big, great, vast, high, deep3 strokes · Radical: 大
大 vs 犬 vs 太 vs 头: How to Tell Them Apart
CHARACTERS AT A GLANCE
大dà · big, great, vast, high, deep
犬a dot high/right, 太 adds a dot below, and 头 changes the top with two dots · quǎn · dog
太a dot below, and 头 changes the top with two dots · tài · very, too much; big; extreme
头tóu · head; chief, boss; first, top
01 · SEE THE DIFFERENCE
What is added or changed in each character?
Dark red marks the deciding detail
Play each character and compare the highlighted details.
Why the difference is easy to miss
大 and 犬 and 太 and 头 share an outline that is easy to read too quickly.
Use 大 as the base: 犬 adds a dot high/right, 太 adds a dot below, and 头 changes the top with two dots. At a glance, that shared shape can make the added dots/strokes in the other three easy to overlook.
Check the shape first, then confirm with the word.
If the surrounding word/meaning conflicts with the character you first recognized, re-check added dot stroke.
Choose the right character.
Which character in 大 / 犬 / 太 / 头 matches “big, great, vast, large, high”?
Choose one answer.Which character completes 公□?
Choose one answer.Which character matches “very, too, much”?
Choose one answer.How do I tell 大 vs 犬 vs 太 vs 头 apart?
Use 大 as the base: 犬 adds a dot high/right, 太 adds a dot below, and 头 changes the top with two dots. Then confirm with meaning/context: 大 (dà) — big, great, vast, large, high | 犬 (quǎn) — dog | 太 (tài) — very, too, much | 头 (tóu) — head.
What should I check when these characters appear in words?
Use meaning as the second route after visual discrimination: 大 = big, great, vast, large, high; 犬 = dog; 太 = very, too, much; 头 = head. If the surrounding word/meaning conflicts with the character you first recognized, re-check added dot stroke.