Thank you so much

"Would like" and "want to" are very much the same thing. Both express desire. The simple answer is that 'would like' is considered to be more polite. Sometimes however, 'would like' can mean that you want something, but your desire is not as strong. For example, Question: Do you want tea or coffee? Answer: I would like tea, but if you have coffee that's okay too. In the above answer, the use of 'would like' shows a preference between the choices. If the answer had been "I want tea please", it would suggest that coffee was clearly not an even choice. Both would and want are also influenced by the tone of voice. You can say you want something, and if you draw it out and make it sound like a question, it shows that you are open to other choices. For example: Q: Do you want tea or coffee? A: Ahh, I want coffee? (implying that if coffee is available, then that would be the choice.) You can also say "I would like some coffee!" with a harsh tone. This is not polite, as the request becomes more of a demand. Hope this helps.