| | 〜そうだ | そうだ | みたい | らしい | ようだ | だって | っぽい | | -------------- | ------------------- | --------------------- | ------- | ------- | ------------------- | ------- | --------- | | Interpretation | It seems that (...) | I've heard that (...) | | | It seems like (...) | | (...)-ish | | confidence | low | medium | high | high | high | | - | | Formality | | | casual | | formal | | slang |
「そうだ」indicates something you heard about specifically.
彼は病家になったそうだ It has come to my attention that he is sick.
「らしい」indicates that you are extrapolating information based on other things you know.
{噂|うわさ}によると、地震であったらしいです Rumor has it, that it an earthquake has happened.