Say vs Tell vs Speak vs Talk: What’s the difference?

English has many verbs that mean almost the same but differ in usage. Among the most common ones are say, tell, speak, and talk. Learners often wonder what the difference is between them, and which one should be used in a particular situation? Let’s find out.

Say and Tell are most often confused, so let's start with them

Say is typically used when we pass on words without specifying who we’re speaking to. After say, there is usually a quote or some information, but the interlocutor is not mentioned. So, using say, we focus on the message.

Use say in the following cases:

Say something
She said (that) she was tired.
He said, “I’ll be late.”
Say something about
He doesn’t say anything about his work.
Say something to someone
They said goodbye to me when they were leaving.

Note: since say is used when the information itself is the focus, we may mention the person it's directed to after the message:

I said sorry to my brother.

Tell is used when the recipient of the message is specified. After tell, there is always an object (a person). That’s the key difference between say and tell.

She told me that she was tired.
He told his friend, “I’ll be late.”

Tell is often used to express orders or instructions:

Our teacher told us to go home after classes.

There are also common expressions in English where tell is used without an object:

Tell the truth: They told the truth yesterday.
Tell the news: Please tell the news, I'm so excited!
Tell a lie: I feel when you tell a lie.
Tell a story / tale: She told a story about her business trip to Finland.
Tell a joke: He’s good at telling jokes.

Sometimes say and tell can be both used but the sentence structure will be different. Compare:

He told me he wouldn’t come. – He said to me he wouldn’t come.
She said she was busy. – She told me she was busy.

Difference between Speak and Talk

Besides say and tell, two more commonly used verbs, speak and talk, are also often confused. Let’s consider the differences between them.

Speak and talk mean the same but:

Speak is mostly used in formal contexts or when referring to languages and speaking in general, i.e., the ability to talk:

I spoke with the principal yesterday.
We need to speak to your manager.
I speak English and French.
She will speak at the conference.

As you can see, speak can be used with an object: speak with / to someone.

Talk is more informal and refers to everyday communication between people. Grammatically, it is very similar to speak:

talk: We talked for hours last night.
talk about something: When they get together, all they talk about is football.
talk to / with someone

Note:

Talk to often means one-way communication: one person talks, and the other listens:

I need to talk to you about something important.

Talk with sounds more mutual, when both sides actively participate in the conversation:

We looked around the school and talked with the principal.

Let’s summarize the information:

📌 Say – focus on what is said

📌 Tell – focus on who is being told

📌 Speak – used in formal contexts (speeches, meetings, etc.), languages and speech in general

📌 Talk – casual, friendly conversations, everyday communication

We hope the difference between say, tell, speak, and talk is now clear. The key is to practice these verbs regularly. Over time, you’ll feel which one fits best in each situation.

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Say vs Tell vs Speak vs Talk: What’s the difference?

Say and Tell are most often confused, so let's start with them

Difference between Speak and Talk

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