Say vs Tell: a confusing pair

I understand that there are many words that we use in auto-pilot, without giving it much thought. In contrast, there are others that are much more complicated and make us rethink our sentence several times.

I have prepared some combinations, but feel free to add your own and study their meaning and use in context.

Say vs Tell - same meaning, different use

SAY something (to someone)

We use the word say to express information (it is general). We are not referring to anyone in particular.

Here are some examples:

I always say good things about them.

Did you say today?

I always say good morning.

TELL someone (something)

We use tell to give information to someone (a personal pronoun or a person)

Here are some examples:

Tell Louise I need her help.

Tell him I want my keys back today.

I always tell John what to do.

Extra tip

After "tell" you will need

a. object pronouns (me / you/him)

b. the receiver (John / my friend)

c. a fixed noun (tell stories / tell the time)

Let us take a look at some fixed expressions (collocations).

In the case of fixed expressions, we cannot change one word for another, even in the case of synonyms. The examples below show how to use them.

You always ...

tell the time, tell a story, tell the truth, tell the difference.

We also ...

say good morning, say something, say yes, say no, say a prayer.

Examples:

A: Can you tell the difference between the two phones?

B: I could say something, but I really don't know.

Now that you can tell the difference, it is time to put it into practice. Follow the tips, and reach out in case of any new word that might need a close revision.