Java typically has a slower execution speed compared to C and C++ because it is interpreted by the JVM at runtime. Java code is first compiled into bytecode, which the JVM then interprets or JIT (Just-In-Time) compiles, which adds overhead. In contrast, C and C++ are compiled directly into machine code, enabling them to execute faster since they do not require an interpreter at runtime. JVM optimizations have improved Java’s speed significantly, but it is generally still slower than C and C++.