"Say" vs. "Tell": How to Explain the Difference

"Say" and "tell" – these two words are so simple yet so confusing. Today, let's review the main differences between them so we can better explain them to our students.

1. "Say" focuses on words. "Tell" focuses on information.
2. “Say" is for direct and indirect reported speech. "Tell” is for indirect speech only.
3. We tell someone something.
4. We say something to someone.
5. "Say" and "tell" have other meanings.

1. “Say” focuses on words. “Tell” focuses on information.

At their core, "say" and "tell" mean different things. "Say" means "to express a thought in words" and focuses on the words people use when they talk.

• How do you say this word in English? [The speaker is asking about a word.]
• English-speakers say "cheese" when they smile for photos. [The speaker is explaining a word.]
• Could you say that again, please? [The speaker is asking someone to repeat some words.]

On the other hand, "tell" means "to inform" and focuses on the information that's shared. That's why we use "tell" to ask for directions: e.g. "Could you tell me how to get to Big Ben?" Here are some more sentences that only make sense with "tell."

• Tell us why you're interested in this job.
• Please tell me how I can improve my English.

2. “Say” is for direct and indirect reported speech. "Tell" is for indirect speech only.

“Say” can be used in both direct and indirect reported speech while “tell” is normally only used in indirect reported speech.

This difference has actually been shown in studies. For example:

• A study of American English found that “say” was used around 80-90% of the time for direct reported speech, while “tell” was used only 1-3% of the time.
• A British English study found that “tell” was around 10 times more likely to be used for indirect reported speech than for direct reported speech.

3. We tell someone something.

Another big difference between "say" and "tell" is that when we use "tell," we must state who the listener was.

• She told the man her name.
• May tells her mom she loves her every day.
• My manager told me that I need to improve my English to get promoted.

On the other hand, the listener is optional when we use "say."

• Raj said "I'm sorry."
• Raj said he was sorry.
• Raj said "I'm sorry" to Kim.

So encourage students to just use "say" if it's not necessary to mention the listener.

• The news said that it's going to rain today. [News reports provide information, but don't have specific listeners.]
• A wise person once said, "Be the change you want to see." [It doesn't matter who was listening. It's the message that matters.]

4. We say something to someone.

Since sentences with "tell" must always state the listener, the word has a directional feel. The message is definitely directed at someone.

However, this is not the case for "say." So when we want to mention the listener, we must use it with "to" – a preposition of direction.

• Tom said "Hi" to Meg. [Tom said "Hi" Meg.]
• My manager said to me, "You need to improve your English to get a promotion." [My manager said me ... .]

5. “Say” and “Tell” Have Other Meanings

Finally, "say" and "tell" have other meanings that are also related to talking. When they're used in these senses, they are not interchangeable.

“Say” Also Means “Think”

"Say" is sometimes used to mean "think."

• My dad thinks I should find a new job. What do you say? [= What do you think?]
• I'd say [= I think] there are about 500 people in this room right now.

So if someone asks you, "What does Sally say about the new restaurant?" they want to know what Sally thinks – not what she said word for word.

“Tell” Also Means “Order” or “Instruct”

"Tell" also means "to order or instruct (someone to do something)": e.g. "You're not my boss! You can't tell me what to do!"

When "tell" is used in this sense, it's usually followed by a verb in the infinitive ("to") form.

• Tell Jim to go away. [= Order Jim to go away.]
• The English teacher told his students to repeat after him. [= The English teacher instructed his students ...]

Notice how "tell" in these sentences doesn't mean "inform." For example, the first sentence isn't informing Jim of a fact. It's asking Jim to go away.

“Tell” Also Means “Tell (a Story)”

"Tell" is also used in the phrase "tell a story." You might want to explain to students that "tell" is related to the word "tale" – a type of story.

In fact, this is one of the oldest meanings of "tell." As linguist Albert H. Marckwardt explains:

The earliest recorded meaning of tellan in Old English was 'to recount', 'to enumerate', or 'to relate'. When so used, it referred to an extended narrative or to a series of associated facts.

This is why English speakers say "tell a story" and not "say a story." The same goes for phrases like "tell a joke," "tell the truth," and "tell a secret."

• Grandpa used to tell us stories every time we visited. [Grandpa used to say stories ... .]
• I have some good news to tell you: I got a job! [I have some good news to say ... .]

Be careful when using "tell" in this sense, because unlike other senses of the word we covered, the listener can be omitted and the preposition "to" is sometimes used.

• I told my sister a joke, but she didn't laugh. I need to get better at telling jokes. [No listener in the 2nd sentence.]
• Amy told Ben all her secrets. Ben told her secrets to everyone else in class. ["To" used in second sentence.]

📌 Takeaways

Since that was a lot of information, here's a summary of what we covered.

• "Say" focuses on the words used in a message. "Tell" focuses on the content of the message. This is why "say" is used to quote someone while "tell" is used to share what someone said in your own words.
• When we use "tell," we must always state the listener (i.e. who the message is directed at). With "say," the listener is optional. If we want to state the listener, we add "to."
• "Say" and "tell" have other meanings which are not interchangeable.

We hope you now feel prepared to answer any questions about "say" and "tell" that come your way. Happy tutoring!