Word that sounds like it is said

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👨🏼‍🏫 Instructions

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🗜️ Condensed

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  • Answering  💬
  • Chatter  🤓
  • Debate  🗣
  • Humor  😂
  • Persuasion  😉
  • Provoke  👿
  • Purpose  ‼
  • Questions  🤔
  • Uncertainty  🙄
  • Speech  📣
  • Anger  😠
  • Disgust  😝
  • Embarrass  😳
  • Fear  😱
  • Frustrated  🤨
  • Happiness  😀
  • Love  💘
  • Regret  🤐
  • Sadness  😢
  • Surprise  😲
  • Tiredness  😴
  • Not Assoc  🤷

The words below are classified by category

The action of ANSWERING   💬

acknowledged

(verb) to show or express recognition or realization of.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard you,” Jason acknowledged.

added

(verb) to say further.

“Even if it’s not true,“ Evan added, “We’re only speculating.”

answered

(verb) to speak or write in response to; reply to.

“When will I be home? I’ll be home in an hour,” answered Jamie.

articulated

(verb) to give clear and effective utterance to : to put into words.

“Please! Do not bring your textbook tomorrow!” Miss Lim articulated. (submitted by Han Y.)

clarified

(verb) to make (an idea, statement, etc.) clear or intelligible; to free from ambiguity.

“So, we just read up until chapter eight?” Vonnie clarified with the teacher, just to be sure. (submitted by Katherine K.)

commented

(verb) to express an opinion or reaction.

“There are a lot more animals here than yesterday,” Robert commented. (submitted by Nathaniel F.)

conceded

(verb) to acknowledge as true, just, or proper; admit.

“All right, all right, you win. Lincoln was a better president than Grant,” conceded Stephen as he held his palms up in mock surrender.

concurred

(verb) to accord in opinion; agree.

“Shall we dine?” Alice asked. “Indeed!” Bob concurred. (submitted by Anastasia K.)

corrected

(verb) to set or make true, accurate, or right; remove the errors or faults.

“What do you mean, I never take out the trash? I do it every week.” Phylis’ husband corrected.

counseled

(verb) to give counel or advice

“Since your grades are high enough, you should consider applying to Harvard or Yale,” counseled Jerry’s teacher.

deflected

(verb) to prevent something from being directed at you.

“Well, at least I don’t have a huge forehead!” Elizabeth deflected. (submitted by Jaylin)

disagreed

(verb) to differ in opinion; dissent.

“There is no scientific evidence that supports global warming and you know it!” disagreed Kyle as he shook his head at the ignorance of his friend.

disputed

(verb) to argue against; call in question.

“No, no, no, I disagree with you. NASA landing on the moon is not a hoax!” Jason disputed as the class watched the historical footage.

explained

(verb) to make plain or clear; render understandable or intelligible.

“No, no, no, you don’t understand. What I was saying was that I would take the trash out right after I finished my homework,” Claude explained, as his mother looked at him with a stern expression on her face.

interjected

(verb) to say something while another person is speaking.

“That’s a lie!” Wayne interjected.

reassured

(verb) to restore to assurance or confidence.

“It’ll be okay,” she reassured, as she wiped a tear from my eye.” (submitted by Reagan H.)

remarked

(verb) to note; to perceive; to observe.

“Tom doesn’t look like he’s feeling well today,” Sue remarked.

replied

(verb) to respond in words or writing.

“Of course I’ll go to the movies with you,” Anne replied.

responded

(verb) to say something in return: make an answer.

“The capital of Illinois is Springfield,” reponded Jenny after the teacher called upon her to answer the question.

stated

(verb) to declare definitely or specifically.

“We won the basketball game tonight because our team made no mistakes,” stated the coach.

Words associated with chatter (jabber)   nerd emoji

babbled

(verb) to talk idly, irrationally, excessively, or foolishly; chatter or prattle.

“Oh my gosh, it’s so awesome, and I got it at FAO Schwartz last year, and I wish you could share it with me…” Phil babbled. (submitted by Mia M.)

chatted

(verb) to converse in a familiar or informal manner.

“I had a quiz in math today, which I got an “A” on, by the way. And Jessica, who sits next to me in English class, was sick today,” chatted Helga at the dinner table.

chattered

(verb) to talk rapidly in a foolish or purposeless way; jabber.

“I started off with breakfast this morning and after that I played video games all morning. Then I ate lunch and after that I played video games all afternoon. Then I ate supper and after that I played video games some more. All in all, it’s been a very good day,” chattered James as he got ready for bed.

effused

(verb) to talk in an unrestrained, excited manner.

“You look so radiant, so stunning, so fabulous in that dress, that I, I, I, just don’t know what to say,” effused Alice.

jabbered

(verb) to talk or utter rapidly, indistinctly, incoherently, or nonsensically; chatter.

“Haven’t you heard? June’s gonna be selling tickets to the game. I can’t wait, it’s gonna be so great!” Andrew jabbered, jumping up and down eagerly. (submitted by Jackie L.)

nattered (U.K.)

(verb) to talk incessantly; chatter.

“After lunch we went to the mall where we went shopping. Then we got ice cream. Then we we went home and I played video games untilit was time for bed,” Jake nattered.

prattled

(verb) to speak foolishly.

“Oh my goodness, I can’t believe you actuallly got me an XBox one for my Birthday! I mean, I’ve always wanted one, but I didn’t think I’d actually get one. This is so exciting I can’t hardly stand it,” prattled Andy as he tore the wrapping paper off his present.

“Well, I think he’s mean because… just because!” Adaline prattled, sticking up her chin defiantly. (submitted by Jackie L.)

rambled

(verb) to talk or write in a discursive, aimless way.

“Well first, we went to the park, and then we played on the swings, and then we went over to slide,” rambled Johnnie.

yakked

(verb) to talk persistently, chatter.

“He was a man loaded with money, or so I had thought – well, at least he gave me the impression that he was wealthy,” yakked Robert, who hadn’t even noticed that John had stopped listening and was playing with his phone.

yapped

(verb) talk at length in an irritating manner.

“Before any of you start complaining about how you think I am too sensitive, please please don’t even bother. I really don’t care what you think because your opinions don’t really matter to me,” yapped Nelson, who wasn’t overly concerned about anyone’s feelings except his own.

Words associated with debate   speaking head emoji

concluded

(verb) to bring to an end; finish; terminate.

“Those are the reasons why everyone should this story,” Alice concluded, finishing up her her oral book report.

considered

(verb) think carefully about (something), typically before making a decision.

“I wonder,” Billy considered, “whether or not I should try out for percussion.” (submitted by Nathan F.)

countered

(verb) to meet attacks or arguments with defensive or retaliatory steps.

“I did to clean my room!” countered Billy.

debated

(verb) to discuss a question by considering opposed arguments

“Man does indeed have free will,” debated Ted.

refuted

(verb) to prove wrong by argument or evidence: show to be false or erroneous.

“That’s not true, I wasn’t even in town Wednesday afternoon!” refuted Wendy.

hypothesized

(verb) to assume by hypothesis (an assumption or concession made for the sake of argument).

“Machu Picchu was the birthplace of the first Inca and the hub of the Inca civilization,” hypothesized Professor Milbourne.

noted

(verb) to make special mention of or remark on

“I see that you forgot your homework again,” noted Kyle’s algebra teacher.

objected

(verb) to offer a reason or argument in opposition.

“I did not hit Bob first, he hit me first,” objected Tim as his mother started to scold him.

pointed out

(verb) to direct attention to.

“If you get caught, you’ll be in big trouble,” Gabriel pointed out as he watched his older brother climb out the bedroom window.

pondered

(verb) to think about; reflect on.

“I wonder what would happen if I added salt to my cola,” Wayne pondered.

proposed

(verb) to offer or suggest for consideration, acceptance, or action.

“Why don’t I take the girls shopping while you play video games with the boys here at home?” proposed the children’s mother.

reasoned

(verb) to discover, formulate, or conclude by the use of reason.

“It’s impossible to finish by tomorrow,” Ashley reasoned. “Can’t we have another day?” (submitted by Sarah S.)

rebutted

(verb) to contradict or oppose by formal legal argument, plea, or countervailing proof

“I hadn’t even arrived here when the murder happened,” Vivian rebutted. (submitted by Penelope Castiglione)

reiterated

(verb) to repeat something you have already said in order to emphasize it.

“For the last time, whales do not eat humans,” reiterated Bob as he wondered how many times he would have to repeat himself.

rejoined

(verb) to say in answer; reply, especially to counterreply.

