越 and 愈

[Amdir_Flassion]

What's the difference between 越 and 愈? I know they sound the same, as I typed them in Zhuyin. But in context and usage, when to use what?

[kentsuarez]

I think they're perfectly synonymous. Actually, AFAIK, one is 愈 yu4, the other 越 yue4; the latter is by far the more common in spoken Mandarin in Taiwan (where I live), and both are common in writing. Since the difference in pronunciation is so tiny, I imagine they both originate from alternate ways to write the same spoken expression.

[HashiriKata]

愈 is more formal than 越, 越 is therefore more frequently used in speaking.

I imagine they both originate from alternate ways to write the same spoken expression.

Language is fact. Don't imagine but investigate!

[xiaocai]

I cannot see any distinction between those two. In my opinion, "越" will be more acceptable in mainland, because the word "愈来" which means "will come" in classical chinese may bring misapprehension. But i am not sure the situation in Hongkong and Taiwan.