別 — “separate / different” in Japanese

Grade 4べつ, わか

Radical ⼑ · radical 18 The building block this kanji is filed under

“separate / different” in Japanese is 別, read betsu, waka (べつ, わか). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 区別 (distinction).

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What does 別 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	別
Meaning	separate / different
Readings	べつ, わか
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	区別 (distinction)

How to read 別

別 is read betsu (べつ) or waka (わか) depending on the word.

Words with 別

特別とくべつ
分別ぶんべつ
差別
区別
別荘

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Kanji read the same way as 別

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

若わか young

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Updated: 2026-08-28