Say vs Tell at a glance
- say
/seɪ/ · verb
To speak words, with the focus on the words themselves.
- What did she say when you told her the news?
- He didn't say anything to me about the meeting.
- tell
/tel/ · verb
To give information to a person, so it is usually followed by who you speak to.
- Can you tell me the way to the station?
- I'll tell you a secret, but don't share it.
How to remember it
Tell needs a listener straight after it: tell me, tell her, tell the team. If there's no person right after the verb, choose say.
Good to know
Patterns: say something (to someone), say that..., say hello/goodbye/sorry. Tell someone something, tell someone to do something, tell someone that... Fixed phrases with tell and no person: tell the truth, tell a lie, tell a story, tell a joke, tell the time, tell the difference.
Common mistakes
Wrong: She said me that she was tired.
Right: She told me that she was tired.
Wrong: He told that he would be late.
Right: He said that he would be late.
Wrong: Can you say me your name?
Right: Can you tell me your name?
Quick quiz
1.Did he you what time the film starts?
2.Don't forget to thank you to your grandma.
3.Please me the truth.
Pick the right word for each gap.
Often confused too
- speakvstalkSpeak is more formal and is used for languages and one person addressing others; talk is more informal and suggests a conversation between people.
- makevsdoUse make when you create or produce something; use do for tasks, jobs and activities. Many uses are fixed collocations you learn by heart.