Starches and sugars both belong to the class of compounds called carbohydrates.

Here's why:

* Sugars are simple carbohydrates, also known as monosaccharides or disaccharides.

* Starches are complex carbohydrates, also known as polysaccharides. They are made up of long chains of simple sugar units linked together.

So, while they differ in their structure and complexity, both starches and sugars are ultimately classified as carbohydrates.