The main meaning of say is to speak or tell somebody something, using words. 

say = to speak 

The main meaning of tell is to give information to somebody by speaking or writing. 

tell = to give information 

Here’s the basic difference: 
We say something. 
BUT
We tell somebody something.


Which word to use? 

Say 

Say never has a person as the object. You say something or say something to somebody. 

Examples:

• Michael said he was tired. OR Michael told me he was tired.
• Sarah said she was moving house. OR Sarah told me she was moving house. 
• Peter said: “I’m hungry, Elizabeth.” OR Peter told Elizabeth he was hungry. 

We can also use this structure: 
say [something] to somebody.

• She said something to me but I didn’t understand.
• She didn’t say anything to us.
• My neighbour always says good morning to me. 
• What did he say to you? 

Remember that we use a phrase with 'to'. 

Say is often used when you are giving somebody’s exact words: 

Examples: 

• ‘I’m in a hurry,’ he said to me.
• ‘Sit down’, she said. 
• Anne said, ‘I’m tired.’ 
• Anne said (that) she was tired. 
• He said (that) his name was Sam. 
• She said goodbye to all her friends and left. 
• He never forgets to say 'Please" and 'Thank you'. 
• How do you say 'goodbye' in Vietnamese? 
• She said she would wait for us outside. 
• They asked if I was looking for a job and I said yes.  
• The offer was so good that I couldn't say no (= couldn't refuse).  
• I asked him if he wanted it today but he said to leave it till tomorrow. 
• And then she said to me, ‘I’m your cousin. We’ve never met before’.   
• He said, ‘I’m not paying £50 for that’. ​ 

You can use say about and say something about: 

Examples: 

• What did they say about the house? 
• I want to say something/​a few words/​a little about my family. 

Say can also be used with a clause when the person you are talking to is not mentioned: 

Examples: 

• She didn’t say what she intended to do. (The person she is talking to is not mentioned.) 
• She didn't say whether she was coming. 
• Did she say why she wasn't coming? 
• She finds it hard to say what she feels. 

Tell 

Tell usually has a person as the object and often has two objects: 

If we use an object pronoun (me, him, her, someone, etc.) or someone’s name, we use tell, not say: 

Examples: 

• Have you told him the news yet? 
• Did she tell you her name? 
• Whad did I tell you? (= you should have listened to my advice.) 
• The boy told us he didn't want any money. 
• 'I'm ready to go,' he told her. 

It is often used with ‘that’ clauses: 

Examples: 

• Anne told me (that) she was tired. 
• The doctor told me (that) I should eat less fat. 
• I kept telling myself (that) everything was OK. 

Tell is usually used when somebody is giving facts or information, often with what, where, etc: 

Examples: 

• Can you tell me when the movie starts? (BUT: Can you give me some information about the school?) 
• She told him they were going on holiday. (The focus is on the information.) 
• She told him when they were going to London. 
• He told me how he had got the job by lying about his age. 
• Tell me where you live.  
• Don't tell me what to do. 

Tell is also used when you are giving somebody instructions: 

Examples: 

• The doctor told me to stay in bed. 
• The doctor told me (that) I had to stay in bed. OR The doctor said (that) I had to stay in bed. 
• They told us to come back the next day.  
• They told her to wait till the doctor arrived. 

When only tell is possible 

We use tell when we are giving facts or information. If we use an object pronoun (me, him, her, someone, etc.) or someone’s name, we use tell, not say. 

Structures with tell: 

• tell somebody (that) ... 
• tell somebody something
• tell somebody about something
• tell somebody who/when/where, etc. 

There are also some set phrases with tell:

• tell (someone) a lie
• tell (someone) the truth
• tell (someone) a story  

Examples: 

• You never tell a lie. 
• Are you use you're telling the truth? 
• You're good at telling jokes. 

​When only say is possible

We use say when our words do not contain facts or information, for example when we greet people:

• She said hello to me.
• She said: ‘Hello’. 

​

• She said no.
• She said: ‘No!’

​
We can use say that if we want to give information:

• He said that he likes football.

Structures with say:

• say (something)
• say that (something) 
• say (something) to (a person)
• “(something)” a person said ('Hello,' she said.) 

