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The primary distinction between '==' and '===' in PHP lies in how they evaluate the operands. The '==' operator checks for value equality, meaning it compares the values of the operands and returns true if they are equivalent, regardless of their data types. In contrast, the '===' operator checks for both value and type equality, meaning it returns true only if the values are equal and both operands are of the same type.

For example, if you were to compare a string and an integer, '==' would consider the two as equal if they represented the same number (e.g., "5" == 5 would return true), while '===' would return false since one is a string and the other is an integer.

Recognizing this distinction is crucial for developers, as it can lead to different outcomes in comparisons depending on which operator is used. Thus, understanding that '===' requires both the value and type to be identical enhances the precision and reliability of code when strict comparisons are necessary.