What is the difference between "速い" and "早い"?

"速い" means "fast, quick" (N5), whereas "早い" represents "fast; early" (N4).

Kanji Homophone Battle

Pronunciation Trap: "はやい (hayai)"

Same sound, completely different Kanji! Choose the right conceptual writing.

Kanji Option A

はやい (hayai)

N5 / CEFR

Kanji Option B

はやい (hayai)

N4 / CEFR

In Japanese, many words share the exact same pronunciation "はやい (hayai)" but are written with different Kanji, changing the meaning entirely.

速い (Level: N5): Translates to "fast, quick" and is used when An i-adjective used to describe speed.
早い (Level: N4): Maps to "fast; early" and carries the nuance of An い-adjective. Can describe speed.

Mixing these up can easily result in unnatural writing. Look at the bilingual context cards below to master the conceptual boundaries!

Bilingual Context for "速い"

この電車はとても速い。

This train is very fast.

Bilingual Context for "早い"

彼は走るのが早いです。

He runs fast.

Which Kanji perfectly fits this blank space?

Which Kanji perfectly fits the blank: "この電車はとても＿＿＿。" (Meaning: "This train is very fast.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Correct! "速い" is used for "fast, quick" in the context: "This train is very fast.".