head; chief, boss; first, top5 strokes · Radical: 大
头 vs 买 vs 卖 vs 读 vs 实: How to Tell Them Apart
CHARACTERS AT A GLANCE
头tóu · head; chief, boss; first, top
买mǎi · to buy, to purchase; to bribe, to persuade
卖mài · to sell; to betray; to show off
读dú · to study, to learn; to read, to pronounce
实shí · real, true; honest, sincere
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
头 and 买 and 卖 and 读 and 实 share an outline that is easy to read too quickly.
Treat 头 as the core: 买 = 乛 + 头; 卖 = 十 + 买; 实 = 宀 + 头; 读 = 讠 + 卖. At a glance, that shared shape can make the added component around the shared 头/买/卖 core for each character 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 simplified shape.
How do I tell 头 vs 买 vs 卖 vs 读 vs 实 apart?
Treat 头 as the core: 买 = 乛 + 头; 卖 = 十 + 买; 实 = 宀 + 头; 读 = 讠 + 卖. Then confirm with meaning/context.
What should I check when these characters appear in words?
Use meaning as the second route after visual discrimination: 头 = head; 买 = buy, purchase; 卖 = sell; 读 = read, study; 实 = real, true. If the surrounding word/meaning conflicts with the character you first recognized, re-check simplified shape.