More word for said

One of the words that comes up most commonly in various types of writing, from fiction to academic writing, is the word “said.” Any time a writer is referencing the words or thoughts expressed by another person, whether that be thoughts expressed verbally or in writing, an appropriate way to introduce—or attribute—that person’s thoughts is with the phrase “said.” 

But if you’re incorporating a lot of quotations in your writing, you might find yourself repeating  the word “said” a lot. Repeating the same phrase in a piece of writing can start to feel monotonous, which is why incorporating synonyms or an oft-used word or phrase can make your writing more interesting and accurate. But here’s some good news: there are tons of other words for “said” out there for you to use! 

To help you build a repertoire of words to replace “said,” we’re going to do the following in this article: 

• Explain the importance of using word variety and avoiding repetition of the same word in your writing
• Explain when to use “said” and when not to use “said” 
• Provide a comprehensive list of alternative words for “said,” organized into categories based on emotion and intention

Ready to check out some synonyms for “said”? Then let’s get going!

To give you the most comprehensive and easy-to-navigate list, we’ve organized our list into two main categories: first, we’re including several lists of other words for “said” by emotion, and second, we’re including several lists of different words for “said” by intention or action. You can decide what meaning you’re trying to express in your writing, and use our lists accordingly!

Happy Words to Use Instead of “Said”

We’re going to kick off our list by giving you a lot of other words for “said” by emotion, starting with synonyms for “said” that convey a happy, joyful, or positive tone. 

Applauded	Congratulated	Prattled
Approved	Consoled	Preened
Assured	Cooed	Proclaimed
Babbled	Crowed	Professed
Bantered	Encouraged	Promised
Beamed	Giggled	Quipped
Blathered	Greeted	Reassured
Blithered	Hooted	Reckoned
Boasted	Jabbered	Remarked
Bragged	Jested	Remembered
Bubbled	Joked	Sang
Cheered	Laughed	Smiled
Chortled	Marveled	Soothed
Chorused	Nodded	Spoke
Chuckled	Offered	Teased
Comforted	Piped	Vowed
Confided	Praised	Yakked

Sad Words to Use Instead of “Said” 

Sadness is a common emotion expressed in writing—let’s look at a few synonyms for “said” that convey sadness. 

Bawled	Gurgled	Sobbed
Choked	Moaned	Wailed
Coughed	Sighed	Wept
Cried	Sniffed	Whimpered
Groaned	Sniffled	Whined

Angry Words to Replace “Said”

There are a ton of synonyms for “said” that express anger, and we’ve included several of them for you here. 

Accused	Disparaged	Rejected
Badgered	Fumed	Reprimanded
Barked	Griped	Reproached
Bellowed	Groused	Roared
Berated	Growled	Sassed
Boomed	Grunted	Scoffed
Censured	Harassed	Scolded
Chastised	Hissed	Scorned
Chided	Hollered	Shouted
Clucked	Interrupted	Smirked
Commanded	Jeered	Snapped
Complained	Jibed	Snarled
Corrected	Mocked	Sneered
Criticized	Muttered	Snickered
Demanded	Nagged	Snorted
Denied	Ranted	Stormed
Deried	Rebuked	Taunted
Dismissed	Rebuffed	Threatened

Different Words for “Said” That Express Shock or Surprise

When you want to communicate a tone of shock or surprise in your writing, try using these synonyms for “said”! 

Blurted	Gawked	Spouted
Divulged	Leered	Started
Exclaimed	Let slip	Wondered
Gaped	Ogled
Gasped	Spilled

Other Words for “Said” That Express Fear

The last emotion it might be helpful to be able to express accurately and vividly in your writing is fear. Here’s a list of synonyms for “said” that you can use to demonstrate a feeling of fear. 

