Begin or start?

We can use the verbs begin and start to mean the same thing but begin is more formal than start.
When did you begin learning English?
The meeting didn’t start until 9 pm.
We use start, but not begin, to talk about machines:
Press this button to start the printer.
Not: …to begin the printer.
The lawnmower won’t start. (this means that it doesn’t work)
Not: The lawnmower won’t begin.
Start, but not begin, is used to talk about creating a new business:
She started a new restaurant and it’s been going really well.
Not: She began a new restaurant …
People, and most dictionaries, consider start and begin to be synonyms, as in the following pairs of
sentences:

(a) It’s starting to rain.

(b) It’s beginning to rain.
(c) When Katherine heard the news, she started to
cry.
(d) When Katherine heard the news, she beganto
cry.
(e) The movie starts at 7:00.
(f) The movie begins at 7:00.
Only start, not begin, can imply setting out from a specific point, frequently following in action, as in
sentence (g) below:
(g) Stand here and visit with me for a few minutes
until the train starts.

(The same source) notes that begin often means to take the first step in performing or to come into being.

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.