A spade is a very different thing from a shovel.

Yes descriptively they seem to be the same, long wooden handle metal shape on the end of it.
Yes they are both usually found in the garden shed.
Yes they are both to be bought in the gardening section of shops and diy store.
They are not the same.

Infact to use a spade as a shovel will infact damage it so much so it can not then function properly as a spade.

shovel

n 1: a hand tool for lifting loose material; consists of a curved container or scoop and a handle.

A shovel can take a lot more abuse then a spade. A Shovel can be used to move snow, shift rubbish, mix concrete.
It can take the knocks against concrete and walls and still be a shovel.

spade
n.

1. A sturdy digging tool having a thick handle and a heavy, flat blade that can be pressed into the ground with the foot.

Ahh see that a spade is called so as it is a blade on the end of a long handle. You can’t use a blade
to mix conrete, shift rubbish, take knocks of cobbles and walls and skips and expect it to keep it’s edge and cut into
turf and earth properly.

and why this rant because I had two neighbours recently as me for the loan of my spade and when I asked them what for
one said they were cleaning the back yard and had swept up and need it to scoop up the stuff, and the other wanted to shift sand back into a bag the kids had spilled.

I explained that they needed a shovel for this and they looked confused and had no idea why or the damage they would be
doing to the edge of the spade doing that. Sorry you don’t call in to ask for a lend of something to be used in such away that
will damage it and you sure as hell do not get stroppy with me on my doorstep like a kid not getting thier way.

A Spade is not a shovel.