“No, no, no. You just took what I said out of context,” rejoined Hamilton.

reported

(verb) to give a formal or official account or statement of something.

“The test is going to be on classifying animals,” reported the teacher. (submitted by Nora D.)

restated

(verb) to state again or in a new way.

“Go clean your room,” restated Alan’s mother.

speculated

(verb) to indulge in conjectural thought.

“I think I had better study for the algebra test this Friday,” speculated Fred.

surmised

(verb) to think or infer without certain or strong evidence; conjecture; guess.

“Looking back on it, I think that Julie planned this all along,” Jacob surmised.

testified

(verb) to bear witness; give evidence.

“Well your honor, there is no evidence that he stole the diamond,” the lawyer testified. (submitted by Grace R.)

theorized

(verb) to form a theory about. (a theory is a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural and subject to experimentation, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact.)

“How you define gravity, defines the model of the universe,” Professor Belvidere theorized.

verified

(verb) make sure or demonstrate that (something) is true, accurate, or justified.

“That is indeed a dog,” Leo verified. (submitted by Claire E.)

Words associated with HUMOR   wink emoji

bantered

(verb) to exchange remarks in a good-humoured teasing way.

“Sure Phil, you always get a 100 on your math tests, but I’ll bet that today you’ll only get a 98,” Carol bantered.

chortled

(verb) to chuckle gleefully.

“Aw, you try so hard to impress me!” I chortled in joy. (submitted by Brianna L.)

chuckled

(verb) to laugh softly or amusedly, usually with satisfaction.

Hank walked out of the classroom, softly closing the door behind him. He glanced up and down the hallway, making sure that no one saw him, and chuckled. “This will be the best practical joke ever.”

giggled

(verb) to laugh in a silly, often high-pitched way, especially with short, repeated gasps and titters, as from juvenile or ill-concealed amusement or nervous embarrassment.

“Johnny’s looking at me isn’t he?” giggled Leslie as she playfully ran her fingers through her hair.

guffawed

(verb) to laugh loudly and boisterously.

“You sure are funny,” Peter guffawed as he slapped his friend on the back.

jested

(verb) a joke or witty remark; witticism.

“Sure I have plenty of money. In fact, it grows on a tree in my backyard,” jested Jim.

joked

(verb) to speak or act in a playful or merry way.

“Let me tell you about the time I tried to open my house door with my car keys” joked Robert.

joshed

(intansitive verb) to engage in banter: joke.
(verb) to tease good-naturedly: kid.

“You may be a fast runner, but you’re not as fast as Superman,” joshed Ken as he congratulated his friend on winning the race.

Words associated with PERSUASION   wink emoji

advised

(verb) to give counsel to; offer an opinion or suggestion as worth following.

“You should wear a helmet when you ride a bike,” advised the police officer.

appealed

(verb) to ask for aid, support, mercy, sympathy, or the like; make an earnest entreaty.

“Eveyone please calm down,” appealed the teacher after announcing the pop quiz.

asserted

(verb) to state with assurance, confidence, or force; state strongly or positively; affirm

“How dare you accuse me of stealing your necklace! I did not steal it and you know it!” Sheila asserted.

assured

(verb) to declare earnestly to; inform or tell positively; state with confidence.

“The monsters don’t come out during the day,” assured Mack. (submitted by Kayla F.)

avowed

(verb) to declare frankly or openly; own; acknowledge; confess; admit.

“I have not eaten chocolate for over thirty days!” she avowed rather forcefully.

begged

(verb) to ask humbly or earnestly.

“Please don’t make me eat the beets; they make me gag.” Mandy begged.

beseeched

(verb) to implore urgently.

“Please, please don’t marry him. He’s the wrong man for you,” beseeched Mary when she heard that her sister had gotten engaged.

cajoled

(verb) to persuade by flattery or promises; wheedle; coax.

“Come on Dad, please take me to the mall. You want to get out of the house anyway, don’t you?” Sally cajoled as she pulled her dad up off the sofa.

claimed

(verb) to assert or maintain as a fact.

“Everybody knows that Jacob cheated on the test,” claimed Billy.

convinced

(verb) to persuade.

“I know that dog belongs to Mr. Jennings next door, because I saw him bring it home yesterday,” nodded Terry as he convinced his sister that the dog next door really did belong there.

directed

(verb) to give authoritative instructions to; command; order or ordain:

“You in the orange skirt, sit down right now!” directed the teacher as she stood at her desk, looking at the new students.

encouraged

(verb) to inspire with courage or confidence.

“Do it,” he encouraged. (submitted by Alysha B.)

entreated

(verb) to ask earnestly; beseech; implore; beg.

“Please Dad, please, can we go to the water park this weekend?” entreated Melissa.

implored

(verb) to beg urgently or piteously, as for aid or mercy; beseech; entreat.

“Please, please, don’t make me go into the haunted house; I don’t like it there,” implored Tim as he and his brother walked up to the old abanded shack.

needled

(verb) to prod or goad (someone) to a specific action. Can also be defined as: to tease.

“Come on, go shopping with me. Don’t make go by myself,” needled Jenny as she tried to pull her older sister off the chair.

pleaded (pled)

(verb) to appeal or entreat earnestly.

“Please, Dad, can we go out to eat tonight, please?” pleaded Timmy.

probed

(verb) to search into and explore very thoroughly : subject to a penetrating investigation

“Where were you between the hours of five and seven on the night of the murder?” The detective probed. (submitted by Sophie F.)

prodded

(verb) to urge someone on.

“And?” Amy prodded when Ken fell silent.

prompted

(verb) to move to action : incite

“Go on, Larry, kiss her,” prompted Harold, “you know you want to.”

soothed

(verb) to bring comfort, solace, or reassurance to.

“There, there, it’s alright now,” Robin soothed as she lifted her crying baby up out of the crib.

stressed

(verb) to lay stress on; to emphasize.

“I need it!” he stressed. (submitted by K.J.)

suggested

(verb) to mention or introduce (an idea, proposition, plan, etc.) for consideration or possible action.

“You should consider purchasing a Corvette instead the Camaro,” suggested the car salesman.

urged

(verb) to make entreaties or earnest recommendations.

“Go, GO!” Gatlin urged, pushing her sister out the door. (submitted by Katherine K.)

 

Words associated with PROVOCATION   imp emoji

bragged

(verb) to use boastful language; boast

“I’m so good at this game that there is no one who can beat my score,” bragged James as he walked out of the arcade.

dared

(verb) to challenge or provoke a person into a demonstration of courage; defy.

“Go ahead and punch me, you coward!” Jason dared his older brother.

gibed

(verb) to utter mocking or scoffing words; jeer.

“Still afraid of the dark, aren’t you!” gibed Tom at Sam’s cowardice.

goaded

(verb) to cause someone to do something by being annoying.

“Come on you ninny, hit me in the face,” goaded Stan as he glared angrily at Phil.

insulted

(verb) to treat or speak to insolently or with contemptuous rudeness; affront.

“Betty isn’t just plain, she’s ugly, and I don’t like her,”insulted Samantha.

jeered

(verb) to speak or shout derisively; scoff or gibe rudely.

“You’re the worst actor I’ve ever seen!” jeered Thomas. “Get off the stage now!”

lied

(verb) to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive.

“Of course I turned in my homework,” Jim lied. (submitted by Owen M.)

mimicked

(verb) to imitate or copy in action, speech, etc., often playfully or derisively.

“Mom, Billy’s touching me,” mimicked Billy, as he perfectly copied his sisters voice.

nagged

(verb) to annoy by persistent faultfinding, complaints, or demands.

“For the umpteenth time, take out the garbage! How many times do I have to tell you?” nagged Ken’s wife.

provoked

(verb) to anger, enrage, exasperate, or vex.

“You couldn’t lift a one pound weight with those scrawny arms,” provoked Jim as he watched Dale struggle at the weight machine.

quipped

(verb) to utter quips (a sharp, sarcastic remark; a cutting jest).

“Do I think Jason is smart? I’ve met rocks that are smarter than him,” quipped Alfred.

ribbed

(verb) to poke fun at, or to tease.

“Who’s that, your boyfriend?” Rowan ribbed, jabbing Tom in the side with her elbow as he shoved her away and fought a smile. (submitted by AJ)

ridiculed

(verb) to deride; make fun of.

“You throw like a girl,” ridiculed Nelson after he watched Thomas throw a baseball.

sassed

(verb) rude or disrespectful back talk.

