Difference Between Said & Told

Said vs Told

The terms said and told might not create confusion for native English speakers, but they often pose challenges for non-native speakers. Both words have similar meanings but are used in different contexts. It is essential to understand the difference between said and told to use them accurately in sentences. The most fundamental distinction between the two is that you tell information, but you say words.

Key Takeaways

• Said is used to indicate that someone is speaking words, while told is used to convey information.
• Told requires an object in the sentence, while said can be used without an object.
• Said can be used with statements, exclamations, or questions, while told often implies a demand or an order.

Understanding Said

Said is used to denote that someone is speaking words, as shown in the following sentences:

Jane told Harry her name.
Harry said, “I am sorry, I did not hear what you said.”

In these examples, told provides information, while said indicates that someone spoke words. Said can be used without an object, as shown in this sentence:

I said that I was new to the town.

Said can be utilized to provide a direct or indirect quote of what someone says, as demonstrated in these two variations of the same sentence:

John said, “I don’t like milk.”
John said that he didn’t like milk.

The only difference between these two sentences is that the second one uses indirect speech.

Understanding Told

Told is used to convey information and always requires an object. Using this word without an object is a mistake, as shown in this sentence:

I told the old man that I am new to the town.

In this example, the old man is the object in the sentence. Removing the old man from the sentence makes it grammatically incorrect.

Told is also used to imply a demand or an order and to indicate that the speaker is providing information, as shown in these sentences:

The teacher told the class that she expected all of them to be ready for assessment the next day.
Tom told the police officer that he did not know the whereabouts of his neighbor’s dog.

Difference between Said and Told

• Said and told are similar in meaning but have different usages and contexts.
• Told is a transitive verb that requires an object in the sentence, while said can be used without an object.
• Said can be used with statements, exclamations, or questions, while told often implies a demand or an order.