Word choices 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

Our research shows that ‘said’ and ‘because’ are two of the most overused words in academic writing. This is understandable, as both are useful for explaining research and the results of studies.

However, excessive repetition of common words can detract from the flow of your written work, so it helps to know a few alternatives.

Alternatives to ‘Said’

The word ‘said’ is mostly used when reporting speech. This includes quoting research (e.g. in you literature review) or reporting what participants have said in an interview or survey. For example:

One respondent said that the process was ‘too complicated’.

There are lots of alternatives to ‘said’, all of which attribute the thought being reported to the person named. These include ‘claimed’, ‘suggested’ and ‘remarked’:

One respondent claimed that the process was ‘too complicated’.

One respondent suggested that the process was ‘too complicated’.

One respondent remarked that the process was ‘too complicated’.

There are also words you can use in place of ‘said’ when the person you’re quoting is doing something specific, such as arguing or clarifying a point:

Jones (1994, p.16) argues that ‘previous policies are now outdated’.

The CEO clarified that ‘company policy has changed since the incident’.

With these, make sure the word you use fits the context: it would not make sense, for instance, to say that ‘the CEO argued that company policy has changed’ as this is a factual claim (i.e. either policy has changed or it hasn’t), not an argument.

Alternatives to ‘Because’

The word ‘because’ means ‘due to the fact that’. As such, it’s handy for explaining your reasoning and commonly used when describing the consequences of something.

There are two main ways to use ‘because’. One is as a conjunction, where ‘because’ is followed by a subject and a verb:

A qualitative approach was chosen because it enables collection of in-depth data.

In these cases, alternatives include ‘since’ and ‘as’, both of which are also conjunctions:

A qualitative approach was chosen since it enables collection of in-depth data.

A qualitative approach was chosen as it enables collection of in-depth data.

The phrase ‘because of’, meanwhile, is a preposition, so needs to be followed by a noun phrase or an ‘-ing’ verb:

The results are unreliable because of the limited sample size.

The business failed because of falling prices.

In this case, your alternatives include phrases like ‘due to’ and ‘as a result of’:

The results are unreliable due to the limited sample size.

The business failed as a result of falling prices.

Remember to check whether you’re using ‘because’ or ‘because of’ before selecting an alternative word.

Writing effective, compelling dialogue has multiple elements. It’s not only what characters say but how they say it that matters. Read other words for said as well as tips for keeping your dialogue natural and engrossing:

What is a ‘dialogue tag’?

Tags (like name tags) identify.

In written conversation or dialogue, a tag is a group of words following quoted speech (e.g. ‘she said’). It identifies who spoke and/or the tone or emotion behind their speech. Words for ‘said’ may show or suggest:

• Volume (e.g. yelled, shouted, bellowed, screamed, whispered)
• Tone or pitch (e.g. shrieked, groaned, squeaked)
• Emotion (e.g. grumbled, snapped, sneered, begged)
• Intent (e.g. suggested, asked, demanded)

The connotations of dialogue tags are important. It would be strange, for example, for a character to ‘sneer’ the words ‘I love you’, since the word ‘sneer’ connotes contempt rather than affection. Unless their words ran counter to how they truly felt. Even then, this would maybe need additional, clarifying narration.

Given that there are countless verbs that can take the place of ‘said,’ should you simply find a stronger, more emotive one and use that?

Not always. ‘He said’ and ‘she said’ are often preferable because they do not draw the reader’s attention to the fact they are reading written dialogue. They let characters’ words do the emoting.

How to use said and its synonyms well:

1. Use all dialogue tags sparingly
2. Use said or other tags only where necessary
3. Show how people speak using action and gesture

The problem with dialogue tags is they draw attention to the author’s hand. The more we read ‘he said’ and ‘she said’, the more we’re aware of the author creating the dialogue.

Novel writing coach Romy Sommer says of dialogue:

Keep it as tight as possible, and move as quickly as possible into the purpose of the conversation.

Romy Sommer in ‘Writing dialogue: What to avoid’, webinar preview here.

Whenever you read the author attributing who said what, it reminds us a narrative convention is being used.

Compare these two versions of the same conversation:

“I told you already,” I said, glaring.

“Well I wasn’t listening, was I!” he said.

“Apparently not,” he replied.

Now compare this to the following:

I glared at him. “I told you already.”

  “Well I wasn’t listening, was I!”

  “Apparently not.”

For some authors, it’s a matter of stylistic preference.

Even so, it’s hard to argue that the first version is better than the second. In the second, making glaring an action rather than tethering it to the dialogue gives us a stronger sense of the scene. A stronger sense of dialogue’s ‘back and forth’.

Because it’s clear the glaring first-person ‘I’ is the character speaking at first, we don’t need to add ‘I said’. The strength of the exclamation mark in the second character’s reply makes any dialogue tag showing emotion (e.g. ‘he snapped’) unnecessary. Because it’s on a new line, and responds to what the other said, we know it’s a reply from context.