Agonized	Hesitated	Shrilled
Begged	Implored	Shuddered
Beseeched	Mumbled	Spluttered
Blanched	Murmured	Spooked
Bleated	Paled	Sputtered
Brooded	Panicked	Squeaked
Cautioned	Panted	Stammered
Confessed	Pleaded	Started
Cowered	Quaked	Tensed
Cringed	Quavered	Trembled
Croaked	Quivered	Warned
Faltered	Recoiled	Whispered
Fretted	Screamed	Worried
Gasped	Shivered	Yelped
Gulped	Shrieked

Words to Replace “Said” That Are Expository

If you’re working with a quote in which the speaker is clarifying information or explaining something, you can try out these words instead of “said”!

Added	Depicted	Rejoined
Advised	Elucidated	Remarked
Answered	Explained	Replied
Clarified	Illuminated	Responded
Defined	Illustrated	Retorted
Delineated	Portrayed	Returned

Other Words for “Said” That Are Argumentative

When you incorporate quotes or dialogue that make an argument, use these synonyms for “said” in your attributions.

Advanced	Claimed	Insisted
Appealed	Contended	Maintained
Argued	Corroborated	Posited
Attested	Countered	Proposed
Authenticated	Declared	Refuted
Bespoke	Defended	Substantiated
Certified	Emphasized
Challenged	Held

Words to Use Instead of “Said” That Are Critical 

If a speaker in a quote or piece of dialogue is forming a critique, incorporate one of these different words for “said” in your attribution.

Analyzed	Critiqued	Gauged
Appraised	Estimated	Interposed
Assayed	Evaluated	Interpreted
Assessed	Examined	Judged
Concluded	Explicated	Reviewed
Considered	Figured	Surveyed

Words to Use Instead of “Said” That Are Implicative

Try using these alternative words for “said” that imply meaning. 

Adumbrated	Hinted	Predicted
Alluded	Implied	Professed
Connoted	Indicated	Signaled
Foreshadowed	Insinuated	Signified
Forewarned	Intimated	Stated
Heralded	Portended	Suggested

Words to Replace “Said” That Seek Information

Sometimes you need to include an attribution that shows a speaker is searching for information. These synonyms for “said” can help you establish a tone of inquisitiveness!

Adjured	Inquired	Questioned
Asked	Inspected	Quizzed
Begged	Interrogated	Requested
Demanded	Perused	Researched
Exhorted	Pondered	Scrutinized
Explored	Probed	Searched
Implored	Queried

Words to Replace “Said” That Reveal Information

Finally, if you need a word other than “said” that reveals information, try out the options in the list below. 

Accepted	Conceded	Owned
Acknowledged	Confessed	Recognized
Admitted	Disclosed	Reported
Affirmed	Divulged	Revealed
Alleged	Exposed	Volunteered
Allowed	Granted
Betrayed	Imparted

When to Use Different Words for “Said” in Your Writing…And When Not To

In most cases, deciding when to use words other than “said” in your writing is up to your discretion. But there are actually some situations when it’s correct to use “said” exclusively to attribute a piece of dialogue or a quote in your writing. This depends on the type of writing, so we’re going to break down the situations when you should definitely use “said” here!

Journalism

The first situation where you can expect to see writers exclusively using “said” is in any type of writing that relies on AP Style. “AP” stands for “Associated Press,” and this set of style guidelines is the standard for journalistic writing. This includes writing for newspapers, magazines, and public relations in the United States. AP Style provides a lot of rules about grammar, spelling, punctuation, and language use, and using “said” for quote attribution is one of those rules.

Impartiality and objectivity are two values that are extremely important in journalistic writing. Unlike many synonyms for “said,” which reveal a speaker’s feelings, attitude, or intentions, “said” doesn’t try to interpret the feelings, attitude, or intentions of the speaker. “Said” just states factual information: the words in the quote were spoken by a person or group of people. Using “said” allows the journalist to remain impartial and objective about the information, and it also lets readers interpret the meaning of quoted material on their own. 

