Difference between reference and instance in javascript

Question

Sometimes I hear people say \"a reference to a object\" and some say \"a instance of a object\" What is the difference?

Answer 1

There can be many references to one instance. It's like, um, many paths leading to the same place.

var x="string object";
var y=x;

Both x and y are two different (but equal) references to the same instance of an object.