sticky and stinky differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. sticky means “having the sticky properties of an adhesive”. stinky means “having an unpleasant smell”. sticky is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈstɪki/
1.adj.having the sticky properties of an adhesive
2.adj.moist as with undried perspiration and with clothing sticking to the body
“felt sticky and chilly at the same time”
3.adj.hot or warm and humid
“muggy weather”
/ˈstɪŋki/
1.adj.having an unpleasant smell
2.adj.very bad
“a lousy play”
| sticky | stinky | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈstɪki/ | /ˈstɪŋki/ |
| Said | STIK-ee | STING-kee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | adjective | adjective |
| Senses | 5 | 2 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | gluey, glutinous, gummy | malodorous, malodourous, unpleasant-smelling |
Full entry for sticky · Full entry for stinky · More comparisons