talys
B2Neutral to formal; common in business, sports, and accounting contexts
Definition
Meaning
to count or calculate; a record or score; to match or correspond
to agree or be consistent; to keep a running count; a stick with notches for keeping accounts historically
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a progressive or cumulative count. Can denote agreement between two sets of figures or facts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. 'Tally clerk' is slightly more common in UK historical/port contexts.
Connotations
In UK English, 'tally' can have historical connotations (e.g., tally sticks, Exchequer). In US English, stronger association with sports scores and vote counts.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both variants.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[V] tally[V] tally (sth) (up)[V] tally with sthVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “tally ho! (historical hunting cry)”
- “on the tally (historical, buying on credit)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The quarterly figures must tally with the auditor's report.
Academic
The archaeologist's findings did not tally with the established historical narrative.
Everyday
Could you tally up what we owe for dinner?
Technical
The sensor data failed to tally with the predicted model.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The witness's statement did not tally with the CCTV footage.
- We need to tally the receipts before submitting the expense claim.
American English
- Those numbers don't tally with our records.
- He tallied the scores quickly at the end of the game.
adjective
British English
- The tally clerk handed in his final count. (as noun modifier)
- They used a simple tally system.
American English
- Make a tally mark for each item. (as noun modifier)
- The tally sheet was full of marks.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Tally the number of students present.
- My answer tallied with yours!
- The final tally showed a clear winner.
- Her story doesn't tally with what I saw.
- We kept a running tally of expenses throughout the trip.
- The experimental results should tally with the theoretical predictions.
- The prosecutor argued that the evidence tallied perfectly with the defendant's known movements.
- A preliminary tally of the votes indicated a need for a recount.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TALLY stick used to keep count – it has notches that 'agree' with the number of items.
Conceptual Metaphor
AGREEMENT IS ALIGNMENT / CORRESPONDENCE IS A MATCHING COUNT
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend with 'талия' (waist).
- Do not confuse verb 'to tally' with 'to tell' (рассказывать).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'tally' as a direct synonym for 'say' or 'tell'.
- Incorrect preposition: 'tally to' instead of 'tally with'.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'tally' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral but leans towards formal in contexts like finance and data analysis. It is common in everyday use for simple counting.
'Tally' often implies a running or cumulative total, and as a verb, it can mean 'to correspond'. 'Count' is more general for determining the total number.
Yes, very commonly. E.g., 'the final tally', 'keep a tally'.
It means to be consistent or in agreement with something. E.g., 'His actions don't tally with his words'.