The Difference Between say, tell, talk, and speak

The verbs say, tell, talk, and speak can all be related to communication, but they are used in different ways.

Key Points to Remember

Word	Basic Meaning	Main Point	Example
say	to say something	Focuses on what is said	She said, “Hello.”
tell	to tell / inform someone	Focuses on who receives the information	She told me the truth.
talk	to talk / have a conversation	Focuses on conversation or discussion	We talked about work.
speak	to speak	Often used for languages or more formal speaking	He speaks English.

An easy way to remember them:

• say = What did someone say?
• tell = Who did someone tell?
• talk = Have a conversation
• speak = Use a language or speak in a more formal situation

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1. say

Basic Idea

Use say when the main focus is the words or message that someone says.

Common Expressions

• say hello
• say goodbye
• say thank you
• say yes
• say no
• say something

Examples

She said, “Good morning.”

What did he say?

I didn’t say anything.

We usually do not use say + person

We normally do not say:

× She said me the truth.

Instead, say:

○ She told me the truth.

If you want to mention the listener after say, use say ... to + person.

She said hello to me.

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2. tell

Basic Idea

Use tell when someone gives information to another person.

A common pattern is:

tell + person + information

Common Expressions

• tell me
• tell him
• tell the truth
• tell a story
• tell a lie
• tell someone to do something

Examples

Please tell me your name.

She told me the truth.

My boss told me to check the server.

The Difference Between say and tell

He said, “I’m busy.”

→ The focus is on what he said.

He told me that he was busy.

→ The sentence includes the person who received the information.

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3. talk

Basic Idea

Use talk when people are having a conversation or discussing something.

It usually focuses more on the conversation itself than on one specific statement.

Common Patterns

• talk to + person
• talk with + person
• talk about + topic

Examples

Can I talk to you?

I talked with my manager about the project.

We talked about work.

talk about

talk about is a very common expression meaning to discuss a topic.

We need to talk about this problem.

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4. speak

Basic Idea

Speak refers to the act of speaking and is often used in more formal situations than talk.

It is especially important when talking about languages.

Common Expressions

• speak English
• speak Japanese
• speak slowly
• speak to + person
• speak at a meeting

Examples

Do you speak English?

Could you speak more slowly?

Could I speak to Mr. Smith?

She spoke at the meeting.

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The Difference Between talk and speak

Both words can mean that someone is using their voice to communicate, but their typical uses are different.

talk

Talk often emphasizes conversation or discussion between people.

I talked with my boss about the problem.

speak

Speak is often used for the act of speaking, for languages, and in more formal situations.

I speak English at work.

He spoke at the conference.

In everyday situations, talk is often more natural when you mean “have a conversation.”

Can we talk?

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Comparing the Four Words

Meaning	English	Why?
She used the words “Thank you.”	She said, “Thank you.”	Focus on the words that were said
She gave me some information.	She told me the truth.	Information is given to a person
We had a conversation about work.	We talked about work.	Conversation / discussion
He can use English as a language.	He speaks English.	Talking about language ability

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Practice

Try to choose the correct verb before looking at the answer.

Meaning / Situation	English
A woman used the words “Good morning.”	She said, “Good morning.”
You want to know what a man said.	What did he say?
You did not say anything.	I didn’t say anything.
A woman greeted you.	She said hello to me.
You want someone to give you their name.	Please tell me your name.
A woman gave you the true information.	She told me the truth.
Your boss instructed you to check a server.	My boss told me to check the server.
You want someone to give another person some information.	Please tell him about it.
You want to have a short conversation with someone.	Can I talk to you?
You had a conversation about work.	We talked about work.
You discussed a problem with your manager.	I talked with my manager about the problem.
You think a problem needs discussion.	We need to talk about this problem.
You want to know someone’s English ability.	Do you speak English?
You want someone to speak at a slower speed.	Could you speak more slowly?
You use English in your job.	I speak English at work.
A man spoke during a meeting.	He spoke at the meeting.

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Minimum You Need to Remember

say = the words / message
tell = the listener / receiver
talk = conversation
speak = language or more formal speaking

It is also useful to learn these patterns as complete chunks:

• say something
• say something to someone
• tell someone something
• talk to/with someone
• talk about something
• speak English
• speak to someone