Use speak (present) and spoke (past) with languages, and with talking in general (no specific details). E.g. 600 Confusing Words E-Book If you frequently confuse the verbs SAY, TELL, SPEAK, and TALK, you’re not alone – these are some of the most commonly confused English words! There are many words in this language that make us confused like Say, Tell, Speak and Talk. In this lesson, I’ll teach you the rules for the difference between say, tell, and speak. 2.“Say” means “to express thoughts through words” while “speak” means “the act of talking or uttering something.”. Use speak (present) and spoke (past) with languages, and with talking in general (no specific details). All right, guys, let’s start off with the difference between say and tell. - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary In this lesson, I’ll teach you the rules for the difference between say, tell, and speak. • We say something to someone. The difference there is that, generally, when I say “I need to speak to you about something” it sounds a little more serious than if I have to talk to you about something. With say (present) or said (past), we can use these structures: Structures #1 and #2 are the most common in spoken English. I must say English is crazy. Say is often used with reported speech. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 4.When using “say,” it is not specified who is being told while when using “speak,” it … Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Practice exercises: differences between say, tell, speak and talk. If you frequently confuse the words SAY, TELL, and SPEAK, you’re not alone – these are some of the most commonly confused English words! They seem like they all mean the same thing – and they are similar – but we actually use them differently in English. When to use “say” So, first of all, the verb to say. Tell / Told Tell means “to … ( Log Out / In this lesson, I’ll teach you the rules for the difference between say, tell, and speak. Tell means to provide information to a person either orally or in writing. 3.“Say” is used in direct and indirect speech while “speak” is used in formal situations. Remember to use the correct form of the verb to match the context. Talk is the more usual word to refer to conversational exchanges and informal communication. However, you can’t use “talk” with languages: Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. You SPEAK to me about things. We SPEAK to each other about things. Can you remember what I _____ to you about chewing gum in class? We can use speak with (someone) and speak to (someone). Tell / Told Tell means “to give information to a person” – so tell (present) and told (past) are always followed by […] The main difference between the 2 would be that “speak” is used in more formal situations and “talk” is for more informal conversations. Say Tell; Meaning: Say means to utter words, in order to express opinion, feeling or give some information. ‘Tell’ means to speak, to count, to identify something, and it can mean something that gives away an emotion or a type of mound in the Middle East. What is the difference between Talk, Speak, and Say? Let me _____ you again in case you didn’t hear the first time. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. • Speak is mostly used in terms of knowledge of languages though it is also used to refer to the actual act of uttering something in words. However, you can’t use “talk” with languages: Find this info and more great articles at Espresso English, Your email address will not be published. In this lesson, I’ll teach you the rules for the difference between say, tell, and speak. Aww yeah! Required fields are marked *, https://skypenglish4u.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Screen-Shot-2015-02-03-at-7.49.27-PM-1.png, http://skypenglish4u.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/SE4U2-2-4.jpg. With say (present) or said (past), we can use these structures: Structures #1 and #2 are the most common in spoken English. Most of my students and a lot of people I know continuously make mistakes with these two words. Your email address will not be published. ‘I’ll tell you tomorrow.’ (not I’ll tell you it tomorrow.) In the case of speak with (someone) and speak to (someone), you can also say talk to or talk with. We can use speak with (someone) and speak to (someone). Usage: Exact quotes and questions. You are SPEAKING. Say or tell ? ( Log Out / ‘I don’t want to tell you again to get your homework done.’ Talk: There is not very much difference between speak and talk. If you frequently confuse the words SAY, TELL, and SPEAK, you’re not alone – these are some of the most commonly confused English words! The pronunciation of that -ed- is the just a /t/ sound added to the end of the verb: talk/t/. If you frequently confuse the words SAY, TELL, and SPEAK, you’re not alone – these are some of the most commonly confused English words! I am SPEAKING. When we use tell we must mention the receiver. Exercise A. Insert the words say/tell/speak/talk into the blank spaces in the sentences below. I’m Chad and today I’m going to teach you the difference between say, tell, talk and speak. Tell means “to give information to a person” – so tell (present) and told (past) are always followed by a person. Let’s begin! We can use speak with (someone) and speak to (someone). If you frequently confuse the words SAY, TELL, and SPEAK, you’re not alone – these are some of the most commonly confused English words! Tell / Told Tell means “to give information to a person” – so tell (present) and […] Said is the more common form (the past tense) of say. If you frequently confuse the words SAY, TELL, and SPEAK, you’re not alone – these are some of the most commonly confused English words! “Have you ever spoken English with an Australian?” “They speak with a really strange accent.” Difference between Say, Talk, Tell and Speak | Image. Say or tell ? Like I said, talk is more about just having a general conversation, but if I want to speak to you about something, it … ( Log Out / Say is mostly used with words. In this lesson, I’ll teach you the rules for the difference between say, tell, and speak. Here is an example of the difference between SPEAK, TELL, and SAY: SPEAK: I SPEAK to you about things. Tell means “to give information to a person” – so tell (present) and told (past) are always followed by a person. Change ). Let's begin! Just like “say” and “tell”, “speak” is an irregular verb. Posted by englishfun2015 in dailyEnglish, grammar, words. But “talk” is a regular verb, so all you need to do to change the verb to the past tense is add -ed-. - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary ( Log Out / We are SPEAKING. If you frequently confuse the words SAY, TELL, and SPEAK, you’re not alone – these are some of the most commonly confused English words! Say, Talk, Tell and Speak Difference between SAY, TELL, SPEAK, and TALK . In the case of speak with (someone) and speak to (someone), you can also say talk to or talk with.