tally
C1Formal and informal, more common in administrative, business, and sports contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A total count or score; to match or correspond exactly.
A record or account, often kept by making marks; to calculate or add up a total; to cause two things to agree or be consistent.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a noun, it often implies a physical or digital record of cumulative amounts. As a verb, it heavily implies a process of comparison, verification, or final summation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. The verb 'to tally' may be slightly more frequent in US business contexts. The noun 'tally stick' as a historical record is more commonly referenced in UK historical texts.
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties. Can sound slightly old-fashioned or bureaucratic if used for simple 'counting'.
Frequency
Moderate and stable in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
tally (something)tally with somethingtally something uptally something against somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Tally ho! (archaic/interjection for hunting or departure)”
- “on the tally (historical/credit system)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for reconciling accounts, comparing figures, or reporting final results (e.g., 'The quarterly sales tally').
Academic
Used in historical or quantitative research for counting instances or data points.
Everyday
Common in games, sports scores, or tracking personal goals (e.g., 'keeping a tally of calories').
Technical
Used in auditing, voting systems, inventory management, and data verification.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- The final tally of attendees was 127.
- He kept a tally of bird species on a notepad.
American English
- The vote tally was displayed on screen.
- What's the tally on the fundraising goal?
verb
British English
- The witness's statement did not tally with the CCTV footage.
- Could you tally up the expenses for the trip?
American English
- Your numbers need to tally with the invoice.
- Let's tally the votes and announce the winner.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher kept a tally of correct answers.
- Our scores tally!
- The two reports should tally in their main conclusions.
- He made a tally mark for each item sold.
- After the audit, the figures failed to tally, indicating a discrepancy.
- The official tally will be released tomorrow.
- Her account of events tallied perfectly with the digital evidence, lending it credibility.
- The project's benefits were tallied against its potential environmental costs.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TALLY on a stick, like a scoreboard, where each mark adds to the TOT-ALLY.
Conceptual Metaphor
ACCOUNTING IS RECKONING (tallying up debts), TRUTH IS CORRESPONDENCE (your story tallies with hers).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'считать' in all contexts; for 'tally with' use 'совпадать с', 'соответствовать'. The noun is closer to 'подсчёт', 'итог' rather than just 'счёт'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'tally' as a simple synonym for 'calculate' without the implication of matching or final summation. Incorrect: 'He tallied the complex equation.' Correct: 'He tallied the receipts.'
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'tally' used CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral but leans towards formal in administrative or official contexts. In everyday talk, 'count' or 'add up' is often more natural.
'Calculate' implies a complex mathematical operation. 'Tally' implies simply adding up items or comparing totals for agreement.
Rarely in modern English. 'Tally clerk' or 'tally system' exist but are compound nouns. It is not used predicatively like 'This is tally.'
It means to be consistent or in agreement with something else (e.g., 'His actions tally with his words').
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