# stimuli vs stimulus

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### stimuli
*noun · IPA /ˈstɪm.jʊˌlaɪ̯/ · frequency rank #17,504*
plural of stimulus

### stimulus
*noun · IPA /ˈstɪm.jə.ləs/ · frequency rank #9,399*
An external phenomenon that has an influence on a system, by triggering or modifying an internal phenomenon; for example, a spur or incentive that drives a person to take action or change behaviour.

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