Now try this quick exercise to see how well you can use say and tell.
Instructions: fill in each gap using say or tell in its correct form. Be careful! 

1. .............. me when you want to go home. 
2. How do you .............. 'good morning' in Korean? 
3. I asked them to give me a discount, but they .............. no. 
4. They wrote to .............. us that they were moving to a new office. 
5. The instruction manual .............. you how to use the printer properly. 
6. Don't believe him! He never .............. the truth. 
7. He looked at me but he didn't .............. anything. Perhaps he didn't recognise me. 
8. How was your job interview? Sit down and .............. me all about it.  
9. Please .............. us your name and occupation. 
10. The police officer ............. him to stop. 
11. I just stopped by to .............. hello. 
12. They .............. that you should drink eight glasses of water a day. 
13. Sarah, I .............. you not to eat any cookies before dinner! 
14. Helen .............. she doesn't like chocolate. 
15. What did your parents .............. to you when they saw your exam results? 

​Answers: 
1. Tell; 2. say; 3. said; 4. tell; 5. tells; 6. tells; 7. say; 8. tell; 9. tell; 10. told; 11. say; 12. say; 13. told;
14. says; 15. say; 

The verbs speak and talk both generally mean ‘say words’, but there are some small differences in how they are used. Speak is more formal than talk. 

Compare: 

• I need to speak to you. 

(Formal) It is possible that:

1. The speaker does not know you very well.
2. This is in a formal setting, such as work.
3. What the person has to say is important/serious. 

• I need to talk to you. 

(Informal) It is possible that: 

1. The speaker is your friend.
2. The speaker is someone you don’t know very well, but what they have to say is informal. 

​
We usually use speak for more formal presentations and lectures, and talk for more informal ones: 
​

• I've spoken to the manager about it. 
• The President refused to speak to the waiting journalists.
• Megan will speak at the conference tomorrow morning. 
• Liz will talk about the new marketing plan. 
• Jim is going to talk about the benefits of the software. 

Speak usually only focuses on the person who is producing the words (one person is speaking): 

• He spoke about the importance of taking exercise and having a good diet. 

​
Talk focuses on a speaker and at least one listener, and can mean ‘have a conversation’ (there is a conversation between two or more people): 

• I hope I can meet you to talk about my plans for the company.

Compare: 

• He always looks down when he is speaking. 

The focus is on his use of his voice to produce words. ​'Speak' focuses only on the person who is producing the words. 

• I was talking to Maria yesterday. 

The focus is on the use of words as part of a conversation with someone else. 

We use speak on the telephone:

           A: Is Rita there?
           B: Who’s speaking?
           A: My name’s Anna. I work with her. 

• ‘Can I speak to Susan, please?’ ‘Speaking.’ (= at the beginning of a telephone conversation) 
• Who were you speaking to on the phone? 

When we refer to languages, we use speak:

• How many languages do you speak?
• I wish I could speak Italian. 
• I can speak several languages. 
• I want to overcome my fear of speaking English. 
• How old were you when you learned to speak? 

Speak and talk with prepositions: 

We usually use 'to' after 'speak' and 'talk'. In more formal situations, people sometimes use with:

• I need to speak to you about this conference next week.
• I was talking to Richard Moss the other day about the golf club.
• May I speak with you for a moment? (rather formal) 

'Speak to' and 'talk to' are used more often than 'speak with' and 'talk with'.

• I was talking to Tom yesterday. He told me about his new house and job.  
• Can I speak to the manager? 

'Speak to' is a little more formal than 'talk to', and is often used in polite requests. 

• Hello, could I speak to Mr Jones, please? [formal, on the telephone]

• I’ve got a complaint: I want to speak to the manager. [formal, in a restaurant or shop]

We can say:

• speak to somebody 
• talk to somebody 
• speak to somebody about something
• talk to somebody about something 

speak (to somebody) (about something/somebody) 

• I've spoken to the manager about it. 

(especially North American English) speak (with somebody) (about something/somebody) 

• Can I speak with you for a minute?

talk to somebody (about something)

• What are you talking about? (= ‘you are not making sense’ or ‘you are not being truthful’) 
• I was talking to my friend about my new job. 

