Soon vs Early
Soon and early are two words used in the English language that are often confused due to the similarity in their meanings. Strictly speaking there are some differences between the two words in terms of their connotations.
The word ‘soon’ is indicative of the meaning of ‘in a short time from now’ as in the sentences:
1. I shall send you money soon.
2. I am happy you would come soon.
In both the sentences, the word ‘soon’ means ‘in a short time from now’ and hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘I shall send you money in a short time from now’. The meaning of the second sentence would be ‘I am happy you would come in a short time from now’.
On the other hand, the word ‘early’ is used in the sense of ‘before the appointed or the usual time’ as in the sentences:
1. Please come early tomorrow morning.
2. I hope you will bring it early.
In both the sentences, the word ‘early’ is used in the sense of ‘before the appointed or the usual time’ and hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘please come before the appointed time tomorrow morning’, and the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘I hope you will bring it before the usual time’.
There is a special use of the word ‘early’ in the expression ‘at the earliest’ as in the sentence ‘please return the book at the earliest by Monday’. In this sentence, the expression ‘at the earliest’ gives the meaning of ‘not later than’. It is interesting to note that the word ‘early’ is used as an adverb, and also in expressions such as ‘early morning’ and ‘early days’. These are the important differences between the two words ‘soon’ and ‘early’.