stable and staple differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. stable means “resistant to change of position or condition”. staple means “(usually in the plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant”. stable is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈsteɪbəl/
1.adj.resistant to change of position or condition
“a stable ladder”
2.adj.firm and dependable; subject to little fluctuation
“the economy is stable”
3.adj.not taking part readily in chemical change
/ˈsteɪpəl/
1.n.(usually in the plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant
2.n.a natural fiber (raw cotton, wool, hemp, flax) that can be twisted to form yarn
“staple fibers vary widely in length”
3.n.material suitable for manufacture or use or finishing
| stable | staple | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈsteɪbəl/ | /ˈsteɪpəl/ |
| Said | STAY-buhl | STAY-puhl |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, noun, verb | noun, verb, adjective |
| Senses | 7 | 7 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | none recorded | basic |
Full entry for stable · Full entry for staple · More comparisons