Remember to use the preposition 'to' after 'speak' and 'talk'. (speak to, talk to) 

Tip: 

In British English speak to and talk to are more common than speak with and talk with.


Remember: 

We don’t use talk when referring to foreign languages: 

• I can speak German and Spanish.​​​​

We don’t use speak to focus on conversation:

• They can talk and get to know each other over dinner. 

When to use speak 
In some idioms and fixed phrases:

• Speak your mind. (= to say exactly what you are thinking, in a very direct way) 
• Come on, speak your mind! We want to know what you’re thinking.
• Speak up [often on the telephone] Could you speak up, please? I can’t hear you. 
• Generally speaking [when generalising] Generally speaking, better quality food costs more.
• Speak about / Speak in public [to address an audience, to make a speech] The professor spoke about fair trade in Asia. 
• Speak for yourself [informal] (= used to tell somebody that a general statement they have just made is not true of you) ‘We didn't play very well.’ ‘Speak for yourself!’ (= I think that I played well.)

Other examples with speak: 

• I was so shocked that I could hardly speak. 
• Actions speak louder than words.  
• Everyone speaks well of Jenny. She is so kind and intelligent. 
• I haven't spoken to Rachel since she cheated me over the bill in the restaurant. 

When to use talk
In the following examples, only talk is correct:

• talk sense
  I always listen to him: he talks a lot of sense.
• talk nonsense
  I agreed with you earlier but now you’re talking nonsense.
• talk rubbish
  He’s talking rubbish again. Don’t listen to him!
• talk business [to discuss business things, to negotiate] Let’s have some lunch, then we’ll talk business.

Other examples with talk: 

• I don't know why she has stopped talking to me. 
• ​I met my friend and we talked for an hour. 
• Let's go for a coffee and talk it over. 
• It's just talk, that's all. I don't believe a word of it. 
• You don't snore, but you do talk in your sleep. 

Speak is not usually used before sense, nonsense and other words with similar meanings. 

​
Remember: 

Sometimes 'talk' and 'speak' are BOTH wrong.
We say:

• tell the truth 
• tell a lie 
• tell a story  

Now try this exercise to see how well you can use 'speak' and 'talk'. 

1. ​Michael's very direct; he always .............. his mind. 
2. My brother .............. four languages. 
3. I'm too shy to .............. in public. I get nervous in front of an audience. 
4. It was great to see my old friends again. We .............. about lots of things, but mainly about our old school days together. 
5. [on the phone] Hello, could I .............. to David Williams in the sales department, please? 
6. He's lived in Italy for five years, but he still can't .............. Italian. 
7. I don't believe him; he's .............. nonsense again. 
8. Generally .............. , people in the countryside are friendlier than people in big cities. 
9. Ok, let's .............. business. Can you offer us a discount? 
10. He was so angry with the waiter that he demanded to .............. to the hotel manager. 
11. She .............. so much that it gives me a headache. 
12. I've noticed Jack only .............. about himself. 
13. Don't say anything about this to Susan. She ............. behind people's backs. 
14. The facts .............. for themselves. 
15. Can you .............. up a little, please? I can't hear you very well. 

Answers:
1. speaks; 2. speaks; 3. speak; 4. talked; 5. speak; 6. speak; 7. talking; 8. speaking; 9. talk; 10. speak;
11. talks; 12. talks; 13. talks; 14. speak; 15. speak; 

Don't forget to remember! 

If you learn 100 English words, how many will you remember next week? 
How many will you remember next month? 
How many will you remember next year? 
 
It is possible to learn vocabulary and remember it. But if this is your situation, if you think “Hmm, if I learned 100 new words, I would forget them all within a year”, then perhaps you should change the way you study vocabulary. 

If you forget most of the words you learn, then you’re wasting a lot of time! 
 
Using effective study methods can help you remember what you learn. 
 
Let's look at some simple ways that you can use to remember English vocabulary more easily and effectively. 

​Tips: 

1. Find examples of how the word is used. 

The best way to remember English vocabulary is to use it. First, you need to know how to use it correctly. Use a good learner’s dictionary, for example: Oxford, Longman or Cambridge. 

