差

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 差 is read as さ and is a noun for a difference or gap in value, degree, or condition between things.
• Basic usage: The difference in weight between two boxes appears in 二つの箱の重さの差, while a gap in practice becoming visible appears in 練習量の差が表れる.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Comparison dimension with の
  • The compared dimension appears in 重さの差 and 練習量の差, with の linking it to the difference.
• Difference from 違い
  • Compared with the broad word for things being unlike, this term readily expresses a gap in size, amount, or level.