Vastny Languages editorial team
Answer, reply, respond, and tell: what's the difference?
Answer, reply and respond involve a response. Tell means give information to someone and does not require a previous question. Their grammar differs: answer a question, reply to a message, tell someone something.
Answer, reply and respond involve a response. Tell means give information to someone and does not require a previous question. Their grammar differs: answer a question, reply to a message, tell someone something.
Which word fits here?
Use answer directly with a question, person or call: answer the question or answer the phone.
Use reply to for a person or message: reply to an email. Reply can also introduce direct speech.
Use respond to for a request, question or situation, often in more formal wording.
Use tell with a recipient when giving information: tell me the news or tell her that you are leaving. Fixed expressions such as tell the truth or tell a story do not need a recipient.
How to choose a word
Use answer directly with a question, person or call: answer the question or answer the phone.
Use reply to for a person or message: reply to an email. Reply can also introduce direct speech.
Use respond to for a request, question or situation, often in more formal wording.
Use tell with a recipient when giving information: tell me the news or tell her that you are leaving. Fixed expressions such as tell the truth or tell a story do not need a recipient.
Word by word
answer
Use answer directly with a question, person or call: answer the question or answer the phone.
Can you answer my question?
She didn't answer the phone.
reply
Use reply to for a person or message: reply to an email. Reply can also introduce direct speech.
He didn't reply to my email about the meeting.
I replied to her message during lunch.
respond
Use respond to for a request, question or situation, often in more formal wording.
Please respond to the survey by Friday.
The company responded to the complaint within 24 hours.
tell
Use tell with a recipient when giving information: tell me the news or tell her that you are leaving. Fixed expressions such as tell the truth or tell a story do not need a recipient.
Tell the manager the meeting is postponed.
Please tell me the truth.
