Ask vs. Tell: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Ask" means to request information or guidance, while "Tell" means to inform or instruct someone.
Key Differences
"Ask" is used when seeking information, clarification, or assistance from others, implying a question or inquiry. "Tell," on the other hand, involves imparting information or instructions, often implying a one-way communication.
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Nov 30, 2023
In communication, asking is a way to engage in a dialogue, inviting responses or opinions from others. Telling is more about delivering statements or facts, where the speaker often holds authority or knowledge.
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When someone asks, they are often in a position of wanting to know or learn something new. Telling, conversely, is usually done by someone who is sharing known information or giving instructions.
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Asking is an act that demonstrates openness to others' ideas and perspectives. In contrast, telling is more definitive, often used to convey specific information or set expectations.
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The verb "ask" often requires an interactive and responsive setting, whereas "tell" can be used in both interactive and non-interactive contexts, such as storytelling or giving a lecture.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Function
To request information or clarification
To inform or instruct
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Communication Flow
Interactive and inquisitive
Often one-way and informative
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Underlying Intent
Seeking understanding or help
Imparting knowledge or directives
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Speaker's Position
Generally inquisitive or unsure
Often knowledgeable or authoritative
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Response Expected
Yes, it invites a reply or reaction
Not necessarily; can be just informative
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Ask and Tell Definitions
Ask
To put a question to
When we realized that we didn't know the answer, we asked the teacher.
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Tell
To narrate or relate a story.
The grandfather told stories from his youth.
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Tell
To communicate by speech or writing; express with words
She told him that the store was closed. Tell me the truth.
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Oct 19, 2023
Tell
To give a detailed account of; narrate
Told what happened.
Told us a story.
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Tell
To notify (someone) of something; inform
He told us of his dream to sail around the world.
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Ask
To make a request for. Often used with an infinitive or clause
Ask a favor of a friend.
Asked to go along on the trip.
Asked that he be allowed to stay out late.
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Ask
To require or call for as a price or condition
Asked ten dollars for the book.
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Tell
To name or number one by one; count
Telling one's blessings.
16 windows, all told.
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Tell
To relate a story or give an account of an event
The sailor told of having been adrift for days.
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Tell
To reveal something that is not supposed to be revealed, especially something that someone has done wrong
She promised not to tell on her friend.
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Ask
The act of making a request
“He was contacted by the mayor's fund-raiser ... a day after the mayor made the ask” (Jennifer Fermino).
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Ask
Something that is requested
“Being funny on demand is a big ask” (Anne Curzan).
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Tell
An unintentional or unconsciously exhibited behavior that reveals or betrays one's state of mind, as when playing poker.
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Ask
To request (information, or an answer to a question).
I asked her age.
I asked her (for) her age.
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Tell
A mound, especially in the Middle East, made up of the remains of a succession of previous settlements.
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Tell
To count, reckon, or enumerate.
All told, there were over a dozen.
Can you tell time on a clock?
He had untold wealth.
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Ask
To interrogate or enquire of (a person).
I'm going to ask this lady for directions.
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Ask
To request or petition; usually with for.
To ask for a second helping at dinner
To ask for help with homework
Emma asked Jim to close his eyes.
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Tell
To convey by speech; to say.
Finally, someone told him the truth.
He seems to like to tell lies.
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Ask
To request permission to do something.
She asked to see the doctor.
Did you ask to use the car?
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Ask
To require, demand, claim, or expect, whether by way of remuneration or return, or as a matter of necessity.
What price are you asking for the house?
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Tell
(transitive) To order; to direct, to say to someone.
Tell him to go away.
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Tell
To discern, notice, identify or distinguish.
Can you tell whether those flowers are real or silk, from this distance?
No, there's no way to tell.
I can tell you're upset.
An expert can tell an original from a forgery.
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Ask
To publish in church for marriage; said of both the banns and the persons.
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Tell
(intransitive) To have an effect, especially a noticeable one; to be apparent, to be demonstrated.
Sir Gerald was moving slower; his wounds were beginning to tell.
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Tell
To inform someone in authority about a wrongdoing.
I saw you steal those sweets! I'm telling!
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Ask
(Internet) A message sent to a blog on social networking platform Tumblr, which can be publicly posted and replied to by the recipient.
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Tell
To reveal information in prose through outright expository statement -- contrasted with show
Maria rewrote the section of her novel that talked about Meg and Sage's friendship to have less telling and more showing.
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Tell
A reflexive, often habitual behavior, especially one occurring in a context that often features attempts at deception by persons under psychological stress (such as a poker game or police interrogation), that reveals information that the person exhibiting the behavior is attempting to withhold.
