Tale and tail are similar-sounding terms, but they have entirely different meanings. Tale is a synonym for story, whereas tail is a rear appendage on an animal/object or generally means “to follow.”
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What Is a Tail?
Tail is a noun referring to the hindmost appendage (beyond the trunk) of some animals, like a monkey, a cat, and a dog. However, objects can also have tails (rear part of an aircraft, for example). It can also be an extension at the end of something. For instance, you might add a tail to some letters in certain scripts.
Tail is also a verb. It means to closely follow and watch someone, often without their knowledge. In that sense, it can be a noun as well. For instance, The police could put a tail on a suspect.
Etymologically, tale derives from the Old English tæg(e)l, which is Germanic in origin. It means “hair, hairy tail.”
Example sentences:
- Swishing its tail, the shark sped through the sea.
- Pulling a cat’s tail is a good way to get scratched.
- The enemies are attacking the base of the tail.
- The cat is tailing the grey mouse.
- The spy is tailing the mysterious man.
- They had to ground the plane after the storm damaged its tail.
- The agents will tail the suspect to see if they can catch him committing a crime.
- The peacock’s tail was elegant.
When and How to Use Tail?
You should use the word tail if you’re referencing the rearmost part of an animal/plane/etc. The same applies to the act of following and observing someone.
Tip: You can also use the word tail to refer to the reverse side of a coin.
What Is a Tale?
A tale is a story that can be fictitious or true, and it’s always a noun. It doesn’t always have to follow a formal story format. For instance, someone might make up a tale to conceal what they were really up to. Or a tardy student could invent a tale to explain away being late.
Tale is Germanic in origin and most closely related to the Old English talu. Its meaning is “telling, something told.”
Example sentences:
- At camp, a counselor told a frightening but cautionary tale at the campfire.
- Have you heard about the tale of Dracula?
- Your first tale about where you were last night isn’t convincing.
- Dacron left a trail of berries so rescuers could tail him.
- Carmilla said that we should read these classic fairy tales.
- Fairy tale literature is my favorite subject!
- I don’t want to hear the gruelling cruel tale during the Edo period.
- I couldn’t stop reading the tale of Lovecraftian horror.
- Tonight, I’m in the mood for an exotic tale about a faraway land.
- Fearing punishment, the little boy made up a wild tale about what really happened to the cookies.
When and How to Use Tale
Tale itself is pretty simple to use since it has one meaning. It’s a story or an account of events that may or may not be real.
However, the related form telltale is a little trickier to use. As a noun, a telltale is a person who informs on others or reveals their secrets. As an adjective, it describes something that gives something else away. Here’s an example:
The crumbs around her mouth were a telltale sign of who had eaten the last cookie.
Tip: If you’ve heard “tall tale,” that just means the story is too unbelievable.
What’s the Difference?
Tale and tail are homophones, words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.
Tail is a noun or verb. It’s the spelling for an animal’s tail or someone following another. On the other hand, tale is always a noun and refers to a story or accounting of events.
Trick to Remembering Which Word to Use
Here are some ways that might help you remember which word to use:
- A tale typically has a finale. Both end in e.
- A fisherman’s tale is an exaggerated story. Associate the spelling with a fish’s scale.
- People like to swap tales in bars. Associate this with ale.
- The verb flail can describe a certain tail movement. Create a mnemonic device like “A tail can flail.”
Final Thoughts
Tale and tail sound the same but mean different things. Again, the noun tale is a story, while tail is the rear part of an animal (beyond the main part of the body) or object (like the rear end of fuselage), or it may be the act of following someone.
