At first glance, pause and stop both seem to mean the same thing: to bring something to a halt. But in English, they describe two very different kinds of breaks.
To pause means to take a temporary break with the intention of continuing later. When you pause a video, you expect to play it again. A teacher may pause during a lesson to answer a question. Even in conversation, we pause to think before speaking. A pause suggests control and a plan to resume.
To stop, however, means to bring something to a complete end. When you stop working, you do not continue immediately. If it stops raining, the rain has ended. Stop often signals finality. It can also imply a stronger action, such as stopping a fight or stopping a machine.
The difference lies in intention. A pause is a short interruption within an ongoing activity. A stop is a full break that may or may not restart. You pause a song; you stop a habit. You pause to breathe; you stop when you are finished.