What does “tell” mean?
- 1
verbto give information to someone by speaking or writing
Tell me about your trip.
- 2
verbto order or advise someone to do something
The doctor told me to rest.
- 3
verbto know or recognize something
I can’t tell the twins apart.
Tell at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb
- CEFR level
- A1 (beginner)
- Pronunciation
- /tɛl/ · TEL
- Forms
- told
How to use “tell” correctly
“Tell” needs a person after it (“tell me”); “say” does not (“say hello”).
Common phrases with “tell”
- tell sb sth
- tell the truth
- tell a story
- tell the difference
“tell” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- ask verbA1to say or write a question to get information
- call verbA1to phone someone
- describe verbA1to say or write what someone or something is like
- draw verbA1to make a picture with a pen or pencil
- hear verbA1to notice sounds with your ears
- listen verbA1to pay attention to sounds or to what someone says
- read verbA1to look at written words and understand them
- say verbA1to speak words, or to express a thought or opinion