Are both words interchangeable? Rikai-chan defines them both as "baby,
infant". So what would be the difference?
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2012-06-12T05:17:01.417
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2012-06-12T06:42:44.900
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question
word-choice usage nuances
What's the difference between 赤ん坊　and 赤ちゃん
In many contexts they are interchangeable, but strictly speaking 赤ん坊 is the
actual word for baby, and 赤ちゃん is like a cute, pet name derived from it.

Also, 赤ん坊 is the spoken (colloquial) form - see sawa's comment for versions
that may be more appropriate for formal writing.
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2012-06-12T05:48:45.153
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2012-06-12T06:42:44.900
2012-06-12T06:42:44.900
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answer