“I don’t care what you want me to do. I am not going to eat my beets!” sassed Sally at the dinner table.

smirked

(verb) to smile in an affected, smug, or offensively familiar way.

“I got you good that time,” smirked Ivan.

snickered

(verb) to laugh in a half-suppressed, indecorous or disrespectful manner.

“Sorry, Barry, but they didn’t pick you for the football team,” snickered Shawn. “They picked me instead of you.”

taunted

(verb) to reproach in a sarcastic, insulting, or jeering manner; mock.

“You couldn’t win a game of tennis if you’re life depended on it!” taunted Gary from the sideline.

tempted

(verb) to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral.

“Go on Alex, steal that pack of cigarettes,” tempted Thomas. “No one will ever know.”

 

Words associated with PURPOSE or intention   double exclamation emoji

affirmed

(verb) to express agreement with or commitment to; uphold; support.

“You were right. The first space shuttle was launched in 1981,” Randy affirmed.

attested

(verb) to affirm to be true or genuine.

“He’s guilty. I saw him stabbing the knife in her back,” I attested to the charges against the man in handcuffs. (submitted by Candice R.)

blustered

(verb) to utter with noisy self-assertiveness.

“I don’t care about your opinion!” Carl blustered as the realization set in that he had lost the argument.

decided

(verb) to determine or settle (something in dispute or doubt).

“I think I’ll take a chocolate ice cream cone,” Larry decided as he looked at all the flavors.

declared

(verb) to make known or state clearly, especially in explicit or formal terms.

“I love bunnies,” Mila declared. (submitted by Lena (Sprinkles) W.)

defended

(verb) to support in the face of criticism.

“He didn’t mean to,” defended Michael quickly. (submitted by Alexa C.)

insisted

(verb) to demand strongly; to state firmly.

“But I saw it happen with my own eyes!” Clara insisted, her face becoming colored. (submitted by Elizabeth P.)

maintained

(verb) to affirm; assert; declare.

“We must never trade our Constitution for communism,” maintained the senator as he addressed the assembly.

vowed

(verb) to promise solemnly.

“I won’t tell anyone,” Tessa vowed. (submitted by Reagan H.)

 

Words associated with QUESTIONS or curiosity   thinking emoji

asked

(verb) to put a question to; inquire of.

“What is the capitol of Vermont?” asked Wilbur.

challenged

(verb) to take exception to; call in question.

“Why are you always blaming me?” challenged Andy.

“Billy! What are you doing in my room?” Lisa challenged.

coaxed

(verb) to attempt to influence by gentle persuasion, flattery, etc.; cajole:

“You do want to grow up to be big boy don’t you?” coaxed the toddler’s mother as she tried to feed him some beets.

hinted

(verb) to make indirect suggestion or allusion; subtly imply.

“You do think I look pretty in this dress don’t you?” hinted Amy as she winked mischievously at Bill.

inquired

(verb) to seek information by questioning; ask:

“Can you tell me what the capital of Mississippi is?” inquired Leland.

pleaded (pled)

(verb) to appeal or entreat earnestly:

“Won’t you please stay for dinner?” pleaded Catherine as Nathan headed for the door.

puzzled

(verb) unable to understand; perplexed or confused.

“Am I the only one who doesn’t understand that math formula?” puzzled Dan as he raised his hand to ask the teacher a question.

“Why did you cheat on your math test?” asked my mom as she passed her hand over her face and looked puzzled. (submitted by Cindy P.)

queried

(verb) to ask or inquiry about.

“Are you sure that will work?” queried Jeff.

questioned

(verb) to ask or inquiry about.

“Are you sure want me to turn left at the stop light?” questioned Mary.

quizzed

(verb) to question closely.

“What are you talking about?” quizzed Alan.

“What exactly was Humpty Dumpty?” quizzed the teacher after she had read aloud the nursery rhyme.

wondered

(verb) to think or speculate curiously.

“Did he mean to imply that I broke the window?” wondered Alex.

“How many times have I written that?” Stan wondered to himself.

 

Words associated with UNCERTAINTY or confusion   confused emoji

cautioned

(verb) To give warning to; advise or urge to take heed.

“Don’t go in there!” cautioned Bob, “It’s not safe.”

doubted

(verb) to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe.

“I know where I am going,” said Tom as he steered the car onto the dark street. “I don’t think you do,” Lisa doubted as she nervously looked out the window.

faltered

(verb) speak hesitatingly or brokenly.

“After the battle at Lexington, the next major event of the Revolutionary War was the, um … was the …” Debbie faltered as she became unsure which battle happened next.

guessed

(verb) to form an estimate or conjecture.

“The capitol of West Virginia is … Fargo?” guessed Sean.

“So you guys all come from rich families, right?” Noah guessed. (submitted by Madeline G.)

hesitated

(verb) to be reluctant or wait to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination.

“The capitol of West Virginia is,” Tom hesitated, “Charleston.”

vacillated

(verb) to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.

“I don’t like Bill. I mean I do, but I don’t,” Alan vacillated.

 

Words associated with Speech Mannerisms   bullhorn emoji

barked

(verb) to speak or cry out sharply or gruffly.

“Sit down and eat your supper!” barked Tom’s father.

bellowed

(verb) to utter in a loud deep voice.

“Everyone get down and give me 20 pushups!” bellowed the gym teacher as he angrily walked around the students.

boomed

(verb) to cause to resound.

“Be quiet!” boomed the teacher as he tried to regain control of his classroom.

croaked

(verb) to speak with a low, rasping voice.

“Don’t leave me here alone,” he tried to cry out, but it only came out as a croak.

deadpanned

(verb) to speak without expression or tone; to speak sarcastically.

“Oh, yeah, sure, just dump your money into the river,” Babette deadpanned, rolling her eyes. (submitted by Jackie L.)

drawled

(verb) to say or speak in a slow manner, usually prolonging the vowels.

“Hey ya’ll, welcome to my party,” Clare drawled in her thick southern accent.

enunciated

(verb) to utter or pronounce (words, sentences, etc.), especially in an articulate or a particular manner.

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” enunciated George, as he clearly pronounced each sylable in each word.

groaned

(verb) to utter a deep, mournful sound expressive of pain or grief.

“I know that Mom said there were no monsters under my bed, but I can still hear them,” groaned Tommy as he pulled the sheets up over his head.

heaved

(verb) to utter laboriously or painfully.

Breathing hard, Jacob stopped running, leaned over and planted his hands on his knees. “I can’t believe I just won that race,” he heaved.

hissed

(verb) to make a sharp sibilant sound: to express disapproval.

“I said to leave me alone,” he hissed.

hollered

(verb) to cry aloud; shout or yell.

“Hey, stop that thief! He just stole my purse!” Anne hollered.

howled

(verb) to utter a similar cry in distress, pain, rage, etc.; wail.

“Ow!” howled Tom. “When I catch you I am going to beat you silly!” Tom rubbed the back of his neck where his little brother’s pea shooter had hit him, and ran off after him.

intoned

(verb) to utter with a particular tone or voice modulation, such as singing or chanting.

“Don’t be concerned,” Lilith gently intoned, “I never meant to insult you.”

lisped

(verb) to pronounce the sibilants s and z imperfectly especially by turning them into th and t͟h

“Buonoths nocheths,” lisped out Bernardo, as he bowed slightly at the waist.

monotoned

(verb) a vocal utterance or series of speech sounds in one unvaried tone.

“The Roman empire didn’t simply emerge and rise up over night. It developed out of a collapsing republic and economic turmoil resulting in a series of civil wars,” monotoned the professor as his students struggled to stay awake.

mumbled

(verb) to speak in a low indistinct manner, almost to an unintelligible extent; mutter.

“Did you just eat the piece of cake that I told you not to eat?” asked Peter’s mother. “Yes,” mumbled Peter as he sheepishly looked down at the frosting on his fingers.

piped

(verb) to speak in a high-pitched or piercing tone.

“I’m over here!” piped Shirley, as she waved her arms, frantically trying to get her boyfriend’s attention.

pronounced

(verb) to enunciate or articulate (sounds, words, sentences, etc.).

“My name is Sur-sha,” pronounced Saoirse.

rattled on

(phrasal verb) to talk rapidly; chatter.

“I like pie, cheese, cake, pizza…” Bob rattled on. (submitted by Emma L.)

roared

(verb) to utter a loud, deep cry or howl, as in excitement, distress, or anger.

“What do you mean, you wrecked my car!” Paul roared.

screamed

(verb) to speak with intense or hysterical emotion.

