Jake they may different in terms of their use...Indeed, according to the "Father" of Communism, socialism is a necessary "step" to communism
According to Marx ( who have heard of him right)
Marx said , since socialism, the first stage of communism, would be "in every respect, economically, morally, and intellectually, still stamped with the birthmarks of the old society from whose womb it emerges", each worker would naturally expect to be awarded according to the amount of labor he contributes, despite the fact that each worker's ability and family circumstances would differ, so that the results would still be unequal at this stage
According to Lenin:
Lenin divided communism, the period following the overthrow of capitalism, into two stages: first socialism, and then later, once the last vestiges of the old capitalist ways have withered away, stateless communism or pure communism.
So under appears that Socialism is nothing more than a transitional stage to the Utopia of Communism.
You do know that even the Soviets would have told you that they were in their "socialist state" while evolving into a Communist StatePerhaps, you think socialism is something different