Word Network: says

The action of conveying information or expressing one's thoughts and feelings in spoken language; the skill of oral communication.

When used as an adjective, 'telling' describes something that reveals the truth or a significant fact about a situation, often unintentionally. It implies that the evidence or action provides a clear and powerful indication of someone's true feelings or the reality of a circumstance.

To utter words or communicate information.

Past tense of 'say'.