# telltale

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtɛlteɪl/ · frequency rank #33,047

## Definitions
1. One who divulges private information with intent to hurt others.
2. An indicator, such as a warning light, that serves to warn of a hazard or problem.
3. Something that serves to reveal something else.
4. A movable piece of ivory, lead, or other material, connected to the bellows of an organ, whose position indicates when the wind is exhausted.
5. A length of yarn or ribbon attached to a sail or shroud etc to indicate the direction of the flow of the air relative to the boat.
6. A mechanical attachment to the steering wheel, which, in the absence of a tiller, shows the position of the helm.
7. A compass in the cabin of a vessel, usually placed where the captain can see it at all hours, and thus inform himself of the vessel's course.
8. A machine or contrivance for indicating or recording something, particularly for keeping a check upon employees (factory hands, watchmen, drivers, etc.) by revealing to their employers what they have done or omitted.
9. A bird, the tattler.
10. A story or fable that has a moral or message.

## Etymology
From tell + tale, perhaps dissimilated from earlier taleteller, from Middle English tale tellere (literally “tale teller”).

## Common misspellings (10)
`etlltale`, `tellatle`, `telltael`, `telltalle`, `telltlae`, `tellttale`, `teltale`, `teltlale`, `tleltale`, `ttelltale`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/telltale