How to choose between "say" and "tell"

You've got a really good story and you can't wait to share it. Do you "say" it or "tell" it? The answer is "tell." You tell a story. "Say" and "tell" both have to do with speaking, but they work differently in a sentence, and mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes in English.

Say

"Say" is about the words themselves. You usually don't mention who you're talking to, and if you do, you need "to."

• She said she'd be late.
• What did he say?
• I said no.
• The teacher said that the exam would be tough.

One thing to watch out for: you can’t put a person straight after “say.” This is a common slip for German speakers, because Er hat mir gesagt is perfectly normal in German, so “He said me” feels right. In English, you need “to” before the person (“He said to me”), or, more naturally, you can switch to “tell” (“He told me”).

"Say" can also be used when you're suggesting something or giving a rough number.

• Let's meet at, say, seven?
• It'll cost, say, 200 euros, but we won't know until they look at it.

Tell

"Tell" is about passing information to someone, so it almost always comes with a person: tell me, tell her, tell the team.

• Can you tell the guests to arrive by six?
• Don't tell anyone, but I'm leaving my job.
• He told me about his trip.

"Tell" also goes with a few things on their own: you tell a story, a joke, a lie, or the truth.

• My dad tells the worst jokes.
• Just tell the truth.

And "tell" can mean to notice or figure something out from the signs.

• I could tell he was upset.
• You can tell she's done this before.
• Can you tell the difference between the twins?

If you're stuck, ask yourself: is there a person right after the verb? If yes, it's usually "tell." If not, it's usually "say."

Knowing the difference between "say" and "tell" helps you express yourself (and your awesome stories) more clearly.

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