you can't tell a book by its cover

A form of you can't judge a book by its cover — It is not possible to make reliable judgments about things or people by considering external appearances alone.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. alternativeAlternative form of you can't judge a book by its cover.
Cite this entry
APA

you can't tell a book by its cover. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20can't%20tell%20a%20book%20by%20its%20cover

MLA

“you can't tell a book by its cover.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20can't%20tell%20a%20book%20by%20its%20cover. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “you can't tell a book by its cover,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20can't%20tell%20a%20book%20by%20its%20cover.

Source: you can't tell a book by its cover on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.