What Is the Primary Difference between a “Market Order” and a “Stop Order”?

A market order is an instruction to buy or sell immediately at the best available current price, prioritizing speed over price certainty. A stop order is an order that becomes a market order (or sometimes a limit order) only when the asset's price reaches a specified "stop price." The market order guarantees execution, while the stop order is used for risk management or triggering trades at certain price levels.