# stead vs stem

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### stead
*noun · IPA /stɛd/ · frequency rank #22,826*
The position or function (of someone or something), as taken on by a successor.

### stem
*noun · IPA /stɛm/ · frequency rank #4,336*
The stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stead-vs-stem