Tell and Write

Tell

Tell verb - To give an oral or written account of in some detail.

Show all Definitions

Write and tell are semantically related In some cases you can use "Write" instead a verb "Tell".

Nearby Words: telling, teller

Write verb - To compose and set down on paper the words of.

Show all Definitions

Tell and write are semantically related in put language down on paper topic. Sometimes you can use "Tell" instead a verb "Write".

Nearby Words: writing, writer, writ, writable

character	tell character	write character
name	tell name	write name
time	tell time	write time
way	tell way	write way
Other words: characters, story, version, times, names, stories.

Vernon realizes if he stops Harry going to the Quidditch World Cup, Harry will write and tell Sirius, who'll think he's being mistreated; if he stops Harry writing to Sirius, Sirius will notice and think Harry is being mistreated anyway.

Source: Morton's Fork
Specifically, it was written after Mike tried to give John some tips on playing guitar (hence the line "Don't...tell me how to write").

Source: Music / Dream Theater
Tell Me About Our Mother: Toby asks this of Kate, when he decides he wants to write about the deceased Colleen Malone for a school project.

Source: Literature / Catalyst

Cite this Source

Write and Tell. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/tell/write

Tell & Write. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/tell/write>.

Write or Tell. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/tell/write.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "tell" and "write" have occurred on timeline