Et stedord hedder sådan fordi det står i stedet for en navneord eller et navn.
Man har:
personlige stedord: I, you, he, she, it, they etc.
spørgende stedord: who, which, what, etc.
relative stedord: who, which, that
ejestedord: my, mine, your, yours, his her, ours
upersonlige stedord: some, any, someone, nobody,