Technical Writing

While not exactly a rule, using “said” is an unspoken expectation for quote attribution in technical writing. Technical writing is a style of writing used in business environments and some scientific fields, like engineering. It’s important for this style of writing to be clear, specific, and, in most cases, concise. In fact, readers of technical writing appreciate a writer’s ability to communicate directly and plainly by using short, direct words. That’s why “said” is the best choice for introducing quotes or paraphrases in technical writing: it’s clear, specific, and concise. 

Creative Writing 

Creative writing is a third situation that might require you to think strategically about when to use “said.” In creative writing—like fiction, for instance—when and how often to use “said” is pretty much up for debate. There are a lot of synonyms for “said” that you can use to convey the emotions or intentions of a character in dialogue, but you don’t necessarily have to use some flowery synonym for “said” every time you include a piece of dialogue in creative writing. In fact, sometimes it’s okay to strategically omit attributions altogether. 

Here’s one example of a way to present dialogue in creative writing that doesn’t overuse attributions: 

Even without attributions for every piece of dialogue in the example above, you can still get an idea of how the characters feel and what their intentions are through the dialogue beats (“She crossed her arms angrily,” and, “Paige shook her head”). Alternatively, dialogue attributions in creative writing are another place where word variety is important. Your attributions are a great way for you to add emotion and imagery to your work. That means sometimes you might simply use “said,” sometimes you might use a more expressive synonym for “said,” and other times you might forego attributions altogether.

Academic Writing

One final writing situation where you’ll find yourself needing to make decisions about when to use “said” is academic, research-based writing. In academic writing, it’s important to be clear about who you are quoting and to provide adequate context for the quote you include. For example, if the scholar you’re quoting is making an argument in the quote you include, it would be more accurate to say, “Dr. Garcia argued” or “Dr. Garcia claimed,” instead of “Dr. Garcia said.” Using a quote attribution that gives your reader a clearer sense of the speaker or writer’s purpose and tone. 

3 Reasons Why Word Variety Is Important in Writing

Word variety is important to any type of writing for three main reasons: using a variety of words can make your writing more engaging, more accurate, and more expressive.

First, using a variety of words can make your writing more engaging and interesting for the people who are reading it. In some types of writing, like poetry, repetition is used as a strategic stylistic device. In lots of cases, though, writers repeat the same word because they don’t know its synonyms. After a while, readers might feel a bit exhausted by repetitiveness in a piece of writing. That’s one reason why knowing and using synonyms for commonly repeated words is so important!

Second, word variety can make your writing more accurate. For example, while “said” is always going to accurately describe a piece of dialogue or a quote from an outside source, there are words to use instead of “said” that can reveal the intention behind dialogue or the information conveyed in a quote. 

Let’s say you incorporate a quote where the author is disagreeing with a point made by a scholar. Sure, you could introduce that quote with, “Dr. Smith said.” But you could be more accurate by introducing the quote with a word that indicates that the quote is going to express disagreement, like, “Dr. Smith countered” or “Dr. Smith responded.” 

Finally, your writing is expressive and vivid when you avoid repetition. When your word choice reflects the emotions or tone expressed by a quote or piece of dialogue that you include in your writing, your readers can get a better sense of your intended meaning. Using synonyms for “said” to create tone and imagery in your writing can help readers better understand your position and make them more willing to buy into your ideas. 

What’s Next? 

If you’re studying for the verbal portion of your SAT or ACT, we’ve got you covered. Here are our expert guides to the verbal portions of the SAT and ACT, and we even have tips and tricks to help you tackle the essay sections! These are just a few of the tons (and tons!) of resources we have, so be sure to check out our blog for more information.

This cheat sheet for ways to say “said” can be really helpful if you’re starting to write your college admissions essays. Learn how to start your essay off perfectly, and make sure you know the biggest mistakes you should avoid, too.

If you’re using this guide to help you write creatively, you might be a great fit for a creative writing degree! Here’s a guide to the best creative writing colleges and programs in the United States. 

Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!

