Pronunciation: [ɪz tˈə͡ʊld] (IPA) 
The spelling of the word "is told" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first syllable "is" is pronounced as /ɪz/, with the "s" sound being voiced due to the following vowel sound. The second syllable "told" is pronounced as /toʊld/, with the diphthong sound "ow" and a clear "d" sound at the end. This spelling of the word follows the English language's complex system of phonemic and orthographic rules.
The phrase "is told" is a passive construction of the verb "to tell," indicating that someone is conveying information or narrating a story to another individual or a group. "Is" functions as a form of the verb "to be," denoting the present tense and the passive voice. "Told" is the past participle form of "to tell," expressing that the action has already occurred.
When someone "is told," it signifies that they have received information or have been informed about something by another person. It implies that they have been the recipient of a message, narrative, or news from someone else. The act of being told typically involves verbal communication, with the conveyance of details, instructions, opinions, or experiences from one person to another.
This construction is commonly used when recounting anecdotes, stories, or events that were shared with the speaker. It emphasizes that the speaker is not the original source of the information but is instead relaying it to others. The phrase "is told" is frequently employed to introduce quotations or attributions, as it highlights that the information being presented is not the speaker's direct statement but rather something relayed to them by someone else.
In summary, "is told" denotes the passive reception of information or narratives by an individual or group of people, indicating that they have been informed or narrated to by another person.
The phrase "is told" consists of the verb "is" used in the present tense of the third person singular, and "told" which is the past participle of the verb "to tell".
The verb "to tell" has Old English origins and can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word "taljan" which means "to reckon" or "to count". Over time, the meaning of the word expanded to include "to relate" or "to narrate". The past participle "told" emerged in Middle English, derived from the Old English verb "tellan" (meaning "to count" or "to narrate"), which stemmed from the Proto-Germanic root "talōną".
Overall, the etymology of "is told" reflects the evolution of the verb "to tell" in the English language.
