Why is my identifier not declared in the current scope?

Godot 4.x

The error

You’ll see something like this in the script editor and the Debugger. The identifier name and line will be your own:

Parser Error: Identifier "speed" not declared in the current scope.

Which cause is it?

What’s happening	Go to
The `var` line is inside a different function	Declared inside another function
The `var` line is below the line that uses it, in the same function	Used before it is declared
The identifier is an autoload like `Global`	An autoload that is not registered
The identifier is a `class_name` you just added	A class name the editor has not seen yet
It’s declared right there and still fails	A typo or wrong case

The example scene

The script is on Player.

PlayerCharacterBody2Dscript attached here

Declared inside another function

A variable declared inside a function only exists inside that function. Here speed is created in _ready(), so _physics_process() has never heard of it:

1
extends CharacterBody2D
2

3
func _ready() -> void:
4
  var speed := 300.0
5

6
func _physics_process(delta: float) -> void:
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  velocity.x = Input.get_axis("left", "right") * speed
8
  move_and_slide()

Fix: move the var to the top of the script, outside any function. Then every function in the script can use it:

1
extends CharacterBody2D
2

3
var speed := 300.0
4

5
func _ready() -> void:
6
  var speed := 300.0
7

8
func _physics_process(delta: float) -> void:
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  velocity.x = Input.get_axis("left", "right") * speed
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  move_and_slide()

Used before it is declared

Inside a function, lines run top to bottom, and a variable doesn’t exist until its var line has run. Using it one line too early fails:

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func count_coins() -> void:
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  print(total)
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  var total := 0
4
  print(total)

Fix: declare first, use after. This only matters inside functions. Variables at the top of the script can be declared in any order, above or below the functions that use them, and Godot finds them fine.

An autoload that is not registered

Global.score works only if a script is registered as an autoload named exactly Global. Open Project → Project Settings → Globals (the Autoload tab) and check the list. If the script isn’t there, add it. If it’s there under a different name, like Globals or global, either rename it or change your code to match. The name is case-sensitive.

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func collect_coin() -> void:
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  Global.score += 1

A class name the editor has not seen yet

Right after you add class_name Player to a script, other scripts may still fail on var p: Player. The editor only picks up new class names when the script is saved.

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class_name Player
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extends CharacterBody2D

Fix: save the script with the class_name. If the error stays, use Project → Reload Current Project so the editor rescans every script.

A typo or wrong case

Identifiers are case-sensitive and exact: speed, Speed and spped are three different names. Copy the name from its var line instead of retyping it:

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var speed := 300.0
2

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func _physics_process(delta: float) -> void:
4
  velocity.x = Input.get_axis("left", "right") * Speed
5
  velocity.x = Input.get_axis("left", "right") * speed
6
  move_and_slide()

Still stuck?

The error gives you the exact identifier and the line number. Press Ctrl+F in the script editor and search for var speed (with your own name). If it turns up nothing, it’s a typo or a missing autoload. If it does turn up, look at which function that var line is inside and compare it with the function the failing line is in. If they differ, that’s your answer.

Why is my node null?The variable exists, but the node it should hold doesn't.

GDScript variablesOfficial docs on declaring variables and where they live.