Speak, Talk, Say, Tell Difference

Do you say:

🗣️ Tell me something
or
🗣️ Say me something?

Many English learners confuse speak, talk, say and tell. They seem similar. But they are used differently.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

• The difference between speak and talk
• The difference between say and tell
• When to use each verb correctly
• Common mistakes to avoid

Watch the video below, then scroll down for clear explanations and examples.

Let’s make this simple.

As always, I love your questions and suggestions for future lessons.

This lesson was requested by Ruben, who asked for a clear explanation of the difference between say, tell, speak and talk. And I know many of you struggle with these verbs too.

They look similar. But small differences change the meaning.

In this lesson, we’ll look at:

✅ When to use say
✅ When to use tell
✅ The difference between speak and talk
✅ Common mistakes to avoid

Let’s break it down step by step so you feel more confident using them in real conversations.

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say

say – said – said

1. it is used with or without a personal object

Sarah said that she was tired.

When used with a personal object, it is always followed by the preposition “to”

✅ Sarah said to me that she was tired.

❌ Sarah said me that she was tired.

2. it can also be used to express an opinion or thought

I say we should give each person 20 tickets so that they can sell them and raise some money for charity.

Oh, I say, what’s that over there? That looks very interesting.

tell

tell – told – told

1. is always followed by a personal object

She told me (that) she was tired.

2. we often use it to describe giving orders or instructions

I told them to go to bed.

I told you to ring the doctor.

say and tell

can be used in direct and reported speech

She said, “I want to leave.”

She said that she wanted to leave.

She said, “I hate tea.”

She told me she hates tea.

say vs tell

Say and tell are always interchangeable. The only thing you have to do, you have to change the structure of the sentence to make it a little different.

say + something (to somebody)

tell + someone (something)

Did she tell you what happened yesterday?

Did she say what happened yesterday?

What did Jack say?

What did Jack tell you?

Speak, Talk, Say, Tell difference

speak

speak – spoke – spoken

1. we use it in more formal situations and wish to emphasise that sth is important

I will speak to you later.

I will speak to management and ask them to increase our salaries.

2. we use it when we’re referring to languages

He can speak three languages.

3. we also use it when we’re talking about making an address to a large gathering or crowd

The senior manager will speak at the end of the conference.

talk

talk – talked – talked

we use it in a more relaxed setting, in a conversational situation

I was talking to your mum the other day.

We talked all night about our favourite movies.

speak vs talk

Speak and talk are interchangeable. It only depends on the formality of the speech. There is no need to change the structure of the sentence.

I would like to speak to your manager.

I would like to talk with your parents.

speak to vs speak with

When use speak to, it’s a one-way conversation.

I’m really annoyed. I will speak to you later.

When we use speak with, it’s a friendly and enjoyable conversation. Participants are both listening and talking.

I would like to speak with the team and find out what they want to do.

ask

ask – asked – asked

We use it in indirect (reported) speech when talking about questions.

Why do you want to leave your job? – Pam asked me why I wanted to leave my job.

Can you ride a bicycle? – Ben asked Sam if he could ride a bicycle.

Could you do me a favour? – He asked me to do him a favour.

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utter

Meaning: to speak or pronounce, often it’s used in a negative context

Sit there and don’t utter a word.

He sat in the conference all day without uttering a word.

convey

Meaning: (formal) to give a message to other people

Please convey my gratitude to your parents for their help.

Please convey my wishes to the management.

I’d like you to convey my condolences to your family.

speak better English with Harry podcast- episode 422

Speak, Talk, Say, Tell difference

Okay, so hopefully, Ruben I’ve covered the difference between say, speak, talk and tell.

As always, please practice. And if you have any more problems or difficulties, come back to me and I’ll give you a few more suggestions and a few more ideas.

As always, try to practice because that’s the best way to learn and improve English. As always, if you want something else, please let me know, and we’ll include it in a future video for you.

Okay, this is Harry saying goodbye. Thanks for listening. Thanks for watching. Join me again for the next lesson.