Cool MateDiscuss vs Tell me about
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Discuss
Top 2,000 (common)A1verb
Tell me about
Top 2,000 (common)
| Discuss | Tell me about | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/dɪˈskʌs/","/dɪˈskʌsɪz/","/dɪˈskʌst/","/dɪˈskʌsɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/dɪˈskʌs/","/dɪˈskʌsɪz/","/dɪˈskʌst/","/dɪˈskʌsɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //tɛl mi əˈbaʊt//🇺🇸 //tɛl mi əˈbaʊt// |
| Meaning | To talk about something with others. | Say or ask for information about something. |
| Example | Let's discuss the details of the project in the meeting. | Could you tell me about your new job? |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | exhaustively, fully, in detail, convene (something) to, meet to, want to, with, as discussed, a forum to discuss something, have something to discuss, exhaustively, fully, in detail, convene (something) to, meet to, want to, with, as discussed, a forum to discuss something, have something to discuss | tell me about your day, tell me about the event, tell me about your family |
| Antonyms | ignore, neglect, overlook | - |
| Common mistakes | Using 'discuss' without an object, e.g., saying 'We will discuss' instead of 'We will discuss the topic'., Confusing with 'disclosure' which is related to revealing information, not talking about it., Misusing in passive voice, e.g., 'The topic was discussed by us' is awkward; prefer active voice. | Omitting 'me' can make it sound too direct or rude., Using 'tell me on' instead of 'tell me about'., Confusing with 'talk to me about', which is more conversational. |
| Usage notes | Used in both spoken and written contexts. Appropriate for academic, business, and casual conversations. Avoid in very casual contexts where simpler terms like 'talk about' might be preferred. | Used in conversations when asking someone to share information. Appropriate in both formal and informal contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: Discuss vs Tell me about
What's the difference between Discuss and Tell me about?
Discuss: To talk about something with others. Tell me about: Say or ask for information about something.
Can you show an example of each?
Discuss: Let's discuss the details of the project in the meeting. Tell me about: Could you tell me about your new job?
Can I use Discuss and Tell me about interchangeably?
Not always. Discuss and Tell me about are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.