Tell

Example Sentences with Tell

• Tell me a story.
• Don't tell anyone.
• The bell and the tell both end with the same sound.
• Say "tell" slowly, then say it as one word.

How to Spell “tell”

Children most often write this word as teall, tel, etll, telll. Those errors are useful — each one points to a specific sound the child has not yet connected to a letter.

1. Start with the picture: <strong>tell</strong> begins with the /t/ sound, so begin with "t".
2. Say the word slowly three times, then write one sound per letter: <strong>t - e - ll</strong>.
3. The "e" in <strong>tell</strong> says /ɛ/ with the jaw slightly open, like <em>bed</em>.
4. The ending "<strong>ll</strong>" is one sound (/l/). Two letters, one sound — do not let the child say two sounds there.

Phonics Tip for Tell

"tell" and "bell" and "fell" share the ending /el/. Say them back to back so the child hears that only the first sound changes. That is the core of the -ell family.

Fun Facts About Tell

Every letter in <strong>tell</strong> carries one sound: t says /t/, e says /e/, ll says /l/. That is what makes it fully decodable — a child who knows the three sounds can read <strong>tell</strong> on the first try, with no guessing from the picture. It belongs to the -ell family, which has 4 other words in it: bell, fell, sell, well.

Where to Practise Tell

• All short e CVC words — 31 words
• The -ell word family
• CVC flash cards — picture cards with audio
• CVC multiple choice quiz
• CVC sentences — read the word in context
• CVC worksheets