Try to get at least three examples of how the word is used in a sentence, and try to remember these examples, so you understand how to use the word. 

Let's see how the word "good" can actually be used in sentences. 

Meaning: pleasant; that you enjoy or want 

• Did you have a good time in London? 
• It's good to see you again. 
• We have some good news for you. 
• Let's hope we have good weather tomorrow. 

2. Learn one meaning at a time.

Many words have several different meanings. For example, the verb “set” has 68 different meanings in the Longman dictionary. And, that’s just the verb – “set” can be a noun too! It can also be an adjective. Think how many meanings it must have! 

If you try to learn different meanings at the same time, you will get confused, and it will be much more difficult for you to remember the vocabulary.

When you are listening or reading in English, you will hear or read words that you don't know. These words are used in context. Whenever you look up new words in a dictionary, try to think about the context and find the meaning of the words you need. 

Let's look at an example. 

• It was tedious, repetitive work. 

The meaning of "tedious" is: lasting or taking too long and not interesting
Synonym: boring 


3. Use the vocabulary in a phrase or in a sentence. 

Let’s imagine you are trying to remember the English verb “play”.
You can write it down in your book, maybe with a translation in your language. But that doesn’t really help your imagination. 

Does the word “play” bring a clear picture to your mind? Why don’t you write down something like: “play inside/outside”, “play games”, or “play football with your friends at the weekend”? 

Using vocabulary in a phrase or in a sentence like this helps you see a picture and this picture helps you remember the word. 

It will always be easier to remember English vocabulary if you can make some phrases or sentences with it. You can add adjectives, adverbs or short phrases like we did here.
 
You can also use the word in a sentence, for example:

• I haven't got anybody to play with. 
• Let's play a different game. 

The more you use the word, the easier it will be to remember it. 


4. Stick new words and phrases around your home. 

You can write new vocabulary on small pieces of paper and stick them up around your home, so that you see them several times a day. For example, you can stick new words on your fridge, on your bathroom mirror or on the top of your computer screen. You can change the words every three days or every week and it will be easy for you to remember them. 


5, Make new words into a picture, a story or a song! 

Your brain is very bad at remembering facts, for example the meaning of new vocabulary in a foreign language. Your brain is very good at remembering pictures, songs and stories, so why not use this to remember English vocabulary? 

So, if you want to learn 10 new words, maybe try to draw a picture, which includes all 10 ideas. Or try to make a short story and practise reading the story with the new words in it.
It sounds strange, but it works very well.
 
 
These are five simple ideas that you can use to learn vocabulary more easily and with a higher success.

Please let us know if you use any of these study methods to remember new words. 


English Study Habits: 
How to learn new vocabulary 
How to use a dictionary effectively 

How to say something in another way: 
10 Ways to Say that Something is Bad 
10 Ways to Say that Something is Good 
Casual Ways to Say Goodbye in English 

English Phrases: 
Common Phrases in Spoken English (Part 1) 
Common Phrases in Spoken English (Part 2) 


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Learning vocabulary is the biggest job you face when learning any language. 

There are some questions you should ask yourself when learning new English vocabulary, which will help you understand and remember the word. 

Tips: 

​​1. Do I really need this word? Will I use it?

This is the most important question. Many English students spend hours and hours trying to learn completely useless vocabulary. Learning and remembering vocabulary is hard work and none of us has unlimited time and energy!
 
Don’t waste time and energy learning words you won’t use.
 
Learn only words that you are sure you will use, and focus on learning them well, so that you can remember and use the vocabulary when you need.
 
It’s better to learn 10 words really well, so you can use them, rather than trying to learn 100 words that you can’t really remember that well. 


2. What is the register of the word? 

What is register?
 
Simple answer: The term register refers to how formal or informal a word is.
 
A more detailed answer is that the register of a word tells us:

• What kind of person uses this word?
• In what kind of situation do people usually use this word?

 
We use the term 'register' to refer to particular varieties or styles of speaking and writing. 
For example, some words are only used in spoken English. Some words are mostly used in written English. Some words are mostly used by teenagers, or engineers, or Americans, or office workers. 
 
