distinguish

Compared meaning: recognize the difference between things (verb).

比较义项：分辨、识别不同事物之间的差异（动词）。

• tell

  Informal and conversational; usually needs "apart" or "from" and cannot take "between" directly; common in everyday speech about visually similar things.

  该词口语化，日常表达；通常需搭配“apart”或“from”，一般不直接接“between”。

  I can't tell my twin cousins apart at family gatherings.

  我在家庭聚会上分不清我的双胞胎表亲。

• distinguish 本词

  The standard, neutral verb for this sense; commonly used with "between" or "from" in both everyday and semi-formal contexts.

  该词是此义项中最中性、标准的用词；常与“between”或“from”搭配，适用于日常和较正式的语境。

  A good editor can distinguish between serious complaints and empty gossip.

  优秀的编辑能够区分严肃的投诉与无关紧要的闲言碎语。

• differentiate

  More formal and often technical or academic, frequently describing subtle or systematic differences, as in science, medicine or classification.

  该词更正式，常用于科学、医学或分类等技术性或学术性语境，强调对细微或系统性差异的辨别。

  Doctors use blood tests to differentiate between similar viral infections.

  医生通过血液检测来区分相似的病毒感染。

Tell, distinguish and differentiate all mean recognizing differences. Tell is informal, usually used with apart or from. Distinguish is the standard, neutral word, often used with between or from. Differentiate is more formal, often describing subtle or technical differences, as in science or medicine.

这三个词在“分辨、识别差异”这一意义上很接近，但正式程度和搭配不同：tell最口语化，常用“tell apart”或“tell X from Y”；distinguish是最中性、常用的说法；differentiate更正式，多用于科学、医学等技术性语境。这里不比较tell的“告诉、讲述”义（如“tell me a story”）。