If you’ve read our previous post on writing dialogue, you’ll know that you shouldn’t be afraid to default to he said, she said, or they said when you’re tagging your dialogue. After all, it’s probably the clearest, least distracting way to indicate who’s saying what. That being said, it can be useful to deploy a specific and powerful dialogue tag every now and again. 

To help you find that perfect synonym to inject action and emotion into your dialogue, here are over 270 other words for said:

Neutral/multi-purpose words

Acknowledged Added Agreed Announced Articulated Asserted Backtracked Began Blurted Called Commented Communicated Conferred Considered Contended Declared Denoted

Drawled Elaborated Emitted Ended Enunciated Expounded Expressed Greeted Interjected Mentioned Noted Observed Orated Persisted Predicted Pronounced Quipped

Recited Reckoned Related Remarked Repeated Replied Responded Shared Slurred Stated Suggested Told Urged Uttered Vocalized Voiced

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Happy/excited words 

Approved Babbled Beamed Bubbled Chattered Cheered Chimed in Chortled Chuckled Congratulated

Complimented Crooned Effused Exclaimed Giggled Grinned Gushed Jabbered Joked

Laughed Praised Rejoiced Sang Smiled Thanked Tittered Trilled Yammered

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Sad/upset words 

Agonized Apologized Bawled Blubbered Cried Fretted

Grieved Groaned Lamented Mewled Moaned Mumbled

Sobbed Sighed Sniffled Sniveled Wailed Wept

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Angry words 

Accused Choked Badgered Barked Bellowed Chastised Cursed Demanded Exploded Fumed

Glowered Growled Hissed Insulted Raged Ranted Reprimanded Roared Scolded

Screamed Screeched Snarled Spat Shouted Swore Thundered Vociferated Yelled

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Annoyed words

Bleated Complained Condemned Criticized Exhaled Groused

Grumbled Grunted Heaved Insisted Mocked Rasped

Rejoined Retorted Scoffed Smirked Snapped Whined

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Frightened/pained words

Coughed Cautioned Gulped Howled Keened Panted Prayed

Quavered Screamed Shrieked Shuddered Squalled Squealed Trembled

Wailed Warbled Whimpered Yelped Yowled Warned

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Prideful words

Advertised Bloviated Boasted Boomed Bossed Bragged Broadcasted

Crowed Exhorted Dictated Gloated Moralized Ordered

Prattled Preached Sermonized Snorted Swaggered Trumpeted

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Words to express uncertainty

Breathed Doubted Faltered Hesitated Lilted Mumbled

Murmured Muttered Shrugged Squeaked Stammered

Stuttered Swallowed Trailed off Vacillated Whispered

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Words that make fun

Derided Jeered Heckled Lampooned Mocked

Mimicked Parodied Ridiculed Satirized Scorned

Spoofed Sneered Snickered Taunted Teased

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Words that ask a question

Asked Begged Challenged Contemplated Guessed Hinted Hypothesized Implied Inquired

Interrogated Invited Mouthed Mused Pleaded Pondered Probed Proposed Puzzled

Repeated Requested Requisitioned Queried Questioned Quizzed Solicited Speculated Wondered

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Words that give an answer

Accepted Advised Affirmed Alleged Answered Assured Avowed Claimed Conceded Concluded Confided Confirmed

Explained Disclosed Disseminated Divulged Imparted Informed Indicated Maintained Notified Offered Passed on Proffered

Promised Promulgated Released Reported Revealed Shared Specified Speculated Supposed Testified Transmitted Verified

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Download this ‘greatest hits’ list

For this infographic, we’ve narrowed down the 270 most essential dialogue words for you to know! Simply enter your email below to get it in your inbox within minutes.

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To see how master writers assemble their dialogue, head over to our final post in this series for some choice examples of dialogue.

Do you need more synonyms to find other words for said?

Dialogue words, or tags, should be used as a seasoning and not as the main ingredient in your writing.