“I don’t ever want to see you again!” screamed Holly at her now ex-boyfriend.

screeched

(verb) to utter or make a harsh, shrill cry or sound.

“Hey! Watch where you’re driving!” screeched Liz at the car that raced past her while she walked through the parking lot.

shouted

(verb) to utter in a loud voice.

“Alvin! It’s time to come in and wash up for dinner!” shouted Mary from the back door.

shrilled

(verb) to cry shrilly (high-pitched and piercing in sound quality).

“You did what?” shrilled Mark’s mother.

sibilated

(verb) to pronounce or utter (words or speech) with a hissing sound.

“Shhh!” the librarian sibilated.

slurred

(verb) to read, speak, or sing hurriedly and carelessly.

Abigail walked to the front of the class to give her oral book report. She became nervous as she noticed that everyone was looking at her. Hands shaking in fear, she looked down at her report and started to speak. “My book report is on The House of Seven Gables, by Nathaniel Hawthorne,” Abigail slurred.

sneezed

(verb) to emit air or breath suddenly, forcibly, and audibly through the nose and mouth by involuntary, spasmodic action.

“I thought you knew I was allergic to daisies.” David scrunched up his face and sneezed. “Please take them out of the room, I can hardly breath.”

stammered

(verb) to speak with involuntary breaks and pauses, or with spasmodic repetitions of syllables or sounds.

“Oh my goodness! There’s a a a g g g ghost standing in the the the hallway!” stammered Clyde as he pointed at the eerie figure.

stuttered

(verb) to speak in such a way that the rhythm is interrupted by repetitions, blocks or spasms, or prolongations of sounds or syllables, sometimes accompanied by contortions of the face and body.

“I d d don’t want to go down th th there. I’m a a a afraid of th th the dark,” stuttered Sam as he stood at the top of the stairs looking down into the dark basement.

thundered

(verb) to utter loud or vehement denunciations, threats, or the like.

“What are you doing out of your room!” Phillip’s dad thundered.

trilled

(verb) to utter as or with or as if with a trill (the rapid vibration of one speech organ against another (as of the tip of the tongue against the teethridge)).

“I will now roll my R’s like this, rrrrrrrrr,” trilled the Spanish teacher.

wheezed

(verb) to make a sound resembling difficult breathing.

“May I sit down here?” wheezed John as he plopped heavily into the chair.

whispered

(verb) to speak softly with little or no vibration of the vocal cords especially to avoid being overheard.

“I don’t like him,” whispered Bob. (submitted by Julie D.)

yelled

(verb) to cry out or speak with a strong, loud, clear sound; shout.

“Get out of here!” he yelled. “The house is on fire!” (submitted by Amelia W.)

The words below are classified by emotions

The emotion of ANGER   anger emoji

accused 

(verb) to charge with a fault, offense, or crime.

“Professor Plum murdered Colonel Mustard!” accused Miss Peacock, as she pointed her finger at Professor Plum.

argued

(verb) to contend in oral disagreement; dispute.

“I do to know what I am talking about!” Wayne argued as he defiantly crossed his arms across his chest.

badgered

(verb) to harass or urge persistently; pester; nag.

“Why are you not responding?” She badgered, poking him in the ribs. (submitted by Rhianna H.)

bickered

(verb) to engage in petulant or peevish argument.

“Well, you didn’t say that we had to do page four!” Camile bickered. (submitted by Elsa N.)

caterwauled

(verb) to protest or complain noisily.

“I don’t want to do it your way,” caterwauled Karl, “I want to do it my way!”

chastised

(verb) to scold, rebuke, or reprimand.

“You should never talk back to your mother,” Lucy chastised, pulling Tony away by his ear. (submitted by Jackie L.)

chided

(verb) to express disapproval of; scold; reproach.

“It’s not your hair that needs to be brushed, it’s your teeth that need it,” chided Mary as she watched her husband in the mirror.

commanded

(verb) to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order.

“Go to your room now!” Ralph’s dad commanded.

complained

(verb) to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault.

“Why do I always have to do the dishes? It’s not fair,” Taylor complained.

condemned

(verb) to express an unfavorable or adverse judgment on; indicate strong disapproval of; censure. (also) To pronounce to be guilty; sentence to punishment.

“This man is guilty of treason, send him to the dungeon!” condemned the King.

cursed

(verb) to wish or invoke evil, calamity, injury, or destruction upon.

“I hate you and I hope you never get another girlfriend ever!” cursed Jane as she stormed away from her ex-boyfriend.

demanded

(verb) to ask for with proper authority; claim as a right.

“You had better explain yourself, young man!” demanded Phil’s mother as she observed the clothing strewn about his bedroom.

denounced

(verb) to condemn or censure openly or publicly.

“This man is a liar, a thief, and a scoundrel!” the lawyer denounced as he pointed at the man in the witness stand.

exploded

(verb) to burst forth violently or emotionally, especially with noise, laughter, or violent speech.

“You told me this report was finished last Friday!” exploded Bob. “You haven’t even started on it!”

fumed

(verb) to show fretful irritation or anger.

“What do you mean that you’re going to be late again?” fumed Melissa.

growled

(verb) to murmur or complain angrily; grumble.

“How dare you?!” Alfred growled. (submitted by Reina M.)

interrupted

(verb) to stop (a person) in the midst of doing or saying something, especially by an interjected remark.

“Just stop what you’re saying right now!” the teacher interrupted. “This is the third time this week you’ve forgotten your homework!”

ordered

(verb) to direct or command to go or come as specified.

“Go to your room right now!” ordered Frank’s dad.

raged

(verb) to act or speak with fury; show or feel violent anger; fulminate.

“Put down my cup!” raged David’s dad as he attempted to steal the last of the delicious juice. (submitted by Maddy & David)

ranted

(verb) to talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner.

“You had better not talk to me Peter Davidson. And that goes for you to Bob, and Steve, and Carl,” ranted Jillian.

retaliated

(verb) to return like for like, especially evil for evil.

“You are an insignificant fool!” she retaliated. (submitted by Arden G.)

retorted

(verb) to answer back, usually sharply.

“What a fine chemistry lab partner you are!” Gus retorted, but the tone of his voice made it obvious that he did not mean it.

scoffed

(verb) to speak derisively; mock; jeer.

“Is that the best you can do? I thought I taught you better than that!” scoffed Pete as his younger brother sung the bat and missed the ball.

scolded

(verb) to find fault with angrily; chide; reprimand.

“Your homework is late again. You know that you are supposed to turn it in on time,” scolded Ralph’s teacher.

scowled

(verb) to have a gloomy or threatening look.

“I’m really mad at Marissa right now. She insulted me just to be popular.” scowled Gloria, even though Marissa was her best friend. (submitted by Nora D.)

seethed

(verb) to be in a state of agitation or excitement.

“You’d never understand how you truly anger me!” Jax seethed in white hot anger. (submitted by Brianna L.)

shot

(verb) to send forth (words, ideas, etc.) rapidly.

“Jason is such a nerd!” shot Wilson as he and his friend hurried past the computer lab so that no one would realize who made the comment.

snapped

(verb) to utter a quick, sharp sentence or speech, especially a command, reproof, retort, etc.

“Get back here right now, young man!” snapped Bill’s dad.

snarled

(verb) to speak in a surly or threatening manner suggestive of a dog’s snarl.

“You’ll pay for this!” snarled the old man as he watched the kids running down the street, away from his broken window.

sneered

(verb) to speak or write in a manner expressive of ridicule, contempt, or scorn.

“You think you’re so smart, getting accepted into Harvard. But you’re not! You’re not,” sneered Larry.

stormed

(verb) to rage or complain with violence or fury.

“You said I was your best friend, not Jill. I hate you! I hate you!” stormed Leah.

swore

(verb) to affirm, assert, or say with solemn earnestness.

“Mark my words; I will get even with you!” swore Lonnie.

threatened

(verb) to indicate impending evil or mischief.

“If you tell mom or dad that I stole this radio, you’ll be sorry!” threatened Joe.

warned

(verb) to admonish or exhort, as to action or conduct.

“Be on time tomorrow, or you’re fired!” warned her boss.

The emotion of DISGUST   disgust emoji

cringed

(verb) to recoil in distaste.

“Ew, I hate tuna,” Riley cringed. (submitted by Cameron B.)

gagged

(verb) to make qips (a clever usually taunting remark).

“I think the baby need a new diaper,” gagged Tom as he walked into the room.

groused

(verb) to grumble; complain.

