Difference Between Stench and Odour: 18 flashcards
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1. What does the word 'odour' mean?
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Any smell detected by the nose — pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
2. What does the word 'stench' mean?
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A strong, foul, offensive, repulsive smell.
3. Is every stench an odour?
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Yes — every stench is an odour, but not every odour is a stench.
4. What is the deciding factor between odour and stench?
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Offensiveness — not intensity or strength of the smell.
5. Is 'odour' a neutral or loaded word?
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Neutral and descriptive — it carries no judgement.
6. Is 'stench' a neutral or loaded word?
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Loaded and evaluative — it implies disgust and condemnation.
7. Can an odour be pleasant?
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Yes — odour can be pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
8. Can a stench ever be pleasant?
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No — 'stench' already means foul, so 'a pleasant stench' is a contradiction.
9. Why is 'the stench of fresh bread' wrong?
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Because fresh bread smells good, and stench means a foul, offensive smell.
10. A strong smell of perfume — odour or stench?
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Odour — it is strong but not offensive.
11. A mild whiff of sewage — odour or stench?
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Stench — it is disgusting even though it is mild.
12. What is the one-line test for choosing between the two words?
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Reporting a smell → odour; condemning a smell → stench.
13. Which word is the technical term used in science and public health?
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Odour — it is the technical term for any detectable smell, including odour pollution.
14. How can the same physical smell be both an odour and a stench?
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A scientist may report it as an odour (neutral), while a resident calls it a stench (condemning it).
15. What are the four stages in which the meaning unfolds?
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Detection → naming as odour → evaluation → labelling as stench.
16. Which word is broader and more inclusive?
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Odour — it covers all smells, including stenches.
17. Does strength create a stench?
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No — strength only makes a stench worse; offensiveness is what creates one.
18. What does choosing 'stench' over 'odour' signal about the speaker?
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It signals a negative, emotional attitude — the speaker is condemning the smell.
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