What is the difference between a star and a sun?

The Sun is a type of star. The Sun, which sits at the center of the solar system, is classified as a G-type main-sequence star, also referred to as a G-dwarf star or a yellow dwarf.

As a G-type star, the characteristics of the Sun, such as mass, color and temperature, differ from other types of stars. The Sun is brighter and burns hotter than the red dwarf, the most common star in the Milky Way galaxy. The Sun is also larger in mass than most nearby stars. While the Sun is white and yellow in color, other types of stars can be blue, orange or red.