"Teach" and "Tell": What's the Difference?
"Teach" and "tell" are used for similar things, but it doesn't mean they are exactly the same. Both words are used to talk about giving someone specific information. However, which one you should choose depends on the situation and what you are communicating.
Let's take a close look at each so that you'll make the right choices during your English conversations.
Teach
"Teach" is a word that all English language students should know. It means "to transfer knowledge" or "to instruct." Of course, it's also the root word for "teacher." The nuance is that someone has more knowledge, experience or skill than the person they are teaching.
- She teaches judo to a small group of students in her neighborhood.
- Jason is teaching me computer programming. It's not as difficult as I expected.
If it won't take a long time to transfer the knowledge, you can use "show," which in some cases, has a meaning similar to "teach."
- Pay attention and I'll teach you how to cook this dish.
- Pay attention and I'll show you how to cook this dish.
Tell
According to Webster's New World Dictionary, "tell" can mean "to say," "to report or announce," "to reveal or make known" or "to inform." So it has quite a few more uses than "teach."
To say
- I told him to meet us here at 5 p.m.
To reveal or make known
- What did she say to you? Tell me!
To report or announce
- Please tell her I'm sorry I couldn't come to the party.
Teaching refers to special knowledge or skill and often requires time and effort to learn. On the other hand, telling simply refers to giving information.
This mean that telling can be done quickly and easily by anyone to anyone. So asking someone to "teach" you a person's name or "tell" you Japanese would be incorrect and sound strange to English speakers.
For non-living things
Did you know that even objects can "tell" you things? When referring to non-living things, "tell" means "to give information." This usage is similar to the verb "show."
- This icon tells you how much power is left in your phone's battery.
- The instruction manual will tell you how to use the device properly.
Related Words and Expressions
There are several other words and expressions with meanings and usages similar to "teach" and "tell."
Inform
This is a more formal version of "tell" with the nuance of "reporting information."
- The letter is to inform all staff members of the new company policy.
The adjective form is "informative."
- TED Talks are famous for being entertaining as well as informative.
Educate
"Educate" is a formal way of saying "teach." It is more common in text than daily conversations.
- Our organization wants to educate the public on the importance of mental health.
The adjective form is "educational."
- Do you have any recommendations for educational kids' TV programs?
Enlighten
Knowledge and understanding are often represented by light, which is why you may have seen cartoons or comics in which a light bulb appears above a character who gets an idea or learns important information.
Similarly, "enlightening" someone means giving them information so that they can understand something better. This word is a bit formal and is not common in most daily speech.
- Would you please enlighten us on the current status of the project?
"Enlightening" is its adjective form.
- The reviews praised the documentary for enlightening viewers about the racial injustice many people face every day.
“Let me know”
This phrase is a casual way of saying "Tell me." It's often shortened to "LMK" (or "lmk") in text messages.
- Let me know what you need from the store and I'll get it before coming to the party.
- "lmk where to meet you tonight"
Common Expressions with “Teach” and “Tell”
There are several common expressions using these two words, including:
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”
In other words, it's difficult for people to change their habits and ways of thinking if they've had them for a long time.
- I showed my grandmother how to do video chats, but she prefers old-fashioned phone calls. You know what they say: You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Show-and-tell
Show-and-tell is a common school activity in which students bring a special object to class and give a short speech about it in front of their classmates.
- Katie brought a vinyl record signed by her favorite musician to class for show-and-tell.
Kiss and tell
The meaning of this expression is direct: Kissing someone and then telling someone about it! It is often used in the negative, as in, "I don't kiss and tell."
- Jane's pretty secretive, so she's definitely not the type of person to kiss and tell.
Time will tell
This expression means that the only way to learn if something is true is to wait and see. In other words, "Time will eventually reveal the truth."
- I think he's talented enough to be a champion one day, but time will tell.
Wrap-up
As you can see, there are quite a few important differences between "teach" and "tell." Things like the kind of information being given and how long it takes to share that information are important in choosing which to use.
Use this article as a guide to help you remember the unique points of each. Eventually, you'll be able to tell the difference between them easily!
To learn about the differences between even more pairs of similar words, check out this collection of useful articles: What's the Difference Between These English Words?
