(And 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid)

Have you ever paused mid-sentence and wondered whether to use say or tell? You are not alone. These two verbs mean almost the exact same thing—to express words—which is why English learners at all levels frequently swap them by mistake.

The Golden Rule: It’s All About the Listener

The simplest way to decide between say and tell is to ask yourself one question: Are you mentioning the person receiving the message?

• Use TELL when you specify the listener (Personal Object). Formula: Subject + TELL + Person + Information
Example: She told me the news.
• Use SAY when you focus only on the words (No Personal Object required). Formula: Subject + SAY + Information
Example: She said the news was bad.

Quick Reference Comparison

FeatureSAYTELL
Requires a Personal Object?No (“He said hello.”)Yes (“He told me hello.”)
Preposition for PeopleUse TO (“Say hello to Mark.”)Never use TO directly (“Tell Mark…”)
Main FocusThe exact words spokenGiving information or instructions
Common UsesDirect quotes, greetings, general wordsStories, instructions, facts, secrets

The 10 Most Common Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

1. Adding a listener after ‘Say’ without using ‘To’

❌ Incorrect: She said me that she was tired.

✅ Correct: She said to me that she was tired. (Or: She told me she was tired.)

2. Leaving out the listener after ‘Tell’

❌ Incorrect: He told that he would arrive late.

✅ Correct: He told us that he would arrive late. (Or: He said that he would arrive late.)

3. Using ‘To’ directly after ‘Tell’

❌ Incorrect: Can you tell to me what happened?

✅ Correct: Can you tell me what happened?

4. Confusing ‘Tell a story’ with ‘Say a story’

❌ Incorrect: My grandmother always says great stories.

✅ Correct: My grandmother always tells great stories.

5. Saying a lie instead of telling a lie

❌ Incorrect: Don’t say a lie!

✅ Correct: Don’t tell a lie! / Always tell the truth.

6. Using ‘Say’ for instructions or commands

❌ Incorrect: The boss said me to finish the report.

✅ Correct: The boss told me to finish the report.

7. Misusing ‘Say hi’ / ‘Say hello’

❌ Incorrect: Please tell hi to your brother.

✅ Correct: Please say hi to your brother.

8. Using ‘Tell’ with direct quotes

❌ Incorrect: “I love learning English,” told Sarah.

✅ Correct: “I love learning English,” said Sarah.

9. Misusing set expressions with ‘Time’

❌ Incorrect: Can you say the time?

✅ Correct: Can you tell time? / Can you tell me the time?

10. Forgetting the past tense forms

❌ Incorrect: Yesterday she sayed that she was happy.

✅ Correct: Yesterday she said that she was happy. (Note: say -> said /sɛd/, tell -> told /toʊld/)

Fixed Expressions You Should Memorize

Always use TELL with:

  • Tell a story / a joke / a secret
  • Tell the truth / a lie
  • Tell the time
  • Tell the difference (e.g., ‘Can you tell the difference?’)

Always use SAY with:

  • Say hello / hi / goodbye
  • Say yes / no
  • Say a prayer
  • Say something / nothing / anything