“I hate it when mom cooks beets for supper,” Steve groused as he walked through the kitchen.

griped

(verb) to complain with grumbling

“I really hate having to do all this homework,” Harold griped.

grunted

(verb) to grumble, as in discontent.

“I really hate that teacher!” grunted Randy as he left the classroom on his way to the Principal’s office.

mocked

(verb) to treat with ridicule or contempt.

“Sure you do,” he mocked, rolling his eyes. “You know everything.” (submitted by Tara N.)

rasped

(verb) to utter with a grating sound.

“You make me sick to my stomach,” rasped Avery as he turned and walked away.

refused

(verb) to decline to accept (something offered).

“There’s no way I’d ever go out on a date with you,” refused Odette as she turned and walked haughtily away from Andy.

sniffed

(verb) to show disdain, contempt.

“I never really liked you anyway!” sniffed Regina.

snorted

(verb) to express scorn, anger, indignation, or surprise by a snort.

“As if I’d ever believe anything that you’d have to say,” snorted Bill.

The emotion of EMBARRASSMENT   flushed face emoji

admitted

(verb) to acknowledge; confess.

“She … she is so gorgeous! Everything about her makes me swoon!” Trenton admitted. (submitted by Brianna L.)

confessed

(verb) to own or admit as true.

“Please don’t tell any spooky stories. I’m afraid of the dark,” confessed Randy as he nervously looked around at the shadows being cast by the campfire.

spilled

(verb) to divulge, disclose, or tell.

“I did it, it’s true. I wasn’t going to tell anyone, but now that you know, I’ll tell you everything,” he spilled.

spluttered

(verb) to talk rapidly and somewhat incoherently, as when confused, excited, or embarrassed.

“No. No, no, no. No. I wasn’t getting another drink…” he spluttered and bit his lip. Looking down he saw the drink in his hand and blushed.

 

The emotion of FEAR   fear emoji

denied

(verb) to state that (something declared or believed to be true) is not true.

“I am not afraid of the dark,” Randy denied.

fretted

(verb) to become vexed (distressed) or worried.

“I know that I studied for this exam, but I’m not sure I’m ready,” fretted Shirley as she watched the teacher place the exam on her desk.

moaned

(verb) to utter (something) inarticulately or pitifully, as if in lamentation.

“I failed another test. What am I going to tell my parents?” moaned Christopher.

panted

(verb) to breathe hard and quickly, as after exertion.

“Nick, wait! Wait up!” Shelby panted, running towards him. (submitted by Wenny W.)

prayed

(verb) to offer devout petition, praise, thanks, etc., to (God or an object of worship).

“Please, God, don’t let me fail this exam,” prayed Heather.

quavered

(verb) to sound, speak, or sing tremulously. (Tremulous is defined as: characterized by or affected with trembling or tremors.)

“Mom, the monsters are still under my bed,” quavered Tommy.

shivered

(verb) to shake or tremble with cold, fear, excitement, etc.

“H-how’d you get into m-my house?…” Alysa shivered as a man crept closer. (submitted by Alex)

shrieked

(verb) to cry out sharply in a high voice.

“I just saw a ghost!” shrieked Linda.

shuddered

(verb) tremble convulsively, typically as a result of fear or revulsion.

“I’m terrified of the dark,” Alex shuddered. (submitted by Claire E.)

squeaked

(verb) to utter or make a short shrill cry or noise.

“What was that noise?” squeaked Faye as she glanced nervously around the dark room.

squealed

(verb) to make a long, high-pitched cry or noise.

“There’s a cockroach in the sink!” squealed Debbie as she ran out of the kitchen.

whimpered

(verb) to cry with low, plaintive, broken sounds.
(noun) a low, feeble sound expressive of fear or pain.

“You really hurt my feelings,” Courtney whimpered. (submitted by Alyson M.)

“I’m not doing that! It’s too scary!” Donnie Whimpered. (submitted by Jaqcueline N.)

whined

(verb) to snivel or complain in a peevish, self-pitying way.

“There’s no way you can just leave and forget about me,” Terry whined in anguish. (submitted by Brianna L.)

worried

(verb) to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.

“What if she doesn’t like me, or thinks that I’m boring? What will I do if I say the say the wrong thing?” worried Jay as he prepared for his first date with Brenda.

 

The emotion of FRUSTRATION   frustrate emoji

exasperated

(verb) to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely.

“This is the last time I help you,” exasperated Maddison as she sighed heavily. (submitted by Maddy & David)

grumbled

(verb) to murmur or mutter in discontent; complain sullenly.

“My boyfriend hasn’t texted me in two days,” grumbled Julie.

huffed

(verb) to utter with indignation or scorn.

“You made a fine mess of this situation,” Rodney huffed.

protested

(verb) to declare (something) firmly and emphatically in the face of stated or implied doubt or in response to an accusation.

“I was not telling a lie!” Lilly protested.

whinged

(verb) to complain fretfully; whine.

“It should have been my turn to go down the slide,” Molly whinged.

The emotion of HAPPINESS   happiness emoji

approved

(verb) to speak or think favorably of; pronounce or consider agreeable or good; judge favorably.

“Oh my goodness Cindy, I love your new haircut!” approved Emily.

beamed

(verb) to smile radiantly or happily.

“Look everybody, Dad got me a puppy!” beamed Chrissy.

bubbled

(verb) to speak, move, issue forth, or exist in a lively, sparkling manner; exude cheer.

“We’re going to Disneyland! We’re going to Disneyland!” bubbled Danny as he excitedly ran around the room.

burst

(verb) to give sudden expression to or as if to emotion.

“I love you Aiden!” burst Emma. (submitted by Emma L.)

cackled

(verb) to laugh in a shrill, broken manner.

“You’ll never escape!” she cackled. (submitted by Rhianna H.)

cheered

(verb) a shout of encouragement, approval, congratulation, etc.

“Way to go Wayne!” cheered Lily as she watched her boyfriend cross the finish line first.

chirped

(verb) to say something in a lively and cheerful way.

“Come sit down,” she chirped, as she scooted over, leaving me a seat. (submitted by Tatum P.)

chorused

(verb) simultaneous utterance in singing, speaking, shouting, etc.

“We won!” chorused Bill with the rest of the crowd at the conclusion of the basketball game.

complimented

(verb) an expression of praise, commendation, or admiration.

“You look nice today,” complimented Ben. (submitted by Nathaniel F.)

congratulated

(verb) to express pleasure to (a person), as on a happy occasion.

“Here’s to our good friend, Randolph, who finally got engaged to Elizabeth,” congratulated Ben.

crowed

(verb) to gloat, boast, or exult.

“Woo-hoo! I made the team!” crowed Karl as he watched the coach post the roster.

exulted

(verb) to show or feel a lively or triumphant joy; rejoice exceedingly; be highly elated or jubilant.

“Yes!” he exulted, pumping his fist in the air in delight. (submitted by Chris G.)

grinned

(verb) to smile broadly, especially as an indication of pleasure, amusement, or the like.

“My softball team, the Batgirls, won the game against the Sharks!” grinned Sabrina, in spite of the fact that a member of the Sharks was glaring at her. (submitted by Nora D.)

gurgled

(verb) to utter low throaty bubbling noises, esp as a sign of contentment.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Kathy gurgled with laughter as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

gushed

(verb) to express oneself extravagantly or emotionally; talk effusively.

“I am so proud of my son. He not only made straight A’s, but he’s also on the football team,” gushed Alice as she talked with her neighbor.

hummed

(verb) an inarticulate sound uttered in contemplation, hesitation, dissatisfaction, doubt, etc.

“Shall we leave?” she hummed, grabbing his hand. (submitted by Rhianna H.)

praised

(verb) to express approval or admiration of; commend; extol.

“You ran an excellent race,” praised Samantha’s track coach.

resounded

(verb) to proclaim loudly (praise, disapproval, etc.).

“Long live the king,” the crowd resounded as the royal carriage rolled down the road.

sang

(verb) to proclaim enthusiastically.

“I got an A on my test! I got an A on my test!” sang Rosalynn as she danced down the hallway toward her locker.

simpered

(verb) to smile in a silly, self-conscious way.

“I really like Troy,” she said a little bit too loudly. Then she noticed him looking at her, and simpered.

smiled

(verb) to assume a facial expression indicating pleasure, favor, or amusement, characterized by an upturning of the corners of the mouth.

“I am so proud of you,” smiled Joe’s mother.

squealed

(verb) to make a shrill cry or noise.

