Difference between revisions of "Staid - stayed"
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| − | These two homophones are sometimes confused. They | + | These two [[homophones]] - both pronounced {{IPA|steɪd}} - are sometimes confused. They shouldn't be. |
| − | *'''Stayed''' is the commoner word. It is the past tense and the past participle of the | + | *'''Stayed''' is the commoner word. It is the past tense and the past participle of the [[verb]] '''to stay'''. Examples: 'he stayed with his parents last night'; 'I have often stayed in Wales'; 'the mast is stayed with guy-ropes against the wind'. |
| + | ::(Don't let a careless typing or spellchecker let you confuse '''stayed''' with '''<s>st<big>r</big>ayed</s>''' | ||
| − | *'''Staid''' is the less usual word. It is an adjective with the meaning of | + | *'''Staid''' is the less usual word. It is an [[adjective]] with the meaning of 'dull', 'not very exciting', 'set in one' ways'. It might be used with a sense of faint disapproval: 'they live a very staid life - they never go out', or 'it is often believed that librarians are very staid people'. |
[[Category:Homophones]] [[Category:Usage]] | [[Category:Homophones]] [[Category:Usage]] | ||
Latest revision as of 14:43, 17 January 2017
These two homophones - both pronounced IPA: /steɪd/ - are sometimes confused. They shouldn't be.
- Stayed is the commoner word. It is the past tense and the past participle of the verb to stay. Examples: 'he stayed with his parents last night'; 'I have often stayed in Wales'; 'the mast is stayed with guy-ropes against the wind'.
- (Don't let a careless typing or spellchecker let you confuse stayed with
strayed
- (Don't let a careless typing or spellchecker let you confuse stayed with
- Staid is the less usual word. It is an adjective with the meaning of 'dull', 'not very exciting', 'set in one' ways'. It might be used with a sense of faint disapproval: 'they live a very staid life - they never go out', or 'it is often believed that librarians are very staid people'.
