respond vs tell

respond and tell both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
respond	No	No	Yes	No
tell	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, tell is a hypernym of respond; that is, tell is a word with a broader meaning than respond:

Other hypernyms of respond include say, state.

respond (verb)	tell (verb)
show a response or a reaction to something	discern or comprehend
respond favorably or as hoped	mark as different
react verbally	let something be known
	narrate or give a detailed account of
	give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority
	give evidence
	express in words
	inform positively and with certainty and confidence