“I can’t believe we got front row seats!” Ella squealed, jumping up and down. (submitted by Eliza G.)

thanked

(verb) to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment to.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how much I like your gift,” thanked Alan as he unwrapped the present.

whooped

(verb) to utter a loud cry or shout in expressing enthusiasm, excitement, etc.

“We won! We won!” Peter whooped.

The emotion of LOVE or ROMANCE   happiness emoji

blushed

(verb) to become red in the face especially from shame, modesty, or confusion.

“Are you … asking me on a date?” Minnie blushed, as her heart pounded wildly in her chest. (submitted by Nora V)

breathed

(verb) to control the outgoing breath in producing voice and speech sounds.

“These flowers are so beautiful,” she breathed as she held them close to her chest.

cooed

(verb) to murmur or talk fondly or amorously.

“I’m so glad you asked me to watch this romantic movie with you,” cooed Lila as she snuggled up against Jason.

expressed

(verb) to show, manifest, or reveal.

“I love you more than my words can convey,” expressed Liz as she looked dreamily into Hank’s eyes.

flattered

(verb) to play upon or gratify the vanity of (a person)

“I swear that you’re the prettiest girl in this school,” flattered Greg as he passed by Valerie in the hallway.

flirted

(verb) to behave as if in love without serious intent.

Penelope flipped her long blonde curls and gave a full toothed smile. “Hi Jason,” she flirted shamelessly.

proclaimed

(verb) to announce or declare in an official or formal manner.

“I love you Joshua Jones,” proclaimed Emily for all to hear.

professed

(verb) to declare or admit openly or freely

“Alicia is the love of my life,” Kendall professed.

promised

(verb) to state to someone that you will certainly do something.

“I will love you forever, Kate,” promised Alexander.

purred

(verb) to utter a low, continuous, murmuring sound expressive of contentment or pleasure.

“I just love being with you,” Lisa purred, as she snuggled up close to her boyfriend.

swooned

(verb) to enter a state of hysterical rapture or ecstasy.

“John is just so… so…,” Sally swooned. (submitted by Avalon)

 

The emotion of REGRET   zipper face emoji

apologized

(verb) to offer an apology or excuse for some fault, insult, failure, or injury.

“I’m really sorry Dad; I didn’t mean to break the window.” apologized Andy as he looked down at the baseball bat in his hands.

aside

(verb) words spoken so as not to be heard by others present.

“I really hope I don’t bomb this test,” Gabby muttered aside. (submitted by Autumn L.)

forgave

(verb) to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.

“It’s okay, I know you didn’t mean to. Let’s be friends again,” Kate forgave. (submitted by Katherine K.)

gulped

(verb) to suppress, subdue, or choke back as if by swallowing.

“Oh no!” gulped Ralph. “I think the teacher just caught me cheating on the exam.”

mumbled

(verb) to speak in a low indistinct manner, almost to an unintelligible extent; mutter.

“I’m sorry I hit you,” mumbled Jake to his sister when his mother forced him to apologize.

murmured

(verb) to speak in a low tone or indistinctly.

“I really wish I had bought the mirrored aviator sunglasses instead of the retro style,” murmured Ted.

muttered

(verb) to utter indistinctly or in a low tone.

“Just because mom likes you best doesn’t mean that anyone else likes you!” muttered Gina softly enough that her sister couldn’t hear.

sighed

(verb) to yearn or long; pine.

“I sure wish Dad was here,” sighed Valerie as she looked at the steam pouring out from under the car’s hood.

wished

(verb) to want; desire; long for.

“I want cake,” Wade wished. (submitted by Emma L.)

 

The emotion of SADNESS   sadness emoji

bawled

(verb) to cry out loudly and unrestrainedly.

“I can’t believe we lost the game,” bawled Paul as he held his head in his hands while the crowd left the bleachers.

bewailed

(verb) to express deep sorrow for; lament.

“I can’t believe my cat died!” bewailed Cindy, who promptly burst into tears.

blubbered

(verb) an act of weeping noisily and without restraint.

With little prompting, she spilled the whole glorious story in its entirety. Exhausted and tearful, she blubbered, “It’s all my fault.” (submitted by Holly T.)

“He dumped me!” Alyssa blubbered. (submitted by Alyson M.)

comforted

(verb) to soothe, console, or reassure; bring cheer to.

“It’s okay Paul. Our team will win their next game,” comforted Jill as she gently patted Paul on the back.

consoled

(verb) to alleviate or lessen the grief, sorrow, or disappointment of; give solace or comfort.

“I know you failed the test, but don’t worry, you’ll pass the next one,” consoled Bill’s mother.

cried

(verb) to utter inarticulate sounds, especially of lamentation, grief, or suffering, usually with tears.

“I can’t believe that Kathy had to move to another town. I’m going to miss her so much,” cried Wendy as she vainly tried to stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks.

lamented

(verb) an expression of grief or sorrow.

“Have you seen my kitten? I left the door open and my kiiten got out, and now I can’t find her.” lamented Krista as she looked up and down the street.

sniffled

(verb) to sniff repeatedly, as from a head cold or in repressing tears.

“I still love you,” Sandy sniffled, “even though you don’t love me anymore.”

snivelled

(verb) to speak or act in a whining, sniffling, tearful, or weakly emotional manner.

“I really wanted to go to the park today,” Kylie snivelled as she looked out the window at the rain.

sobbed

(verb) to weep with a convulsive catching of the breath.

“I’m sorry,” he sobbed. “It was my job to protect you and now you’re dead.” (submitted by McKenna Y.)

wailed

(verb) to express deep sorrow for; mourn; lament.

“Why did he leave me? We used to have such a good relationship,” wailed Kayla.

wept

(verb) to express grief, sorrow, or any overpowering emotion by shedding tears; shed tears; cry.

“He never even said goodbye; he’s just like a ghost,” Jessy wept softly, broken hearted over the loss of her husband. (submitted by Brianna L.)

 

The emotion of SURPRISE   surprise emoji

bleated

(verb) to talk complainingly or with a whine.

“But yesterday you said I could go,” she bleated.

blurted

(verb) to utter suddenly or inadvertently; divulge impulsively or unadvisedly.

“It’s true, I ate all the cookies,” blurted Johnnie when his mother gave him a stern look.

exclaimed

(verb) to cry out or speak suddenly and vehemently, as in surprise, strong emotion, or protest.

“I made the team!” Lizzy exclaimed. (submitted by Helenaluciana M)

gasped

(verb) a sudden, short intake of breath, as in shock or surprise.

“It’s gone!” Jake gasped. “My wallet was in my pocket a minute ago, but now it’s gone!”

marveled (U.S.) marvelled (U.K.)

(verb) to show or experience great surprise or admiration.

“You saved my life,” marveled Amy. (submitted by Alison S.)

perplexed

(verb) to be confused or uncertain over something that is not understood.

“I don’t understand,” she said perplexed. (submitted by Elvey T.)

sputtered

(verb) to utter hastily or explosively in confusion or excitement.

“What what what do you mean I failed the exam?” sputtered Wendy. “I thought I aced it.”

yelped

(verb) to call or cry out sharply.

“Ouch!” Tony yelped. “That really hurt!”

 

Words associated with TIREDNESS   sleeping emoji

groggily

(adverb) dazed and weakened, as from lack of sleep.

“It can’t be time to get up already,” Janice said groggily as her mother attempted to wake her.

lethargically

(adjective) of, relating to, or affected with lethargy; drowsy; sluggish; apathetic.

“What?” Paul asked lethargically as he suddenly realized that the teacher was calling out his name.

listlessly

(adverb) characterized by lack of interest, energy, or spirit.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get to that right away,” Ralph remarked listlessly after his mother asked him to take out the garbage.

sleepily

(adverb) ready to fall asleep.

“Okay, I’ll get to that next,” Howard responded sleepily from his chair as his eyes closed and his head drooped down to his chest.

sluggishly

(adjective) slow to respond.

“Sorry, I didn’t get much sleep last night,” Jasmine responded sluggishly. (submitted by Jax O.)

somnolently

(adverb) sleepy, drowsy.

“I don’t think I can keep driving and stay awake,” Adam somnolently exclaimed after he let out a huge yawn.

wearily

(adjective) physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain, etc.; fatigued; tired.

“I don’t think I can take another step,” Sam responded wearily as he plopped down onto a nearby log.

yawned

(verb) to open the mouth somewhat involuntarily with a prolonged, deep inhalation and sighing or heavy exhalation, as from drowsiness or boredom.

“I’m not tired at all,” yawned John. (submitted by Logan S.)

