What is the difference between using return as a language construct and using a variable like $return in PHP?

Using `return` as a language construct in PHP is used to immediately stop the execution of a function and return a value. On the other hand, using a variable like `$return` would require assigning a value to the variable within the function and then returning that variable at the end of the function. It is more common and recommended to use `return` as a language construct for clarity and simplicity.

// Using return as a language construct
function calculateSum($a, $b) {
    return $a + $b;
}

$result = calculateSum(5, 3);
echo $result; // Output: 8