English UsageGrammar guide
Past Tense of Tell
“Tell” is irregular: its simple past and past participle are both “told.” The standard principal forms are tell, told, told.
Use “told” for both the simple past and the past participle of “tell.”
Key details
Confusion Familyirregular verb inflection
Rule Familyverb forms
Termstell, told
Variant ScopeThe same irregular form “told” serves as both simple past and past participle.
Further guidance
Core difference
The simple past of “tell” is “told,” and the past participle is also “told.”
Fast Test
Use “told” for a completed past action and after have/has/had: “she told us”; “she has told us.”
Usage Boundary
Do not form the standard past or participle as “telled.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- told — Cambridge English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Told as both the simple past and past participle of tell