People, and most dictionaries, consider start and
begin to be synonyms, as in the following pairs of
sentences:
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(a)
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It’s starting to rain.
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(b)
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It’s beginning to rain.
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When Katherine heard the news, she started to
cry.
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(d)
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When Katherine heard the news, she began to
cry.
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(e)
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The movie starts at 7:00.
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(f)
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The movie begins at 7:00.
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However, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
(Houghton Mifflin, 1996) notes that only start, not
begin, can imply setting out from a specific point,
frequently following inaction, as in sentence (g) below:
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(g)
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Stand here and visit with me for a few minutes until the train
starts.
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The same source notes that begin often means to take
the first step in performing or to come into being.
Michael Swan (Practical English Usage, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press,
1995) lists these instances in which start, but NOT
begin, is used:
“1. start a journey:
I think we ought to start at six, while the roads
are empty.
2. start working (for machines):
The car won’t start.
3. make (machines) start:
How do you start the washing machine?”
So, while in most instances start and begin
are interchangeable, in a few cases, such as those described above,
only start is possible.