(s)earlier, earliest(comparative and superlative of `early') more early than; most early“a fashion popular in earlier times”, “his earlier work reflects the influence of his teacher”, “Verdi's earliest and most raucous opera”
(r)earlier, beforeearlier in time; previously“I had known her before”, “as I said before”, “he called me the day before but your call had come even earlier”, “her parents had died four years earlier”, “I mentioned that problem earlier”