How to pronounce tell
Say it like TEL. Tell is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce tell. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TEL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tell pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of tell
American and British speakers say tell in essentially the same way: /tɛl/ in the US and /tɛl/ in the UK.
British respelling: TEL.
What does tell mean?
- express in words“He said that he wanted to marry her”“tell me what is bothering you”
- let something be known“Tell them that you will be late”
- narrate or give a detailed account of“Tell what happened”“The father told a story to his child”
- a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer; according to legend an Austrian governor compelled him to shoot an apple from his son's head with his crossbow (which he did successfully without mishap)
Where does tell come from?
Cognate with Saterland Frisian tälle (“to say; tell”), West Frisian telle (“to count”), West Frisian fertelle (“to tell, narrate”), Dutch tellen (“to count”) and Dutch vertellen (“to tell”), Low German tellen (“to count”), German zählen, Fa
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with tell
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tell.
Questions about saying tell
How do you pronounce tell?
Say TEL. The American pronunciation is /tɛl/. In British English it is /tɛl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tell?
Tell is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TEL.
Do Americans and Brits say tell the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /tɛl/ and the British form is /tɛl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.