速 — “fast / speed” in Japanese

Grade 3そく, はや

Radical ⾡ · radical 162 The building block this kanji is filed under

“fast / speed” in Japanese is 速, read soku, haya (そく, はや). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 速度 (speed).

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What does 速 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	速
Meaning	fast / speed
Readings	そく, はや
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	速度 (speed)

How to read 速

速 is read soku (そく) or haya (はや) depending on the word.

Words with 速

風速ふうそく
秒速びょうそく
高速こうそく
高速道路こうそくどうろ
速度
迅速

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Kanji read the same way as 速

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28