also: ぶっだ
Refers specifically to the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. In Japanese, often used in Buddhist contexts or when discussing the founder of Buddhism.
The Buddha was born in India.
He was deeply impressed by the teachings of the Buddha.
仏陀 is a general term for any enlightened being, while 釈迦 refers specifically to the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama.
仏陀 is the more formal, technical Buddhist term for the historical Buddha, while 仏 is the everyday word used in the same sense.
Katakana spelling is standard for the historical Buddha; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling; rarely used in modern Japanese, mostly in historical or religious contexts.
Search-only kanji form; not commonly used.
Hiragana variant, less common than katakana but still used.
From Sanskrit बुद्ध (buddha), meaning 'awakened one' or 'enlightened one', via Pali and Chinese.