early vs occasion

early

noun
  • A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place early in the day. 

adv
  • At a time before expected; sooner than usual. 

  • Soon; in good time; seasonably. 

adj
  • Near the start or beginning. 

  • Near the start of the day. 

  • Having begun to occur; in its early stages. 

  • At a time in advance of the usual or expected event. 

  • Arriving a time before expected; sooner than on time. 

  • Of a star or class of stars, hotter than the sun. 

occasion

noun
  • The time when something happens. 

  • Need; requirement, necessity. 

  • Something which causes something else; a cause. 

  • A reason or excuse; a motive; a persuasion. 

  • A special event or function. 

  • A particular happening; an instance or time when something occurred. 

  • An occurrence or state of affairs which causes some event or reaction; a motive or reason. 

  • A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance. 

verb
  • To cause; to produce; to induce 

How often have the words early and occasion occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )