a to at rest or anchored: something stationary stays put.
- stationery (noun) = paper and writing supplies. Order more stationery for the front desk. / The invitations were printed on cream stationery. It answers what do you write on? — paper. Link the e to envelope (also e): stationery is what you slide into an envelope.
The single-letter memory hook does the work: a = at rest (stationary), e = envelope / paper (stationery). A stationary delivery van is still full of stationery — one describes the van's state, the other names the cargo.
Why Part 5 likes this pair
Both words fit smoothly into office and travel sentences, so the pair tests whether you attach the spelling to the meaning rather than guessing.
The bus stayed __ while passengers boarded.
Not moving is stationary.
The office ran out of __, so no one could print the letters.
Paper and supplies are stationery.
Spotting the clue
Decide whether the blank describes a state or names a thing:
- Is the word an adjective describing that something is not moving or fixed? → choose stationary (a stationary target, remained stationary).
- Is the word a noun you can order, stock, or run out of, meaning paper and writing goods? → choose stationery (office stationery, printed stationery).
A quick test: can you put "the" in front and count it as supplies you buy? Then it is stationery (the noun). Does it describe a subject that could otherwise move — a car, a machine, a person? Then it is stationary. When the sentence is about motion or the lack of it, lean stationary; when it is about paper and pens, lean stationery. For more pairs where one letter carries the whole difference, see the adjective and adverb confusable pairs study guide.