tell the difference

phrase

: to see how two or more people or things are unlike each other

It's hard to tell the difference between one action movie and another.

The new version is supposed to be much better than the old one, but I can't tell the difference (between them).

Examples of tell the difference in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Designing For Post‑Detection Attachment The next frontier of governance is not about whether people can tell the difference. — Terry Oroszi, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Meanwhile, one's pocketbook could certainly tell the difference, as the former costs close to US$1,000 more. — New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2026

For artists entering an adjacent musical space, Lacy said audiences can tell the difference between an authentic extension of who an artist is and an attempt to chase a growing genre. — Bryan West, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

Of immediate concern was making sure that firefighters could tell the difference between smoke and security fog if called to a specific location. — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for tell the difference

• indifference