What is the difference in the meaning of say and speak talk tell?

Say refers to the content of speech.

For example: he says he is a teacherHe said he was a teacher.

In addition, phrase collocation: say thanks, say goodbye, say hello.

tell, tell.

For example, she will tell you why she leftShe will tell you why she left.

tom always tells us story.Tommy often told us stories.

talk, talk, talk.

For example, we had a talk just nowWe just talked.

miss li is talking with him.Miss Li is talking to him.

speak, to speak (a certain language), (to type) to speak.

For example, i can speak ChineseI can speak Chinese.

may i speak to ?I'll look for Mr. Luo (**Terminology).

Hope it helps

The difference between say talk speak tell is as follows:

The meaning is different. Say focuses on saying something specific and is generally used as a transitive verb, and the object that follows it is what is said; Speak focuses on the act of speaking, and is generally used as an intransitive verb, and its object is usually a word that indicates the name of a language;

The meaning of talk is similar to speak, and in some cases it can be used universally, usually using rough as an intransitive verb; Tell is to tell something directly to the other party or indirectly.

tell can be used as an intransitive verb as well as a transitive verb. When used as a transitive verb, a noun, a pronoun, a verb infinitive with interrogative words, or a wh- clause is used as an object. It can also be followed by a double object, whose direct object can be a noun or pronoun, or a verb infinitive with an interrogative word or that wh- clause, and its indirect object can be transformed into the object of the preposition to.

Say, speak, talk, and tell are all verbs used in English to express verbal communication, but their usage and meaning are slightly different.

1.Respective meanings:

Say usually means to state, announce, or claim something;

Speak is more focused on a person speaking in a certain form of voice on a certain occasion;

talk emphasizes more on expression, including conversation, speech and other meanings;

tell: The emphasis is on conveying a certain message or telling someone something.

2.Spoken to:

Say, speak, talk can all accept a variety of subjects, including people, animals, and objects;

A specific person to be informed must be added after the tell.

3.Sentence Usage:

Say, speak, talk can be used alone to make sails, or they can follow objects and prepositions;

tell is usually followed by an object and a clause.

4.For example:

he said he was tired.He said he was tired. (utter a statement);

she speaks spanish fluently.She is fluent in Spanish. (specific language ability);

they talked for hours without stopping.They chatted non-stop for hours. (Conversation);

can you tell me the way to the train station?Can you tell me the way to the train station? (Passing information to a specific object).

say something/somebody/somewhere/nothing/anything/everything/sorry/please；

speak in english/chinese/a foreign language/fluently；

talk about something/somebody/somewhere/nothing/anything/everything/the weather/politics/life；

tell somebody something/told somebody to do something/tell a lie/tell the truth/tell stories 。

6.Further distinction:

Related to self-communication, use say (I say what I say);

Dialogue, with talk (with the meaning of communication);

Speeches or speeches made in a formal manner or in public, subject to speak;

To inform or pass information, use tell.