 

Words not associated with any particular emotionperson shrugging emoji

acquiesced

(verb) to assent tacitly; submit or comply silently or without protest; agree; consent:

“Okay, okay, I agree with you,” Sam acquiesced.

added

(verb) to say or write further.

“Not only that, but Jill is very smart too,” Joe added.

addressed

(verb) to greet by a prescribed form.

The reporter bypassed everyone else at the table and focused on the man sitting at the head. “Excuse me Mr. Mayor, I’d like to ask you a question, if I may,” he politely addressed the man.

agreed

(verb) to have the same views, emotions, etc.; harmonize in opinion or feeling.

“Yes, that is a good idea, we should go to the movies tonight,” Joyce agreed.

alliterated

(verb) the commencement of two or more words of a word group with the same letter.

“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,” Mavis alliterated.

announced

(verb) to state; declare.

“Guess what dear, I’m pregnant!” announced Tim’s wife.

began

(verb) to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.

“Well,” began Clarence, “It all started when I got out of bed this morning.”

bet

(verb) to make a wager.

“I can get an «A» on that test without even studying!” bet Thomas.

boasted

(verb) to be excessively proud, to brag, or be vain.

“Winning the kickball tournament was as easy as pie,” Sean boasted. (submitted by Kayla F.)

called

(verb) to cry out in a loud voice; shout.

“Good to see you again!” called the shop owner from across the room. (submitted by Rebecca W.)

chimed in

(verb) to break suddenly and unwelcomely into a conversation, as to express agreement or voice an opinion.

“You guys should know that I’m the best in my class at math,” Gary chimed in.

coached

(verb) to give instruction or advice.

“Simon paused, not knowing what to say. “Tell them about your socks,” his dad coached. (submitted by Neil F.)

confided

(verb) to impart secrets trustfully; discuss private matters or problems.

“You can’t tell anyone this, but Bob just asked me to the Prom, and I said no,” Celeste confided to her best friend in a low voice so that none else could hear.

confirmed

(verb) to establish the truth, accuracy, validity, availability, etc.

“She has a concussion,” the nurse confirmed. (submitted by Alorie F.)

continued

(verb) to go on after suspension or interruption.

“As I was saying, before I was so rudely interupted, the reason that I am so good at playing basketball is my incredible speeed,” continued John.

contributed

(verb) to give something: i.e. time, information, suggetions, etc.

“I don’t know what to do!” Sue cried.
“Maybe you could talk to him?” Allen contributed. (submitted by Emilia R.)

conversed

(verb) to talk informally with another or others; exchange views, opinions, etc.,

“I didn’t know that your favorite color was red. Mine is yellow,” conversed Kyle as he waited at the bustop with Jennifer.

crooned

(verb) to sing or speak in a gentle murmuring manner.

“It’s alright, you’re okay,” Melanie crooned. (submitted by Jess D.)

demurred

(verb) to make objection, especially on the grounds of scruples; take exception; object.

“Sure.” He jumped to his feet. “I’m sorry to have kept you.”
“No, no,” Anne demurred. (submitted by Jennie G.)

described

(verb) to tell or depict in written or spoken words; give an account of:

“So, what did the man look like?” The police inquired, desperate for an answer.
“He had light, blonde curly hair and round, black glasses. He had a scar on his cheek, and his skin was really wrinkly.” Mary described. (submitted by Katherine K.)

dictated

(verb) 2 definitions

  1. to say or read (something) aloud for another person to transcribe or for a machine to record.
  2. to give orders.

  1. “Tuesday I have a meeting with Mr. Smith at 10 o’clock, followed by a metting at 11 with Mr. Jones,” dictated the lawyer into his voice recorder.
  2. “When I say jump, you jump!” dictated the drill sergeant.

disclosed

(verb) to make known; reveal or uncover.

“Tommy was trying to look at my answers,” Susan disclosed as she handed the teacher her test.

divulged

(verb) to disclose or reveal (something private, secret, or previously unknown).

“Samantha and I eloped last month and secretly got married. But we haven’t told her parents yet,” Richard divulged to best his friend.

echoed

(verb) to repeat or imitate the words, sentiments, etc., of (a person).

“Stop saying what I’m saying,” Stan echoed back at his sister for the third time.

emphasized

(verb) to give emphasis to; lay stress upon; stress.

“Of course I cheated on the test. Everyone does,” Frank emphasized.

ended

(verb) to come to an end; terminate; cease .

“Of course I did my homework. But it fell on the floor this morning and my dog ate it. Really, he did,” Robert ended feebly, as he wrung his hands and looked nervously at the teacher.

finished

(verb) to come to an end.

“I don’t know I even bother talking to you,” Evelyn finished, as she turned and walked away in a huff.

gloated

(verb) to feel or express great pleasure or satisfaction because of your own success or good luck, or someone else’s failure or bad luck.

“I just won my fourth one on one basketball game this week,” gloated Stanley as he swaggered toward the locker room.

greeted

(verb) to address with some form of salutation; welcome.

“Welcome to our home!” Mrs. Karns greeted fondly, gesturing the young lady to come inside. (submitted by Katherine K.)

imitated

(verb) to mimic; impersonate.

“Mom, Jim’s touching me!” Jim imitated as he gleefully watched his sister stick out her tongue at him.

imparted

(verb) to make known; tell; relate; disclose.

“Study for the exam this Friday, that’s the best advice I can give you,” imparted the history teacher as he dismissed the class.

implied

(verb) to indicate or suggest without being explicitly stated.

“Oh sure, sure, I believe you. You had to work late again,” she implied in a tone that clearly suggested that she did not believe him at all.

informed

(verb) to give or impart knowledge of a fact or circumstance.

“Put your pencils down. The exam is now over,” informed the teacher.

insinuated

(verb) suggest or hint (something bad or reprehensible) in an indirect and unpleasant way.

“I’m not sure that’s true. Max is capable of anything.) Julie insinuated about his involvement in the murder. (submitted by Courtney LK)

insisted

(verb) to demand strongly; to state firmly.

“But I saw it happen with my own eyes!” Clara insisted, her face becoming colored. (submitted by Elizabeth P.)

instructed

(verb) 3 definitions:

  1. direct or command someone to do something, especially as an official order.
  2. teach (someone) a subject or skill.
  3. inform (someone) of a fact or situation.

  1. “Get down and give me twenty pushups!” instructed the coach.
  2. “Widen your stance,” the football coach instructed the blocker.
  3. “If you study, you will pass the exam,” the teacher instructed the class.

lectured

(verb) to rebuke or reprimand at some length.

“All of you knew last week that I was giving the exam today. None of you have an excuse for not studying or being ready,” lectured the teacher.

mentioned

(verb) to refer briefly to; name, specify, or speak of.

“I did tell you about that yesterday,” mentioned Robert’s mother.

motioned

(verb) to direct by a motion (a proposal formally made to a deliberative assembly).

“I declare this meeting to be adjourned,” motioned the mayor.

mouthed

(verb) To form soundlessly, or with less noise than a whisper.

“She’s right behind you,” Jake mouthed.

mused

(verb) to comment thoughtfully or ruminate upon.

“I wonder what she meant by that?” mused Gerald as he watched Linda walk away.

nodded

(verb) to bend (the head) in a short, quick downward movement, as of assent or greeting.

“That’s right,” nodded Jack “there’s no school tomorrow due to parent teacher conferences.”

notified

(verb) to inform (someone) to give notice of.

“No one in this class passed the test,” notified the teacher with a very disappointed expression on her face.

observed

(verb) to see, watch, perceive, or notice.

“The value of gold is even higher today than it was four years ago,” observed the bank president.

offered

(verb) to propose or put forward for consideration.

“We could go to the park,” Aiden offered. (submitted by Harper L.)

opined

(verb) to hold or express an opinion.

“My brother is a genius,” he opined.

peeped

(verb) to speak in a thin, weak voice.

“My dear, would you please fetch my cane,” peeped the old man as he gestured toward the corner of the room.

peppered

(verb) To beset repeatedly, as with questions or requests.

“What’s going to happen? What is that? Do you use that?” Max peppered his Mom with questions. (submitted by Claire E.)

pestered

(verb) to bother persistently with petty annoyances; trouble.

“Come on Dad, I need you to take me to the mall. I really need go, can you take me today?” pestered Judy as she tried to pull her dad up and out of his chair.

pressed

(verb) to urge, pressure.

