Ask vs. Tell — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 26, 2023
"Ask" means to request information, while "tell" is to give information or instructions, reflecting a difference in the direction of communication flow.
Difference Between Ask and Tell
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Ask" and "tell" serve as communicative verbs, facilitating interaction, yet they reflect distinct patterns of information exchange. "Ask" denotes a request for information, clarification, or permission and is employed when an individual seeks to gain knowledge or understanding. It is inherently inquisitive, reflecting a desire to learn or know more. In contrast, "tell" implies imparting information, knowledge, or instructions to someone. It represents a more directive approach, where the speaker shares or commands without necessarily seeking a response or permission.
In terms of sentence structure, "ask" often necessitates an interrogative form, requiring the addition of a question word like who, what, where, when, why, or how, since it is centered around inquiries or requests. "Tell," however, usually adopts a declarative form as it revolves around statements, narratives, or commands, necessitating a subject and object to convey information or instructions accurately and clearly.
When considering the direction of communication, "ask" typically signifies a bottom-up approach, where subordinates, students, or those with less information seek clarification or knowledge from superiors or more knowledgeable entities. Conversely, "tell" often symbolizes a top-down method, where those in authority, or those possessing information, instruct, inform, or command those with lesser knowledge or lower status.
While "ask" and "tell" are both pivotal for effective communication, they vary in terms of interaction dynamics. "Ask" is exploratory and requires response and engagement, fostering a dialogue and mutual exchange of ideas. "Tell" is more prescriptive and unidirectional, possibly limiting interaction to a monologue where one party imparts, and the other receives.
In essence, "ask" and "tell" contrast in their communicative purposes and structures, representing the distinction between seeking and imparting information, between inquiry and declaration, and between dialogue and monologue.
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Comparison Chart
Purpose
To request information
To impart information or instructions
Sentence Structure
Often requires an interrogative form
Usually adopts a declarative form
Communication Flow
Bottom-up
Top-down
Interaction Dynamics
Encourages dialogue and response
Can limit interaction to monologue
Directionality
Inquisitive and receiving
Directive and imparting
Compare with Definitions
Ask
To request information or answers.
Did you ask him about his day?
Tell
To impart information or facts.
Please tell me the whole story.
Ask
To request someone to do something.
I'll ask him to join us for dinner.
Tell
To narrate or relate an event or story.
She will tell us about her adventure.
Ask
To pose a question.
He will ask where you have been.
Tell
To inform or notify.
Could you tell her about the meeting?
Ask
To put a question to
When we realized that we didn't know the answer, we asked the teacher.
Tell
To discern or identify.
You can tell he's upset by his expression.
Ask
To seek an answer to
Ask a question.
Tell
Communicate information to someone in spoken or written words
We must be told the facts
‘We have nothing in common,’ she told him
He's telling the truth
I told her you were coming
Ask
To seek information about
Asked directions.
Tell
Decide or determine correctly or with certainty
I couldn't tell if he believed me
You can tell they're in love
Ask
To make a request of
Asked me for a loan.
Tell
(of an experience or period of time) have a noticeable, typically harmful, effect on someone
The strain of supporting the family was beginning to tell on him
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.
Tell
Count (the members of a group)
The shepherd had told all his sheep
Ask
To require or call for as a price or condition
Asked ten dollars for the book.
Tell
(especially in poker) an unconscious action that is thought to betray an attempted deception.
Ask
To expect or demand
Ask too much of a child.
Tell
(in the Middle East) an artificial mound formed by the accumulated remains of ancient settlements.
Ask
To invite
Asked them to dinner.
Tell
To communicate by speech or writing; express with words
She told him that the store was closed. Tell me the truth.
Ask
(Archaic)To publish, as marriage banns.
Tell
To give a detailed account of; narrate
Told what happened.
Told us a story.
Ask
To make inquiry; seek information.
Tell
To notify (someone) of something; inform
He told us of his dream to sail around the world.
Ask
To make a request
Asked for help.
Tell
To make known; disclose or reveal
Tell a secret.
Tell fortunes.
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).
Tell
To inform (someone) positively; assure
I tell you, the plan will work.
Ask
Something that is requested
“Being funny on demand is a big ask” (Anne Curzan).
Tell
To give instructions to; direct
Told the customers to wait in line.
Ask
To request (information, or an answer to a question).
I asked her age.
I asked her (for) her age.
Tell
To discover by observation; discern
We could tell that he was upset.
Ask
To put forward (a question) to be answered.
To ask a question
Tell
To name or number one by one; count
Telling one's blessings.
16 windows, all told.
Ask
To interrogate or enquire of (a person).
I'm going to ask this lady for directions.
Tell
To relate a story or give an account of an event
The sailor told of having been adrift for days.
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.
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.
Ask
To request permission to do something.
She asked to see the doctor.
Did you ask to use the car?
Tell
To have an effect or impact
In this game every move tells.
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?
Tell
An unintentional or unconsciously exhibited behavior that reveals or betrays one's state of mind, as when playing poker.
Ask
To invite.
Don't ask them to the wedding.
Tell
A mound, especially in the Middle East, made up of the remains of a succession of previous settlements.
Ask
To publish in church for marriage; said of both the banns and the persons.
