Academic English #63. telltale sign: obvious

"Telltale sign" is used when referring to an obvious clue or trace that reveals a fact or situation.

It carries a strong nuance of “evidence that appears even if someone tries to hide it.”

In everyday conversation, it is often used to talk about signs of illness, habits, or events, and in academic contexts, it is used to describe characteristic signs of disease or clear indicators in experimental results.

3 examples of everyday conversation

• He couldn’t hide the telltale sign of drinking all night on his face.
• The crack in the wall is a telltale sign that the house is old.
• Her smile carried a telltale sign that something was wrong.

3 examples of academic/professional English

• Perifollicular inflammation is a telltale sign often observed in early-stage alopecia patients.
• The reduction in hair shaft diameter is a telltale sign of androgenetic alopecia progression.
• Miniaturization seen in histological examination serves as a telltale sign for confirming the disease.