Zorg SpaceWhat is the difference between say, tell, speak and talk?
Short answer
All four are about communicating, but they work differently:
- say focuses on the words: She said “hello”, He said that he was tired.
- tell needs a person — someone receives the information: She told me the news, Tell him to wait.
- speak is more formal, about ability or languages, or one person speaking: Do you speak Spanish?, Can I speak to the manager?
- talk is conversation between people: We talked for hours, Let’s talk about it.
The biggest source of mistakes is the difference between say and tell: tell is followed directly by the listener, say is not.
Say
Say reports words or ideas. If you mention the listener, use to.
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She said goodbye and left.
the words
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He said that the meeting was cancelled.
say + that
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What did you say to him?
listener with “to”
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Say it again, please.
repeat the words
Tell
Tell is followed by the person who receives the information, then the information: tell someone something.
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She told me the answer.
tell + person + thing
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He told us that he was leaving.
tell + person + that
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Tell her to call me.
tell + person + to + verb (an instruction)
Some fixed phrases use tell without a listener:
- tell the truth, tell a lie
- tell a story, tell a joke
- tell the time, tell the difference
Speak
Speak is used for languages, for ability, for formal situations and for one person addressing others:
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She speaks four languages.
languages
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Could I speak to Ms Ahmed, please?
formal, on the phone
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The director will speak at the conference.
one person, to an audience
-
Please speak more slowly.
the act of speaking
Talk
Talk is the everyday word for conversation between people:
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We talked about our plans.
talk about something
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Can I talk to you for a minute?
talk to someone
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They talk on the phone every day.
habitual conversation
Talk and speak overlap a lot; speak is a little more formal: Can I speak to you? sounds more serious than Can I talk to you?.
Summary table
| Verb | Typical pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| say | say something (to someone) | She said nothing to me. |
| tell | tell someone something | She told me nothing. |
| speak | speak a language / speak to someone (formal) | He speaks Korean. |
| talk | talk to/with someone about something | We talked about work. |
In reported speech
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“I’m tired,” she said.
direct speech
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She said (that) she was tired.
reported, no listener
-
She told me (that) she was tired.
reported, with a listener
Common mistakes
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Not: She said me the answer.
Better: She told me the answer. / She said the answer to me.
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Not: Can you say me where the station is?
Better: Can you tell me where the station is?
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Not: He talks English very well.
Better: He speaks English very well.
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Not: My teacher said us to be quiet.
Better: My teacher told us to be quiet.
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Not: Let me say you a story.
Better: Let me tell you a story.
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Not: He told that he was busy.
Better: He said that he was busy. / He told me that he was busy.
Many languages use one verb for both say and tell — Spanish decir, German sagen, Dutch zeggen, Arabic قال — so translating directly produces “say me”. In English, check: is the listener right after the verb? Then it must be tell.
In short
- say + words; with a listener, say to someone.
- tell + listener + information; also tell a story, a joke, the truth.
- speak for languages, formal situations and speeches.
- talk for conversations: talk to someone about something.
Lessons on this in the library
Practise it in Zorg Space
Reading an answer is the first step. In the app, the same grammar becomes exercises with instant correction, new words come back for review just before you would forget them, and you listen and speak as well.
Practise in Zorg Space