砂利

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 砂利 is read as じゃり and is a noun for gravel, either a mass of small stones or one of the small pebbles in it.
• Basic usage: Spreading gravel on a garden path appears in 小道に砂利を敷く, while describing a pebble caught in a shoe sole appears in 靴の裏に砂利が挟まる.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Scope relative to 石
  • 砂利 can mean a mass of small stones or an individual pebble, whereas 石 covers stones of a broader range of sizes and uses.