Which to use
“tale” is a noun and “tell” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #40,352
- “tale” frequency rank
- #9,770
- “tell” frequency rank
- 50122
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tale | tell |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | discurso, fala | contar, narrar |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tale and tell apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: tale is anoun and tellaverb. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50122, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tale is recorded at frequency rank #40,352, classified as anoun, pronounced /taːlə/, [ˈtˢæːlə]. tell is at rank #9,770, tagged as averb.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 50122, this pair ranks #14,853 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of tale vs tell
Shared letters: elt. Private to "tale": a. Private to "tell": -.
"tale" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "tell" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tale" and "tell" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tale" or "tell"?
Remembering tale vs tell
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “tale”; for a verb, it's “tell”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “tale” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable