似乎 v 好像

[pprendeville]

What's the difference. Looks like both can be used as adverbs. From the GF dictionary in Pleco it says:

注意: 跟“好像”不同。“似乎”不能用来打比方; “好像”可作动词, 用来打比方

似乎 can't be used to draw an analogy while 好像 can.

So does this mean 好像 can be used for both analogies and non-analogies (that sounds like a made up word)?

[eshton]

好像 is usually paired with 似的 in analogies. The most common usage I've seen is analogous comparison (saying something seems/appears to be something else). That's not to say non-analogy usage is wrong but it's less used.

[Nathan Mao]

I rarely use 似乎。 I guess I think of it as more like "leaves the impression, but isn't really"　or "but isn't quite".

好像 just means "like", "similar" "apparently" "It seems as if" etc.  I use it alot in vernacular discussions.

 

So to me, 似乎 emphasizes that regardless of what it looks/seems like, it isn't quite the same, but 好像 emphasizes the similarity or the appearance, (temporarily) regardless of the actual reality.

[mandarina]

When used as adverbs they can be interchangeably used:

He seems/looks/appears (very) tired.

他好像很累了。

他似乎很累了。