Similarly, in the first speaker’s retort, we don’t need a tag telling us his tone (that it’s curt, sarcastic, or hostile). The brevity, the fact it’s only two words, conveys his tone. We can infer the character is still mad.

Using dialogue tags sparingly allows your reader the pleasure of inferring and imagining.

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The reader gets to fill in the blank spaces, prompted more subtly by the clues you leave (an exclamation mark or a pointed, cross remark).

The word ‘said’, like ‘asked’, does not tell you anything about the emotion behind a character’s words. Often, this is preferable, letting the character’s emotion or tone show in their precise choice of words, phrasing, movement (more on this below) or gestures.

In conversation between characters, alternatives for said can tell the reader:

• The individual emotional or mental states of the conversants
• The degree of conflict or ease in the conversation
• What the relationship is like between characters (for example, if one character always snaps at the other this will show that the character is short-tempered and perhaps unkind towards the other)

Here are dialogue words you can use instead of ‘said’, categorised by the kind of emotion or scenario they convey:

Anger:

Shouted, bellowed, yelled, snapped, cautioned, rebuked.

Affection:

Consoled, comforted, reassured, admired, soothed.

Excitement:

Shouted, yelled, babbled, gushed, exclaimed.

Fear:

Whispered, stuttered, stammered, gasped, urged, hissed, babbled, blurted.

Determination:

Declared, insisted, maintained, commanded.

Happiness:

Sighed, murmured, gushed, laughed.

Sadness:

Cried, mumbled, sobbed, sighed, lamented.

Conflict:

Jabbed, sneered, rebuked, hissed, scolded, demanded, threatened, insinuated, spat, glowered.

Making up:

Apologised, relented, agreed, reassured, placated, assented.

Amusement

Teased, joked, laughed, chuckled, chortled, sniggered, tittered, guffawed, giggled, roared.

Storytelling:

Related, recounted, continued, emphasized, remembered, recalled, resumed, concluded.

Despite there being many other words for said, remember to use dialogue tags and ‘said’ synonyms only where necessary:

• Is it clear who’s speaking? (E.g. There are only two characters in the scene and the first to speak is clear). If yes, you don’t need a tag
• Too many tags make your dialogue start to feel like a compendium of emotive speech-verbs. Use colourful dialogue tags occasionally, for emphasis. They’re the salt and spice in dialogue, not the whole meal
• Use emotive dialogue tags for the peaks and valleys of a scene. If a character screams or declares every line, your reader may become irritated by the constant visibility of the author’s hand

Over at The Write Practice, Kellie McGann takes a look at dialogue tags and how to use them effectively in your writing.

3. Show how people speak using action and gesture

One problem we often see in beginners’ dialogue is that all the emotion is crammed into either spoken words or dialogue tags.

Characters who never move or gesture in dialogue may read a little like talking heads in jars (like the satirical preserved famous figures in the sci-fi comedy Futurama).

Your characters likely do have bodies, so don’t be afraid to use them. Compare these examples:

“That’s not what you said yesterday,” she said, her voice implying she was retreating, withdrawing.

“Well I hadn’t thought about it yet. The truth is now that I’ve had time I see that maybe it’s not going to work out. But let’s not be hasty,” he said, clearly wanting to control her retreat, too.

Now compare:

“That’s not what you said yesterday…” She hesitated, turned and walked to the window.

“Well I hadn’t thought about it yet.” He stepped closer. “The truth is now that I’ve had time I see that maybe it’s not going to work out. But let’s not be hasty.” He placed his hand on the small of her back.

In the second example, the dialogue is interspersed with setting. How the characters engage with the setting (the woman turning to face the window, for example) reveals their emotions mid-dialogue.

Movement and gesture conveys similar feelings to the first dialogue example. Yet there’s a clearer sense of proximity and distance, of two characters dancing around each other’s words, thoughts, feelings and personal space. It is appropriate too, to the situation (the end of an intimate relationship).

Vary the way you show who’s speaking in your dialogue. Use emotive other words for said to season characters’ conversations. Yet seasoning shouldn’t overpower substance. Use the content of what characters say, their movement, body language, pauses, and silences, to create deeper, more layered exchanges.

Join a concise, self-study four-week course to learn how to write dialogue that builds character and plot without needing 500 words for said.

@RedGrittyBrick has the correct answer, but has somewhat hidden it in an over-explanation. So I will spell it out clearly.

Never substitute I said you for I told you, if what you mean is that you told somebody something earlier and you are reminding them of that fact now.

Said requires the preposition to to get close to the same thing: I said to you. Even then, however, said never takes a direct object that is not some kind of a reference to words. I said do it. I said nothing.

Tell can take a person as a direct object. I told Bob. I’m telling you now. You would not use it to mean said because it does not take someone’s utterance as a direct object. You would never say I told go, because that would mean you are telling the word «go» something. You would say, I said go.

More examples:

I said I was going.

John said he would be here tonight.

We said nothing about your indiscretions.

I told him to clear out his locker.

Mary told her friends all about the incident.

We told you then and we are telling you now: don’t come around here anymore.