“told” vs. “tolled”
Use "told" as the past tense of "tell" (to communicate information); use "tolled" as the past tense of "toll" (a bell ringing slowly and solemnly).
told
Serving as both the simple past tense and past participle of "to tell," "told" means to communicate information through speech or writing ("she told him the truth," "he had told me earlier"). It's an irregular verb, following a vowel-shift pattern similar to "sold" (from "sell") rather than adding a regular "-ed" ending, and it functions as one of the most common past-tense verbs in everyday English narration and dialogue.
tolled
"Tolled" puts the verb "toll" into the past tense, meaning to ring a bell slowly and repeatedly, especially for a funeral, warning, or ceremonial occasion ("the church bell tolled at noon"), or, as a noun, to describe a fee paid for using a road or bridge ("pay the toll"), or the cumulative damage or cost of something ("the disaster's death toll"). It comes from Old English "tyllan," related to pulling or drawing (since bell-ringing traditionally involved pulling a rope), while the fee sense comes from a separate but related root involving payment or duty.
The real distinction
"Told" describes the act of communicating information in speech or writing, while "tolled" describes the ringing of a bell (or, as a noun rather than this verb form, a fee or cumulative cost), and the two share only a rough phonetic overlap in fast speech rather than any real connection in meaning. Look at what's doing the action: a person relaying an account or narrating events needs "told" ("he told the story," "she was told to wait"), while a bell ringing out slowly and solemnly needs "tolled" ("the bells tolled for the fallen soldiers"). The noun "toll," referring to a fee for road or bridge use, or to the cumulative damage from a disaster ("the storm's toll on the coastline"), is spelled without the "-ed" ending and functions differently grammatically, worth distinguishing from the past-tense verb "tolled" describing an actual bell-ringing action. Because "told" is vastly more common in everyday storytelling and reported speech, while "tolled" remains fairly rare, appearing mainly in solemn or historical writing about bells, funerals, or ceremonies, most writers will use "told" far more frequently and can treat "tolled" as the specialized word to double-check in descriptions of church bells or memorial ceremonies. It's also worth noting that "told" often appears in reported speech constructions with a double object, such as "she told him the news" or "he was told the truth," a pattern unique to a small class of English verbs. "Tolled" almost always appears in atmospheric or ceremonial description, painting a solemn scene rather than conveying dialogue or information directly.
Examples with “told”
- She told her parents about the job offer immediately.
- He was told to wait outside the office.
- The teacher told the students to open their books.
- They told stories around the campfire late into the night.
- He told the truth even when it was difficult.
- She was told the results would arrive within a week.
- The guide told visitors about the building's history.
- He told a joke that made everyone laugh.
- They told each other everything without hesitation.
- She was told to keep the surprise a secret.
- She told the interviewer about her years abroad.
Examples with “tolled”
- The old church bell tolled solemnly at midnight.
- Bells tolled across the city to mark the anniversary.
- The funeral bell tolled slowly as mourners gathered.
- A distant bell tolled the hour from the village square.
- The cathedral bell tolled to announce the coronation.
- The bell tolled once for every soldier lost in battle.
- The clock tower's bell tolled steadily through the fog.
- Church bells tolled throughout the town during the memorial service.
- The ship's bell tolled a warning through the thick mist.
- The old bell tolled its final chime before being retired.
- The lighthouse bell tolled through the heavy sea fog.
Memory trick
Picture someone telling a story aloud — "told" always involves words and communication. "Tolled" involves the physical, rhythmic pulling of a bell rope, echoing its root meaning of "to pull," so imagine the sound ringing out slowly across a quiet town square.