Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tell time

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.46 in modern English

Syllables
tel-l -time
IPA
10
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To measure time, to determine the current time.

verb

To read the time as displayed on an analog clock.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From tell in the sense of “count”.

Inflected Forms

tells time (present, singular) telling time (participle, present) told time (participle, past) told time (past) tell the time (alternative)

Synonyms

keep time

Questions

What does tell time mean?
To measure time, to determine the current time.
Where does tell time come from?
From tell in the sense of “count”.

How to pronounce tell time

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “tell time”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “tell time”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “tell time” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.