It is important to understand the register of a word when you learn it. 

​Registers vary because the language is used for different purposes, in different contexts and for different audiences.

For example, there is a legal register, a register of advertising, registers of banking and a register of weather forecasting. We commonly recognise registers because of their specialised vocabulary, but also because of particular uses of grammar. We also use the term register to refer to whether language is being used formally or informally: 

[From a weather forecast register: depression is a specialised word meaning a system of weather that brings rain.] 

Example: 

There is a depression moving in from the Atlantic and we can expect high winds and local storms over the next few days in the north of the country. 


3. How do I pronounce the word? 

This is simple, but it’s still important if you want to use the word. If you can, use an online dictionary with audio clips. Practise pronouncing the word, and think about these questions: 

​

• Does the pronunciation match the spelling? 

colleague BrE /ˈkɒliːɡ/ 
entrepreneur BrE /ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜː(r)/ 
negotiation BrE /nɪˌɡəʊʃiˈeɪʃn/ 
negotiate BrE /nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪt/ 
basically BrE /ˈbeɪsɪkli/ 
accessory BrE /əkˈsesəri/ 
receive BrE /rɪˈsiːv/ 
definitely BrE /ˈdefɪnətli/ 

• Are there any silent letters? (= letters which are written, but not pronounced) 

Examples: 

Silent B: 
climb, debt, doubt, plumber, etc.  
Silent C: 
conscious, fascinate, muscle, scenario, scene, scent, etc. 
Silent D: 
handkerchief, sandwich, Wednesday, etc. 
Silent G: 
assign, campaign, champagne, design, foreign, resign, sign, etc. 
Silent H: 
ache, archeology, architect, chaos, character, characteristic, chemical, chemist, Christian, Christmas, etc. 
Silent K: 
knee, knew, knife, knock, know, knowledge, etc. 
Silent P: 
psychology, psychiatrist, receipt, etc. 
Silent T: 
castle, listen, whistle, etc. 
Silent U: 
biscuit, build, built, guess, guest, guide, guilty, guitar, etc. 
Silent W: 
wrap, wrest, wrinkle, wrist, write, wrong, wrote, etc. 

​

• Where is the stress? 

contact BrE /ˈkɒntækt/ (noun) 
to contact BrE /ˈkɒntækt/ (verb) 
connection BrE /kəˈnekʃn/ (noun) 
to connect BrE /kəˈnekt/ (verb) 
report BrE /rɪˈpɔːt/ (noun) 
to report BrE /rɪˈpɔːt/ (verb) 

​

• Does the word have different pronunciations? For example, some words are pronounced differently in UK/US English, and some words change their pronunciation if they are used as a noun or a verb.  

schedule BrE /ˈskedʒuːl/; NAmE /ˈskedʒuːl/; also BrE /ˈʃedʒuːl/ 

organisation BrE /ˌɔːɡənaɪˈzeɪʃn/ 
organization NAmE /ˌɔːrɡənəˈzeɪʃn/ 

record BrE /ˈrekɔːd/ (noun) 
to record BrE /rɪˈkɔːd/ (verb) 


4. Does this word have a direct translation in my language? 

For most English learners, when they see a new word in English, the first thing they want to do is find the translation in their native language. This isn’t necessarily bad, but it can be dangerous, because not all words translate well.
 
Trying to translate English words into your language won’t work well every time.
For example, take the word amazing. Amazing is used in English to mean ‘very good’, but the original meaning is ‘very surprising’.
 
So when we say amazing to mean ‘very good’, it still has a little bit of that original meaning – something which is amazing could also be surprising or unexpected.
 
Does your language have a word with this exact meaning? Maybe, maybe not, but in any case there will be words like this in English (or any language), which have their own history and which do not always translate cleanly into other languages.
 
Every word has its own history which influences the exact meaning of the word.


5. How is this word related to other English words I know?

When learning a word, ask yourself these questions:

• Can I make different parts of speech from this word? For example, if the word you want to learn is a noun, can you make a verb or an adjective from it? 
• Do I know any words with the same or a similar meaning?
• Do I know any words with an opposite meaning?
• Can I make any collocations? (Collocations = words which fit together and are often used together)

Let’s look at an example:
Let’s say you want to learn the word ‘connect’, which is a verb.

