Is there a rule for when to use くらい vs ぐらい?


I see phrases like 200人ぐらい, 半々ぐらい, and 何分くらい, which seem to indicate that くらい
and ぐらい are synonymous, if not interchangeable. Is there any kind of rule for
deciding which to use, or is it a stylistic preference?




[This page at the goo.ne.jp Q&A
site](http://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/2203450.html) quotes the
[NHKことばのハンドブック](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4140110635), which
states that while there were at one time rules for when to use くらい and when to
use ぐらい, modern-day Japanese has no such distinction. I agree with Tsuyoshi
that ぐらい "feels" colloquial, but more often than not I think it's a matter of
which rolls off the tongue with the most ease.




[This page at the goo.ne.jp Q&A
site](http://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/2203450.html) quotes the
[NHKことばのハンドブック](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4140110635), which
states that while there were at one time rules for when to use くらい and when to
use ぐらい, modern-day Japanese has no such distinction. I agree with Tsuyoshi
that ぐらい "feels" colloquial, but more often than not I think it's a matter of
which rolls off the tongue with the most ease.

