VocabAhead

Stanch vs Staunch

Stanchverb

stop the flow of a liquid

Full entry for Stanch

Staunchadjective

firm and dependable especially in loyalty

The difference

Stanch is the verb — to stop a flow, usually of blood. Staunch is the adjective — loyal and steadfast. A staunch ally stanched the bleeding.

How to keep them apart

The spellings are increasingly used interchangeably, but the parts of speech still separate them cleanly.

Other pairs worth knowing

All confused pairs · SAT list · GRE list · Full word list