A creek is a small tributary to a river from the coast. Or a small narrow and shallow stretch of water leading from a tidal river to somewhere else, like a road that leads from a main road to a village for example. They are naturally sheltered and navigable by small sailing or rowing boats. A stream is the same but it begins inland and begins a river that flows to the sea. Basically they are the same or very similar, but the direction of water flow or current is in the opposite direction. As an example every place name in the 100 mile wide stretch of Greater London England, began as a very small island or small village in the much wider than now River Thames. That could be reached by sailing down creeks. One example of A creek inside London. Note the river comes from the sea first before the little creek goes somewhere else. There are hundreds inside the Greater London Area. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Barking+Creek+Barrier/@51.5154463,0.0970316,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xe5440414425e95a2!8m2!3d51.5154463!4d0.0970316 A stream begins a faster flowing river from a place inland and the river flows to the sea usually. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_load Incidentally London is not officially a city although there are cities inside the area we call London. The city of London. And the City of Westminster, and there are separate Towns within the Greater London Area Like Kingston on Thames. All these places began from creeks or streams and Islands in a giant marsh.