Correct

类似 vs 相似 vs 近似

/ lèisì vs xiāngsì vs jìnsì /
Strokes

Definition

类似, 相似, and 近似 all are Adjectives, which means [similar].

Example

近似 is more literary, stressing difference in sameness or very close to; 类似 stresses being of the same sort, comparable; 相似 stresses similarity in form and content.
In exemples ① and ② the three words are interchangeable.
1
Zhè
liǎng
chéngshì
城市
de
布局
lèi
类似
  
(
xiāng
相似
  
)
  
(
jìn
近似
  
)
  

The layouts of the two cities are similar.

2
de
业余
àihào
爱好
xiāng
相似
  
(
lèi
类似
  
)
  
(
jìn
近似
  
)
  

My hobby is similar to yours.

相似 is used if there follows a compliment.
3
Zhè
jiěmèi
姐妹
liǎ
de
xiàngmào
相貌
xiāng
相似
le
  

The two sisters are very alike in appearance.

相似 or 近似 is used if there is an adverb of degree.
4
liǎng
běn
shū
de
diào
笔调
fēng
风格
shí
fēn
xiāng
相似
  
(
jìn
近似
  
)
  

The tones and styles of the two books are very similar.

类似 can take 于, which can be omitted sometimes. 相似 cannot be so used. 近似于 can take a verb.
5
Zhège
这个
shì
故事
lèi
类似于
shénhuà
神话
  

The story is like a myth.

6
Xiě
wénzhāng
文章
lèi
类似于
jiànzhù
建筑
fángzi
房子
  
,
yào
jiǎngjiu
讲究
céng
层次
布局
  

That writing an article is like building a house is in that both of them have levels and layout.

类似, 相似, and 近似 sometimes are interchangeable.
7
Zhèxiē
这些
yǐngpiàn
影片
dōu
yǒuzhe
有着
lèi
类似
  
(
xiāng
相似
  
)
  
(
jìn
近似
  
)
de
cái
题材
  

The theme of these films is similar.

类似, 相似, and 近似 are not interchangeable if they have different stresses.
8
hòu
以后
néng
yǔn
允许
lèi
类似
de
shì
事故
shēng
发生
  

Such kind of thing should not happen any more.

9
Zhè
mèi
姊妹
liǎ
xiāng
相似
de
xiàngmào
相貌
  
,
chángcháng
常常
ràng
rén
rèncuò
认错
  

lt's easy to take the elder sister for the young one, for the two sisters are too alike in appearance.

10
Liǎng
rén
yùnyòng
运用
tóng
不同
de
yǎnsuàn
演算
fāng
方法
  
,
chū
得出
le
jìn
近似
de
shùzhí
数值
  

With different way of calculation, they came to approximate result.