I sometimes hear these two words used interchangeably.

Problem:
The verbs “validate” and “verify” are not synonyms.

Explanation:
The verb “validate” means to confirm.

The verb “verify” means to prove the truth of.

So one validates a computer program to confirm that it works as designed.

In contrast, one verifies a person’s identity to prove that the person is who he says that he is.

Solution:
Use the verb “validate” when confirming that something behaves as designed. Use the verb “verify” when focusing on the truth.