What's the difference between differences? 差 and 違い


What's the difference between 差 and 違い? When would I use each?

Which (if either) would I use for describing the difference between something
like sample data and the best fitting equation?




`違い` simply means "difference". `差` means difference in the sense of a margin
or gap, and seems to relate to things that are calculable.

> [誤差]{ご・さ} → Margin of error  
>  [時差]{じ・さ} → Difference in time - (時差ぼけ → Jet lag)

It seems like you could replace most instances of `違い` with `差`, but not the
other way around. `差` is definitely more appropriate when talking about sample
data, etc.

However, there might be times when the two have distinct meanings. For
example, say you have a boy who is 10 years old, and another who is 20. `年齢の差`
would be "10 years", but `年齢の違い` might describe how the characteristics of
their ages differs; like "10-year-olds have more energy, but 20-year-olds are
smarter." Not sure if this is correct, but seems different to me.




`違い` simply means "difference". `差` means difference in the sense of a margin
or gap, and seems to relate to things that are calculable.

> [誤差]{ご・さ} → Margin of error  
>  [時差]{じ・さ} → Difference in time - (時差ぼけ → Jet lag)

It seems like you could replace most instances of `違い` with `差`, but not the
other way around. `差` is definitely more appropriate when talking about sample
data, etc.

However, there might be times when the two have distinct meanings. For
example, say you have a boy who is 10 years old, and another who is 20. `年齢の差`
would be "10 years", but `年齢の違い` might describe how the characteristics of
their ages differs; like "10-year-olds have more energy, but 20-year-olds are
smarter." Not sure if this is correct, but seems different to me.

