Phrase guide

tell apart

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To perceive things as different, or to perceive their difference itself; to differentiate, distinguish, discriminate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • They are identical twins, and if they dress the same, everybody has trouble telling them apart.
  • Can you tell me (apart) from my twin brother?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

mark as different

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We distinguish several kinds of maple

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: distinguish, separate, differentiate, secern, secernate, severalize, severalise, tell

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: identify, place

Narrower terms: know, discriminate, know apart, label, sex, individualize, individualise, contrast, severalize, severalise, contradistinguish, decouple, dissociate, demarcate, separate, single out, stratify

3

verb

Meaning 3

detect with the senses

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The fleeing convicts were picked out of the darkness by the watchful prison guards
  • I can't make out the faces in this photograph

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: spot, recognize, recognise, distinguish, discern, pick out, make out

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: resolve, discriminate

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: fərqləndirmək — to distinguish
  • Azerbaijani: ayırmaq — to distinguish
  • Azerbaijani: ayırd etmək — to distinguish
  • Azerbaijani: seçmək — to distinguish
  • Finnish: erottaa — to distinguish
  • French: distinguer — to distinguish
  • French: différencier — to distinguish
  • German: auseinanderhalten — to distinguish
  • German: unterscheiden — to distinguish
  • Hungarian: megkülönböztet — to distinguish
  • Italian: differenziare — to distinguish
  • Italian: distinguere — to distinguish
  • Italian: discriminare — to distinguish
  • Latin: internoscō — to distinguish
  • Nepali: छुट्ट्याउनु (chuṭṭyāunu) — to distinguish
  • Polish: rozróżniać — to distinguish
  • Polish: rozróżnić — to distinguish
  • Portuguese: distinguir — to distinguish
  • Russian: различа́ть (različátʹ) — to distinguish
  • Russian: различи́ть (različítʹ) — to distinguish
  • Russian: отлича́ть (otličátʹ) — to distinguish
  • Russian: отличи́ть (otličítʹ) — to distinguish
  • Swedish: skilja — to distinguish
  • Ukrainian: розрізня́ти (rozriznjáty) — to distinguish
  • Ukrainian: розрізни́ти (rozriznýty) — to distinguish