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Oct 19, 2023
Ask
To request; to seek to obtain by words; to petition; to solicit; - often with of, in the sense of from, before the person addressed.
Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
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Tell
(internet) A private message to an individual in a chat room; a whisper.
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Ask
To require, demand, claim, or expect, whether by way of remuneration or return, or as a matter of necessity; as, what price do you ask?
Ask me never so much dowry.
To whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
An exigence of state asks a much longer time to conduct a design to maturity.
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Tell
(archaeology) A hill or mound, originally and especially in the Middle East, over or consisting of the ruins of ancient settlements.
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Ask
To interrogate or inquire of or concerning; to put a question to or about; to question.
He is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
He asked the way to Chester.
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Tell
To mention one by one, or piece by piece; to recount; to enumerate; to reckon; to number; to count; as, to tell money.
He telleth the number of the stars.
Tell the joints of the body.
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Tell
To utter or recite in detail; to give an account of; to narrate.
Of which I shall tell all the array.
And not a man appears to tell their fate.
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Oct 19, 2023
Ask
To publish in church for marriage; - said of both the banns and the persons.
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Tell
To make known; to publish; to disclose; to divulge.
Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
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Oct 19, 2023
Ask
To request or petition; - usually followed by for; as, to ask for bread.
Ask, and it shall be given you.
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Tell
To give instruction to; to make report to; to acquaint; to teach; to inform.
A secret pilgrimage,That you to-day promised to tell me of?
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Oct 19, 2023
Ask
To make inquiry, or seek by request; - sometimes followed by after.
Wherefore . . . dost ask after my name?
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Tell
To discern so as to report; to ascertain by observing; to find out; to discover; as, I can not tell where one color ends and the other begins.
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Ask
Inquire about;
I asked about their special today
He had to ask directions several times
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Tell
To make account of; to regard; to reckon; to value; to estimate.
I ne told no dainity of her love.
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Ask
Make a request or demand for something to somebody;
She asked him for a loan
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Tell
To give an account; to make report.
That I may publish with the voice of thankgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
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Tell
To take effect; to produce a marked effect; as, every shot tells; every expression tells.
Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David.
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Ask
Consider obligatory; request and expect;
We require our secretary to be on time
Aren't we asking too much of these children?
I expect my students to arrive in time for their lessons
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Ask
Require or ask for as a price or condition;
He is asking $200 for the table
The kidnapers are asking a million dollars in return for the release of their hostage
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Ask
Address a question to and expect an answer from;
Ask your teacher about trigonometry
The children asked me about their dead grandmother
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Tell
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)
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Ask
Require as useful, just, or proper;
It takes nerve to do what she did
Success usually requires hard work
This job asks a lot of patience and skill
This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice
This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert
This intervention does not postulates a patient's consent
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Tell
Express in words;
He said that he wanted to marry her
Tell me what is bothering you
State your opinion
State your name
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Ask
To request information or an answer.
She asked about the next meeting's schedule.
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Ask
To invite or encourage a response.
The teacher asked a question to the class.
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Tell
Narrate or give a detailed account of;
Tell what happened
The father told a story to his child
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Tell
Give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority;
I said to him to go home
She ordered him to do the shopping
The mother told the child to get dressed
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Tell
Inform positively and with certainty and confidence;
I tell you that man is a crook!
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Is telling always authoritative?
Not always, but it often conveys certainty or instruction.
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Do both ask and tell require a listener?
Yes, but asking implies an expectation of response, while telling may not.
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What is the purpose of telling?
To inform, instruct, or narrate information.
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What does it mean to ask?
To seek information, clarification, or permission.
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Can you ask a rhetorical question?
Yes, where the answer is not expected or obvious.
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Can tell be used to describe discerning?
Yes, like in "telling the difference."
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Can asking be a form of politeness?
Yes, asking can show respect for others' opinions or permissions.
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Is telling synonymous with ordering?
It can be, but telling also includes sharing information.
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Are there different ways to ask?
Yes, ranging from direct questions to more subtle inquiries.
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Can tell be used in storytelling?
Yes, it's often used to describe narrating stories.
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Is asking an essential communication skill?
Yes, it's key in gaining information and understanding.
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Does asking require more than one person?
Typically, as it involves seeking information from others.
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Can telling be unintentional?
Yes, one can inadvertently reveal information.
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Is asking a sign of uncertainty?
Often, but it can also be a method of engaging in dialogue.
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Can tell be synonymous with detect?
Yes, as in detecting or discerning something.
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Nov 30, 2023
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Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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