71976
I believe I roughly understand the difference in meaning between the two.
However, as far as I can tell, they have the same pitch accent - 大辞林 lists
them both as being [0], ie 平板. Would context always dictate which 「いじょう」 is
being used?
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2019-09-21T04:04:41.700
71972
2019-09-21T11:40:54.653
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question
words pitch-accent
How to differentiate between 異常 and 異状 in speech？
According to [「異常」と「異状」 | ことば（放送用語） - 放送現場の疑問・視聴者の疑問 |
NHK放送文化研究所](https://www.nhk.or.jp/bunken/summary/kotoba/gimon/166.html), the
site explains

> Q.「（健康診断で）イジョウがない」という場合、「異常」と「異状」のうち、どちらの漢字を使えばよいでしょうか。

_In case, "there is nothing wrong in health check", which kanji_「異常」or「異状」
_should I use to describe it?_

> A. 「診断結果は **異常** なし」など、「 **異常** 」を用います。

_" There is nothing wrong in health check", etc. We use_「 **異常** 」 _for it._

They follow

> 「異常」は「正常」の対をなすことば・対語です。「～な発達、～な執念、信号機の～」など「正常でない、普通でない」という意味で一般的に使います。

「異常」is a pair of words, antonym of「正常」. In general, it is used like「異常な発達 :
unexpected development、異常な執念 : aberrant tenacity 、信号機の異常 : malfunction of
traffic light」, etc.

For 「異状」,

>
> 一方、「異状」は「ふだんの状態と違った様子」を示す語で、医師法の「異状死体」（第２１条[異状死体等の届出義務]）や「西部戦線異状なし」（ドイツの小説家レマルクの作品名）など限定的に使います。また、警備員の巡回報告などの際に使われる「イジョーナシ！」は「異状なし！」を用います。

Whereas 「異状」is used to describe "The state different from as usual.". It is
used restrictively like abnormal corpse, _" All quiet on the western front"_ *
or the expression「異状{イジョー}なし！」is used when guardsman describing the patrol
report. *The literal translation of "Im Westen nichts Neues" is "In the West
Nothing New," according to the
[wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Quiet_on_the_Western_Front)

The same site explains the pair of words is defined by "日本新聞協会の『新聞用語集
2007年版』「表記の原則」".

>
> ＝異常[一般用語。正常の対語、アブノーマル。名詞・形容動詞]異常乾燥､異常気象、異常事態、異常な行動、異常に緊張、異常発生、エンジンに異常、診断結果は異常なし
>
> ＝異状[限定用語。普通と違った状態。名詞]異状死（体）＜医師法＞、西部戦線異状なし（レマルクの作品名）
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2019-09-21T07:04:02.403
71976
2019-09-21T07:04:02.403
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
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answer
As you already know, 異常 is _abnormal_ and 異状 is closer to _unusual_ , but the
latter is a relatively uncommon word used in limited situations. Unless your
job is related to military or security, you usually don't have to worry about
異状 in speech. In addition, the meanings of these words are close enough, and I
doubt this pair can result in misunderstanding in speech.
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2019-09-21T11:40:54.653
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