tell vs telling

tell is not a noun while telling is a noun.

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

tell (noun)	telling (noun)
	informing by words
	an act of narration
	disclosing information or giving evidence about another

tell (adjective)	telling (adjective)
	producing a strong effect
	disclosing unintentionally something concealed
	powerfully persuasive

tell (verb)	telling (verb)
discern or comprehend
mark as different
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