Tell
To count, reckon, or enumerate.
All told, there were over a dozen.
Can you tell time on a clock?
He had untold wealth.
Ask
(figuratively) To take (a person's situation) as an example.
Tell
To narrate.
I want to tell a story;
I want to tell you a story.
Ask
An act or instance of asking.
Tell
To convey by speech; to say.
Finally, someone told him the truth.
He seems to like to tell lies.
Ask
Something asked or asked for.
I know this is a big ask, but …
Tell
(transitive) To instruct or inform.
Please tell me how to do it.
Ask
An asking price.
Tell
(transitive) To order; to direct, to say to someone.
Tell him to go away.
Ask
(Internet) A message sent to a blog on social networking platform Tumblr, which can be publicly posted and replied to by the recipient.
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.
Ask
An eft; newt.
Tell
(transitive) To reveal.
Time will tell what became of him.
Ask
A lizard.
Tell
(intransitive) To be revealed.
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.
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.
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.
Tell
To use (beads or similar objects) as an aid to prayer.
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.
Tell
To inform someone in authority about a wrongdoing.
I saw you steal those sweets! I'm telling!
Ask
To invite; as, to ask one to an entertainment.
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.
Ask
To publish in church for marriage; - said of both the banns and the persons.
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.
Ask
To request or petition; - usually followed by for; as, to ask for bread.
Ask, and it shall be given you.
Tell
(archaic) That which is told; a tale or account.
Ask
To make inquiry, or seek by request; - sometimes followed by after.
Wherefore . . . dost ask after my name?
Tell
(internet) A private message to an individual in a chat room; a whisper.
Ask
A water newt.
Tell
(archaeology) A hill or mound, originally and especially in the Middle East, over or consisting of the ruins of ancient settlements.
Ask
Inquire about;
I asked about their special today
He had to ask directions several times
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.
Ask
Make a request or demand for something to somebody;
She asked him for a loan
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.
Ask
Direct or put; seek an answer to;
Ask a question
Tell
To make known; to publish; to disclose; to divulge.
Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
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
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?
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
Tell
To order; to request; to command.
He told her not to be frightened.
Ask
Address a question to and expect an answer from;
Ask your teacher about trigonometry
The children asked me about their dead grandmother
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.
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
Tell
To make account of; to regard; to reckon; to value; to estimate.
I ne told no dainity of her love.
Ask
To seek permission.
May I ask if I can leave early today?
Tell
To give an account; to make report.
That I may publish with the voice of thankgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
Ask
To inquire or be inquisitive.
She will ask about the details of the project.
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.
Tell
That which is told; tale; account.
I am at the end of my tell.
Tell
A hill or mound.
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)
Tell
Express in words;
He said that he wanted to marry her
Tell me what is bothering you
State your opinion
State your name
Tell
Let something be known;
Tell them that you will be late
Tell
Narrate or give a detailed account of;
Tell what happened
The father told a story to his child
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
Tell
Discern or comprehend;
He could tell that she was unhappy
Tell
Inform positively and with certainty and confidence;
I tell you that man is a crook!
Tell
Give evidence;
He was telling on all his former colleague
Tell
Mark as different;
We distinguish several kinds of maple
Tell
To give instructions or orders.
I told him to complete his homework.
Common Curiosities
Is "tell" used to impart information or give instructions?
Yes, "tell" is used to impart information, knowledge, or instructions to someone.
Is "ask" associated with a bottom-up communication flow?
Yes, "ask" typically signifies a bottom-up approach, where those with less information seek knowledge from more informed entities.
Does "ask" usually require an interrogative sentence structure?
Yes, "ask" usually necessitates an interrogative form as it revolves around inquiries or requests.
Can "tell" be more unidirectional and limiting interaction to a monologue?
Yes, "tell" is more prescriptive and can be unidirectional, possibly limiting interaction to a monologue.
Can "tell" also imply notifying or informing someone about something?
Yes, "tell" can also imply notifying or informing someone about something, providing them with knowledge or information.
Can "ask" be used to seek permission?
Yes, "ask" can be used to seek permission or approval for something.
Does "ask" encourage dialogue and mutual exchange of ideas?
Yes, "ask" is exploratory and encourages dialogue and a mutual exchange of ideas by requiring response and engagement.
Can you "ask" someone to do something?
Yes, you can "ask" someone to do something, indicating a request for action.
Does "ask" refer to requesting information or clarification?
Yes, "ask" typically refers to requesting information, clarification, or permission.
Does "tell" usually adopt a declarative sentence form?
Yes, "tell" usually adopts a declarative form as it is used to make statements, give narratives, or commands.
Does "tell" often represent a top-down method in communication?
Yes, "tell" often symbolizes a top-down method where those in authority or with information instruct or inform those with less knowledge.
Does "ask" focus more on seeking and receiving information?
Yes, "ask" is more focused on seeking and receiving information or clarification.
Is "tell" more about imparting and directing information?
Yes, "tell" is more about imparting information and giving instructions or commands.
Is "tell" used to narrate or relate events or stories?
Yes, "tell" can be used to narrate or relate events or stories.
Is "ask" inherently inquisitive and exploratory?
Yes, "ask" is inherently inquisitive, reflecting a desire to learn or know more and is exploratory in nature.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
