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Learn tell’s everyday meaning of noticing or determining something from clues, with clear examples and usage notes.
Vanessa focuses on a second everyday meaning of tell. Learners often know tell as saying or communicating information, as in “Tell me the answer” or “He told me what happened.” In this lesson, tell can also mean notice, determine, or recognize something from available information. She teaches this meaning through short examples and repeats each sentence with simpler paraphrases so learners can hear how the expression works.
The first example is “I couldn't tell if he was a boy or a girl.” Vanessa clarifies that it does not mean she could not say the words; it means she did not know or could not determine which was true. She also says “It was hard to tell,” meaning it was difficult to know. Adding by looking at his face identifies the evidence she used: “I couldn't tell by looking at his face.” The pattern tell if/whether is useful when a person is trying to determine which of two possibilities is true.
The second main example is “I can usually tell when someone is lying to me.” Here, tell means recognize or notice that someone may be lying. Vanessa paraphrases it as being able to see or know whether a person is telling the truth. This expression describes one's judgment from the situation; it does not guarantee that someone can always detect a lie. The video closes with a viewer challenge: write a sample sentence using tell in this sense. Vanessa offers to correct sentences if viewers ask. Learners can practise the distinction by asking what is being communicated in the first meaning, versus what is being detected or determined in the second. Useful patterns include tell me the answer, couldn't tell if, hard to tell, tell by looking, tell when someone is lying, and tell the truth. The short lesson is practical listening and vocabulary work rather than a comprehensive grammar treatment of every use of tell.
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Select an expression for its meaning · 0:00
Introducing two meanings of tell and contrasting communicate with recognize
Hi, I'm Vanessa from Speak English with Vanessa dot com. . Learners often know the first meaning: to say or communicate something. For example, 'Are you going to ?' Vanessa will focus on a second, commonly used meaning that learners may not use as often.
Try it: Give an example of information you might tell someone.
Phrase cheat sheet
Review each expression, hear it, save it, or jump to where it appears in the video.
Introducing two meanings of tell and contrasting communicate with recognize · expression
Say or communicate the answer to me.
Tone and use: Neutral; it can sound direct depending on the situation. Use tell + person + information when sharing something with someone.
Example“Can you tell me the answer after I finish trying?”
Introducing two meanings of tell and contrasting communicate with recognize · expression
The same word can be used with two different senses.
Tone and use: Explanatory and neutral. Use this pattern to introduce a word that has more than one meaning.
Example“The word light has two meanings: not heavy, and brightness.”
Defining tell as determine whether something is true · expression
I could not determine which of the two possibilities was true.
Tone and use: Neutral and descriptive; use respectful language when referring to someone's identity. Use couldn't tell if + clause when the available clues do not let you determine an answer.
Example“From the blurry photo, I couldn't tell if the sign said Oak Street or Park Street.”
Defining tell as determine whether something is true · expression
It was difficult to know or determine something.
Tone and use: Neutral and conversational. Use it was hard to tell when evidence is unclear.
Example“It was hard to tell which train was arriving because the display was broken.”
Using tell by looking at a face as a source of evidence · expression
Determine something using the person's face as evidence.
Tone and use: Neutral, but the kind of judgment depends on context. Use tell by + evidence to explain how you reached a conclusion.
Example“I could tell by looking at the sky that rain was coming.”
Recognizing when someone may be lying and comparing it with tell the truth · expression
I can often recognize signs that someone may be lying to me.
Tone and use: Confident, but it describes a personal judgment rather than certain proof. Use it to talk about noticing clues; avoid treating a feeling as conclusive evidence.
Example“I can usually tell when my friend is joking, but I still ask if I'm unsure.”
Recognizing when someone may be lying and comparing it with tell the truth · expression
Saying what is true or what you honestly believe, rather than lying.
Tone and use: Neutral; may sound serious when used as a direct request. Use it when discussing honesty or accurate information.
Example“She was telling the truth about where she had been.”
Reviewing the new meaning and inviting viewers to write a sample sentence · expression
Create one example sentence to show how a word or phrase is used.
Tone and use: Instructional and encouraging. Use it in a learning activity that asks someone to demonstrate a word in context.
Example“Write a sample sentence with the phrase hard to tell.”
Reviewing the new meaning and inviting viewers to write a sample sentence · expression
Find and fix mistakes in a sentence someone wrote.
Tone and use: Helpful and instructional. Use it when offering language feedback; ask first if the writer wants corrections.
Example“Would you like me to correct your sentence?”
Knowledge check
What it means · “tell me the answer”