Readers have a blind spot for the word said, so you can use it without any concern when you write dialogue.

Stephen King wrote in On Writing, regarding dialogue tags. “The best form of dialogue attribution is said, as in he said, she said, Bill said, Monica said.”

Avoiding adverbs

However, there are times when you can use said synonyms.

They help you to convey an extra element of emotion or tone of voice.

When you use a descriptive dialogue reporting verb you can avoid the use of adverbs.

I am sure every writer has read this quote about adverbs by Stephen King.

“I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops.”

When you are writing dialogue, you need to be aware that dialogue tags are the tones of voice of the author and not the characters.

So keep your dialogue tags to a minimum.

When only two characters are speaking, it is often possible to avoid using them almost completely in a conversation between the characters.

But when dialogue tag verbs are necessary, think about your choice of vocabulary.

Of course, go very easy on your use of adverbs.

There are times when you might want to make a line of dialogue a little more expressive.

Perhaps in a novel or short story, selecting other words for said can help you.

The infographic at the end of this article gives you a full list of 350 words you can use in place of said.

There is also a full-text listing with words for said categorized by emotion or association.

Using a one-word reporting verb is a much better alternative than adding an adverb to a dialogue tag.

They are quick and to the point. But they still give a sense of an understandable emotive description.

Here are a few simple examples.

Bad: “I want to go home,” she said sadly.

Better: “I want to go home,” she cried.

Bad: “Where did they find it?” he asked curiously.

Better: “Where did they find it?” he wondered.

Bad: “Why did you do that?” he asked angrily.

Better: “Why did you do that?” he snarled.

Another quick and easy way to find a new synonym is to use an online grammar checker.

For a Grammarly user, you are only one right-click away from a long list of suggested replacements for words to use instead of said.

If you use ProWritingAid, you can get even more help with both simple or contextural choices for said synonyms.

Other words for said by emotion

Before we get to the full list of 350 verbs to replace said, here is a quick concise selection.

They are listed by emotions and situations that you might want to use as a quick reference for your characters’ conversations.

Answering or responding

answered, conceded, concurred, explained, replied, responded

Confusion or uncertainty

doubtfully, guessed, hesitated, vacillated

Questioning or curiosity

asked, inquired, puzzled, queried, questioned, quizzed, wondered

Surprise

bleated, blurted, exclaimed, gasped, sputtered

Sadness or sorrow

bawled, bewailed, blubbered, cried, lamented, sniffled, sobbed, wailed, wept

Provocation or incitement

bragged, gibed, jeered, lied, nagged, provoked

Romance and love

breathed, promised, purred, sighed

Persuasion and inducing

advised, appealed, asserted, begged, beseeched, cajoled, entreated, implored, urged

Happiness and joy

beamed, bubbled, cheered, chirped, chuckled, giggled, grinned, joked, sang, smiled, trilled

Anger and rage

barked, cursed, exploded, fumed, growled, hissed, raged, ranted, roared, scowled, snarled, swore, yelled

Disgust or loathing

cringed, grimaced, groused, grunted, rasped, sniffed, snorted

Fear or anxiety

gulped, prayed, quavered, shrieked, squealed, stuttered, whimpered, whined

Embarrassment

admitted, confessed, hesitated, mumbled

350 synonyms for said infographic

Here is the full list of verbs you can use instead of said.

You can use the infographic below for your writing reference. Or you can share it on your blog with your readers.

If you prefer, you can also view and download the infographic in pdf.

The full-text listing of 350 other words for said by emotion and association

Feel free to copy and paste these words to replace said for your own use.

