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What is the difference between let and var in terms of scope?
Asked on May 07, 2026
Answer
"let" and "var" are both used to declare variables in JavaScript, but they differ in terms of scope and hoisting behavior.
function testScope() {
if (true) {
var x = "var scope";
let y = "let scope";
}
console.log(x); // Outputs: "var scope"
console.log(y); // ReferenceError: y is not defined
}
testScope();Additional Comment:
✅ Answered with JavaScript best practices.- "var" is function-scoped, meaning it is accessible throughout the function in which it is declared.
- "let" is block-scoped, meaning it is only accessible within the block (e.g., inside an "if" statement) where it is declared.
- "var" declarations are hoisted to the top of their function scope, while "let" declarations are hoisted to the top of their block scope but are not initialized, leading to a "temporal dead zone" until they are declared.
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