I think when you talk about being beautiful- it's what on the outside and yet reaches all the way into the depths of the soul. Beauty that comes from within. Often quotes " beautiful inside out" A woman is beautiful when she radiates a certain grace, a contained passion and sexuality. Whereas, being pretty or very pretty is more the outward appearance which can be cosmetically enhanced. Pretty women ( some might not agree) have to wear make up at all times in order to feel attractive. For example - most celebrities ( there are some that are truly beautiful) around us are all pretty whereas my mother is beautiful. That's my own opinion and you might not agree :-)

If you are talking about how something looks, then there is a sort of scale. 'Pretty' and 'Beautiful' can both mean physically attractive. Beautiful is more physically attractive than pretty. But we use beautiful in other ways too. You can have a beautiful mind or a beautiful soul, a beautiful piece of music. We never say, 'pretty soul' or pretty mind.

Yes and no. The short answer is "yes." The ranges of meanings overlap, certainly. And the differences between "beautiful" and "very pretty" are hard to describe. However, it is often felt that "beautiful" actually means something higher, something beyond the ordinary, something very special indeed... and perhaps having a special or unique individual kind of beauty. A "pretty" woman usually fits the conventions for feminine beauty. A "beautiful" woman might not be pretty in an ordinary way. The actress Meryl Streep is often described as "beautiful," but she is not beautiful in the usual way. Natalie Portman is definitely pretty, definitely very pretty, and many would say she is beautiful--but in an ordinary, conventional way. One could imagine saying, as a kind of everyday compliment to the parents of an adult child, "You have a beautiful daughter." At the same time, if you weren't friends with them, you might say "She's certainly very pretty, but she isn't beautiful."

very pretty = very beautiful