Difference between Type A and C USB?

What is the difference between these USB variants? Does a Type C USB stick fit into a Type A USB? Weil would like to put a USB stick in my new notebook, but somehow it doesn't work with ease and doesn't want to break anything.

These are different shapes that don't fit into one another. But there are adapter cables which e.g. Have type A on one side and type C on the other.

Which of the two is more common?

Well then I made a mistake. Have a Type A USB stick and a Type A input. But still doesn't work.

Type-A, as this form has been around for a long time.

But it also depends on the appropriate devices.
Most printers and scanners have a USB type B port.
Most current smartphones and tablets have USB Type-C ports.

The connector or the stick could be damaged.

If the USB stick is formatted in a file format that is not supported by the PC / laptop, the data can't be accessed either.

I just looked, I was just stupid. Notebook is USB 3.1, stick 2.0. Then it is clear why that doesn't fit.

Should actually work anyway, then you just can't use the full speed of USB 3.1 but are limited to the speed of USB 2.0.