The Difference Between Say, Tell, Speak and Talk

Learners often feel confused about the verbs say, tell, speak and talk. They all describe using words, but we do not use them in the same way. This guide walks you through each verb, shows you typical sentence patterns, and highlights the most common mistakes to avoid.

1. Quick Overview

Here is a simple way to remember the core idea of each verb:

• say: focuses on the words that are spoken
• tell: focuses on who receives the information
• speak: is more formal, and often used for languages and formal speaking
• talk: is more informal, and used for conversation and discussion

A short “memory line”:

say = the words, tell = the person;
speak = formal/ability, talk = chat/discuss.

2. Say: Focusing on the Words

Say is used when we care about what someone says—the exact words or message.

Typical structures

• say + words/content

  • She said nothing.
  • Don’t say that.

• say (that) + clause

  • He said (that) he was busy.
  • They say (that) it will rain.

• say to somebody (less common, often in written English)

  • She said to me, “Good luck.”

Key points

• With say, the direct object is usually the message, not the person.

• We do not normally use say followed directly by a person:

  • Wrong: He said me the truth.
  • Correct: He told me the truth.
  • Correct: He said (that) he was telling the truth.

Use say when the focus is on the statement itself: the sentence, the words, or the idea.

3. Tell: Focusing on the Listener

Tell is used when we want to emphasize who receives the information. Its structure almost always includes a person.

Typical structures

• tell + somebody + something

  • She told me the news.
  • Please tell him the truth.

• tell somebody that + clause

  • She told me that she was leaving.
  • He told us that the meeting was canceled.

• tell somebody to do something

  • My boss told me to finish it today.
  • I told you not to touch it.

Fixed expressions with tell

• tell the truth

  • To tell the truth, I don’t like it.

• tell a story / tell a joke

  • Grandpa is telling the children a story.
  • He loves telling jokes.

• tell the difference

  • Can you tell the difference between these two photos?

• tell right from wrong

  • Children should learn to tell right from wrong.

Common mistake

• Wrong: She told that she was tired.
• Correct: She said that she was tired.
• Correct: She told me that she was tired.

Remember: tell almost always needs a person after it.

4. Speak: Formal and About Language

Speak is used in more formal contexts, especially:

1. To talk about the ability to use a language
2. To talk about formal speaking or speeches

1) Language ability

• Do you speak English?
• She speaks three languages.
• He doesn’t speak German very well.

In this meaning, we do not usually use talk:

• Natural: He can speak French.
• Not natural: He can talk French.

2) Formal speaking / speeches

• The president will speak on TV tonight.
• She will speak at the conference.
• He spoke about climate change in his speech.

Common patterns:

• speak about/on + topic
  • He spoke about his experience.
  • She spoke on education reform.

3) speak to/with somebody

• I need to speak to you.
• Can I speak with the manager, please?

Speak to/with is similar to talk to/with, but it often sounds a little more formal or serious.

5. Talk: Informal Conversation and Discussion

Talk is more informal and is often used for conversations, discussions, and two-way communication.

Basic uses

• We talked for hours.
• They are talking on the phone.

Common patterns

• talk to/with somebody

  • I like talking to my friends.
  • Can I talk with you for a minute?

• talk about + topic

  • Let’s talk about your plan.
  • We talked about the movie yesterday.

Common expressions with talk

• talk business

  • Let’s sit down and talk business.

• talk nonsense

  • Stop talking nonsense.

• talk sense

  • Now you’re talking sense.

• small talk (light, casual conversation)

  • I’m not very good at small talk.

Use talk when you imagine people sitting together, exchanging ideas, chatting, or discussing something.

6. Comparing the Pairs

a) Say vs. Tell

• say = focuses on the words
• tell = focuses on the person + the information

Compare:

• She said (that) she was tired.

  • The message is important; we don’t say who heard it.

• She told me (that) she was tired.

  • We know exactly who she spoke to: me.

More corrections:

• Wrong: He said me the truth.

  • Correct: He told me the truth.

• Wrong: She told that she would come.

  • Correct: She said that she would come.
  • Or: She told me that she would come.

A useful rule:

• If you want to follow the verb directly with a person, use tell.
• If you want to follow it with a clause or quoted words, use say.

b) Speak vs. Talk

• speak = more formal, used for languages and official speaking
• talk = more informal, used for conversation and discussion

Compare:

• He can speak French.

  • About language ability.

• The manager will speak at the meeting.

  • About formal speaking.

• We talked about the meeting yesterday.

  • About an informal conversation.

• I need to speak to you.

  • Sounds serious or formal.

• Can we talk?

  • Sounds personal and informal: “I want to have a chat with you.”

7. Summary

You can think about the four verbs like this:

• say

  • Focus: the words / message
  • Patterns: say (that) + clause, say + something

• tell

  • Focus: who receives the information
  • Patterns: tell + somebody + something, tell somebody that + clause, tell somebody to do something

• speak

  • Focus: language ability, formal speaking
  • Patterns: speak English, speak at a conference, speak about/on + topic, speak to/with somebody

• talk

  • Focus: informal conversation, discussion
  • Patterns: talk to/with somebody, talk about + topic

If you remember these core ideas and patterns, you will make far fewer mistakes with say, tell, speak and talk.

8. Short Practice

Try to complete these sentences with the correct form of say, tell, speak, or talk:

1. He _______ three languages.
2. She _______ me that she would be late.
3. Don’t _______ anything. Just listen.
4. We _______ about our future plans last night.

Now translate these ideas into full English sentences, using the four verbs correctly:

1. Be honest about your opinion of this movie.
2. You want to have a conversation with someone about their plan.
3. Someone tells you not to worry about the problem.
4. A friend can use German fluently in conversation.

You can check your answers by comparing them with the rules above. With regular practice, choosing the right verb will soon feel natural.