# stench vs stencil

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### stench
*noun · IPA /stɛnt͡ʃ/ · frequency rank #25,221*
a strong foul smell; a stink.

### stencil
*noun · IPA /ˈstɛnsɪl/ · frequency rank #35,536*
A thin sheet, either perforated or using some other technique, with which a pattern may be produced upon a surface; a utensil that contains a perforated sheet.

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