The emotion of ANGER

accused, argued, badgered, barked, bellowed, bickered, chastised, chided, clipped, clucked, commanded, complained, corrected, countered, cursed, dared, demanded, disagreed, exploded, fumed, goaded, growled, grumbled, harshed, hissed, hollered, howled, huffed, insulted, interrupted, muttered, objected, ordered, raged, ranted, retaliated, retorted, roared, scoffed, scolded, scowled, screamed, screeched, seethed, shot, shouted, shrilled, snapped, snarled, sneered, spluttered, stormed, swore, taunted, threatened, warned, yelled

The action of ANSWERING

answered, clarified, conceded, concurred, deflected, disputed, explained, interjected, protested, reassured, remarked, replied, responded, stated

The emotion of DISGUST

cringed, grimaced, groused, grunted, mocked, rasped, refused, smirked, sniffed, snorted

The emotion of EMBARRASSMENT

admitted, confessed, hesitated, mumbled

The emotion of FEAR

babbled, croaked, denied, doubted, fretted, groaned, gulped, moaned, panted, prayed, quavered, shrieked, slurred, squeaked, squealed, stammered, stuttered, whimpered, whined, whispered

The emotion of HAPPINESS

approved, beamed, bubbled, burst, cackled, chatted, chattered, cheered, chirped, chortled, chorused, chuckled, complimented, congratulated, cooed, crowed, effused, exulted, forgave, giggled, grinned, gurgled, gushed, hummed, joked, praised, resounded, sang, simpered, smiled, thanked, trilled

The emotion of LOVE or ROMANCE

breathed, expressed, proclaimed, promised, purred, sighed

Words associated with PERSUASION

advised, appealed, asserted, assured, avowed, begged, beseeched, cajoled, claimed, convinced, encouraged, entreated, implored, needled, pleaded, stressed, suggested, urged

Words associated with PROVOCATION

bragged, exasperated, gibed, jested, jeered, joked, lied, mimicked, nagged, provoked, quipped, sassed

The emotion of SADNESS

apologized, bawled, bewailed, blubbered, comforted, consoled, cried, lamented, mumbled, murmured, sighed, sniffled, sobbed, spilled, wailed, wept

The emotion of SURPRISE

bleated, blurted, exclaimed, gasped, marveled, perplexed, sputtered, yelped

Words associated with QUESTIONS or CURIOSITY

asked, challenged, coaxed, hinted, inquired, pleaded, puzzled, queried, questioned, quizzed, wondered

Words associated with UNCERTAINTY or CONFUSION

cautioned, doubtfully, guessed, hesitated, vacillated

NON-EMOTIVE

acknowledged, acquiesced, added, addressed, affirmed, agreed, alliterated, announced, articulated, began, bet, boasted, boomed, broke in, called, chimed in, coached, commented, concluded, confided, confirmed, considered, continued, contributed, conversed, deadpanned, decided, declared, defended, demurred, described, disclosed, divulged, drawled, echoed, emphasized, ended, finished, gloated, greeted, hypothesized, imitated, implied, informed, insinuated, insisted, intoned, instructed, jabbered, lectured, lisped, maintained, mentioned, monotoned, mouthed, mused, motioned, nodded, noted, notified, observed, offered, opined, pestered, piped, pointed out, pondered, prattled, pressed, pronounced, proposed, put in, quoted, rambled, rattled on, read, reasoned, recalled, reckoned, recited, recounted, reiterated, related, remembered, reminded, repeated, reported, requested, restated, revealed, rhymed, ridiculed, sibilated, sneezed, snickered, speculated, spoke, started, surmised, sympathized, teased, tempted, tested, testified, theorized, thought aloud, told, uttered, ventured, verified, volunteered, vowed, went on, wheezed, wished, yakked, yapped, yawned

Summary of words other than said

Synonyms can always improve your writing by avoiding repetition.

Finding new words and new ways to say things is one of the pleasures of being a writer.

It doesn’t mean that you need to use long, uncommon, or complex vocabulary.

There are usually very simple alternatives for most words.

Considering other words instead of said is always a good idea. That’s even if said is a word that most people are blind to when reading.

By replacing said with a more active reporting verb, you can quickly add much more descriptive value to your novel or short story.

Related reading: How To Check Dialogue Writing Consistency In Your Manuscript