Could anybody tell me what is the difference between "perhaps" and "maybe"? Thanks :)
Perhaps and Maybe
5 Answers
For the most part, "maybe" and "perhaps" have the same meaning; however, there are some circumstances where "maybe" would sound wrong, whereas I think "perhaps" is aways safe to use.
"maybe" sounds a little less formal that "perhaps"; I would tend not to use it in writing, only in speech. For example, in a business report, I wouldn't write "Maybe we shall only know the true cost of the project after it has finished", but rather "Perhaps we shall ...".
Even in speech, I would avoid using "maybe" near the auxilliary verb "may". For example, I could say "It may perhaps take longer than you think to drive to Scotland", in which "perhaps" is rather superfluous, and is really only used for emphasis; but I certainly would not say "It may maybe take longer ...", simply because of the clash of similar sounds
In summary, "perhaps" is always safe to use. "maybe" is slightly more informal, and there is a danger of clash/confusion with the auxlliary verb "may".