• Connection (noun)
• Connectivity (noun)
• Connected (adj.)
• Connecting (adj.)

 
Let’s think of words with a similar meaning to ‘connect’.

• Link (similar meaning)
• Join (similar meaning)

 
Is there a word with an opposite meaning?

• Disconnect (opposite meaning)

 
Let’s make some collocations. What words can you use together with ‘connect’?

• Connect to the Internet (collocation)
• Connecting flights (collocation)
• Connect two events in a story (collocation)

 
If you do this, it will be much easier to remember the vocabulary you learn, because you will understand how it fits in with other words you know in English. 
​

English Study Habits: 
How to remember vocabulary 
How to use a dictionary effectively 

Learn the difference between some English words: 
Confusing words: Begin vs. Start, End vs. Finish 
Confusing words: Practice vs. Practise, Advice vs. Advise 
Confusing words: Breath vs. Breathe, Belief vs. Believe 
Confusing words in English: Famous vs. Popular 
Confusing words in English: Crowded vs. Congested 


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If you’re studying another language, you need a dictionary. However, it’s really important how to use – and how not to use – a dictionary. A dictionary is only helpful if you use it the right way. If you use a dictionary the wrong way, it makes it more difficult to learn English. 

Tips: 

1. Use a monolingual dictionary as much as possible.

There are two kinds of dictionaries:
 

• Bilingual dictionaries show you the meaning of a word in your language, so you have English and a translation.

Bilingual dictionaries = your language + another language 
 
Examples: English - Korean, English - Chinese, English - Japanese, etc. 

Bilingual dictionaries are written in two languages. 

• Monolingual dictionaries explain the meaning of a word in English, so they just use one language.

 
Monolingual dictionaries = one language (no translation) 

Examples: English - English, Korean - Korean, Chinese - Chinese, etc. 

Both are useful, but you should use a monolingual dictionary as much as possible, and a bilingual dictionary as little as possible.

You need to use a dictionary in English with definitions and examples in English. You will be able to understand English, instead of translating everything into your native language. This will make your English more fluent and natural. 


2. Find the right dictionary for you.

Different dictionaries are made for different people. If you are using a dictionary that was written 50 years ago and made for scientists, it might not help you too much. There are many good learners’ dictionaries online, which are designed specially for people learning English. So don’t just buy the first dictionary you see: read reviews, ask others for advice, and choose one that suits your English level and your study needs. 


We recommend the following dictionaries which you can actually find and use online: 

• Oxford Learner's Dictionaries 
• Cambridge Learner's Dictionary 
• Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 

 
You will be able to listen to the pronunciation of words and to read different meanings of each word, plus examples (how this word is actually used). 


3. Don’t use a dictionary all the time. 

Remember, you can’t learn a language just by using a dictionary. If you could, everybody would speak many languages. It’s just not that simple. If you don’t understand something when you’re reading or listening, don’t reach for your dictionary every time.
 
Not understanding things you read or hear is a normal part of learning another language.
 
Maybe you can understand the general meaning without understanding this one word, or maybe you can guess the meaning from the context. You don’t want to depend on your dictionary too much.

​
4. Remember that not everything can be translated. 

This is one more reason to use a bilingual dictionary as little as possible – some words just don’t translate well between languages. For example, English has one verb “put”, whereas German has three verbs with the same meaning. So you can’t translate the words directly. 

Example:
Put it on the table!
 
English: “put” = 1 verb, many meanings
German: “stellen”, “stecken”, “legen” = 3 verbs, the same meaning  


English Study Habits: 
How to learn new vocabulary 
How to remember vocabulary 

Learn the difference between some English words: 
Confusing verbs: Say vs. Tell 
Confusing verbs: Speak vs. Talk 
Confusing words: Come vs. Go 
Confusing words: Bring vs. Take 
Confusing words: Know someone vs. Meet someone, Alone vs. Lonely, To feel cold vs. To have a cold, Desert vs. Dessert 

​
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