“Oh, please tell me where he is!” Alexander pressed, staring frantically up at his mother. (submitted by Jackie L.)

prompted

(verb) to supply forgotten lines, lyrics, or the like to an actor, singer, etc.

“If we are true to ourselves, we can not be false to anyone,” prompted the drama teacher when she saw the student portraying Hamlet falter.

put in

(verb) to say something that interrupts someone who is speaking.

“Why don’t we just ask them?” Jimmy suddenly put in as he listed to his brothers wonder what they should get their parents for Christmas.

quoted

(verb) to repeat words from (a book, author, etc.).

“Be sure to make your bed in the bed in the morning,” quoted Angela as she repeated her mother’s words.

read

(verb) to read something out loud.

“The sign says ‘do not trespass’ ” Gabriella read, squinting at the letters. (submitted by Jackie L.)

recalled

(verb) to bring back from memory; recollect; remember.

““The old Boeing 707 jet airliner was a very comfortable plane to fly in,” recalled the old man.

reckoned

(verb) to regard or think of as: consider.

“Centrifugal forces must be an important factor for race car drivers,” Phil reckoned.

recited

(verb) to say something from memory.

“Remember what mother said, Lily: ’Treat others as you wish to be treated,’” Ashley recited, crossing her arms. (submitted by Jackie L.)

recounted

(verb) to give an account of an event or experience.

“No, Mr. Johnson told us that the homework was due on Tuesday,” Sherri recounted, documenting the teachers previous instructions. (submitted by Hannah L.)

related

(verb) to tell; give an account of (an event, circumstance, etc.).

“In the middle of the movie, my boyfriend kissed me,” Jillian related, as her friends waited breathlessly for more details.

remembered

(verb) to recall to the mind by an act or effort of memory; think of again.

“Oh my goodness, I have an appointment with the doctor today!” Quinton remembered.

reminded

(verb) to cause (a person) to remember; cause (a person) to think of someone or something.

“Don’t forget to study for your math test over the weekend!” Mr. McAndrew reminded. (submitted by Katherine K.)

repeated

(verb) to say or utter again (something already said).

“Take out the trash!” Jake’s mother repeated after she noticed the chore had still not been performed.

requested

(verb) to ask for, especially politely or formally.

“May I be excused from the table please?” requested Zachary after he had finished eating.

revealed

(verb) to make known; disclose; divulge.

“Johnny is cheating on his test,” revealed Chrissy as she placed her finished test on the teacher’s desk.

rhymed

(verb) to put into rhyme (identity in sound of some part, especially the end, of words or lines of verse).

“Once upon a morning dreary, I stayed in bed all tired and weary,” rhymed the old man.

spoke

(verb) a simple past tense of speak.

“Please keep your voices down, the baby is asleep,” spoke Maddy in hushed tone, after she gotten everyone’s attention.

started

(verb) to bring up for consideration or discussion.

“Well,” started Jill, “I think we should go to the park.” (submitted by Charlotte C.)

stumbled

(verb) to speak or act in a hesitant or faltering manner.

“Score four and seven . . .” stumbled Gary as he paused, closing his eyes in disbeleif that he just screwed up his line, and then started over, “Four score and seven years ago….”

sympathized

(verb) to be in sympathy or agreement of feeling; share in a feeling

“I know you didn’t mean to do it,” Caroline sympathized.

tartly

(verb) to be sharp in character, spirit, or expression; cutting; biting.

“I already saw that,” Delaney said tartly. (submitted by Claire E.)

teased

(verb) to irritate or provoke with persistent petty distractions, trifling raillery, or other annoyance.

“You can’t possibly run faster than me!” teased Jeff. (submitted by Aditya P.)

tested

(verb) to subject to a test of any kind.

“Are you sure that Annapolis is the capital of Maryland?” tested Billy’s teacher when she saw the look of doubt on his face.

thought outloud

(phrasal verb) to say one’s thoughts so that other people can hear them.

“To solve this algebra equation I’m going to need to figure out what the lowest common denominator is,” Loretta thought aloud, causing the students nearby to turn their heads and look at her.

told

(verb) simple past tense and past participle of tell.

“We talked all about Karen’s date last night.” Martha told her mother.

tried

(intranitive verb) to make an attempt or effort; strive.

“But-but, my dog, he…!” Lisa tried, but her teacher would’t listen. (submitted by Chloe B.)

uttered

(verb) to give audible expression to; speak or pronounce.

“But … why Mr. Anders?” uttered Billy. (submitted by Shawn P.)

ventured

(verb) to undertake to express, as when opposition or resistance appears likely to follow; be bold enough; dare.

“I’m thinking about doing it,” Rhonda ventured. (submitted by Claire E.)

volunteered

(verb) to offer (oneself or one’s services) for some undertaking or purpose.

“I guess I will,” Kathy volunteered, stepping forward. (submitted by Katherine K.)

welcomed

(verb) to greet hospitably with courtesy or cordiality.

“Hello everyone, please come in,” welcomed Mr Lancaster as his nieghbors entered the house.

went on

(verb) to continue happening or doing something as before.

“Anyway, before I was interrupted,” Sammy went on, “I was saying what if we went to the mall?” (submitted by Samantha B.)

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We hear different sounds all the time. But how do we actually say them as words?

There are many different words for sounds. Let’s look at 42 sound words in English (plus some useful idioms with sound words).


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1. Sounds of things hitting things

Thud

Thud: a woman dropping a brick on the floor

The sound of something heavy falling and hitting the ground.

I don’t know why she’s dropping a brick from a high chair.

But it does make a fun sound.

Whack

Whack: a baseball bat hitting a ball

The sound of a short, heavy hit.

This can also be used as a verb:

“She whacked him in the head with the pillow.”

Slap

Slap: a man slapping another man's face

The sound of someone hitting something (or someone) with an open hand.

You’ll hear this word a lot in idioms:

A slap in the face is used when someone has done something bad to you (given you something you don’t want or not given you something that you do want, for example), usually unfairly.

“I did all of the work for the project and then Sam gets the promotion — not fair. What a slap in the face!”

A slap on the wrist is when someone gets punished — but very, very lightly. Much less than they deserve:

“You heard about Hexon Oil? They polluted every lake in the country and only got a $2000 fine. It was barely a slap on the wrist, really.”

A slap-up meal is basically a massive meal — the kind of meal you have when you really don’t want to think about your weight or your health. Just enjoy it!

“I’ve sold the house! I’m taking you all out for a slap-up meal at Mrs Miggins’ pie shop!”

A slapdash job or slapdash work is work done really badly. I remember waiting in a cafe at Sofia airport, and these Austrian guys found it quite funny that there was just one plug socket in the whole cafe. And it was halfway up the wall. The designer definitely did a slapdash job:

Slapdash design: businessmen with laptop plugged in inconveniently

“Don’t get that builder. He did such a slapdash job on our house that the roof fell in.”

Knock

Knock: a woman knocking on a door

OK, so “knock” is the sound that you make when you arrive at your friend’s house and hit their door with your hand.

There’s also the phrase “don’t knock it.”

It basically means “don’t criticise it.”

“Banana and crisp sandwiches are actually really good! Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!”

Rattle

Rattle: a rattlesnake

Stay away! It’s a rattlesnake. And it’s rattling its tail.

As a verb, “rattle” can also mean “disturb.”

Think about classic action heroes.

They can fall out of planes, jump off the edges of mountains, survive car crashes, helicopter crashes and bike crashes; they can be forced to swim underwater for five minutes and then run 200 metres over burning coals.

And after that, they’re just fine, right?

That’s because nothing rattles them. Nothing!

Splat

Splat: a water balloon hitting a man's head

The sound of something wet hitting something else.

Like when you throw eggs or rotten tomatoes at the visiting politician.

Or a water balloon at your friend.

Clunk

Clunk: a woman driving over a pothole

This is one of those words that sounds like it sounds, if you know what I mean.

It’s a heavy, dull sound.

Clang

Clang: a woman banging two pot lids together

A noisy, metallic sound.

Clink

Clink: two people clinking champagne glasses

This is like clang’s baby brother.

It’s a small, sharp sound — usually made when metal or glass touches something.

Patter

Patter: a woman holding an umbrella in the rain

A light tapping sound.

We usually use it to describe rain:

“I love sleeping through storms, don’t you! The patter of rain on the roof and knowing you’re safe and sound in bed.”

When I was a kid (and for too long afterwards — she still does this when I visit) my mother would greet me when I came downstairs in the morning with:

“You’re awake! I thought I heard the patter of tiny feet!”
“Mum — I’m 37 years old.”

Clatter

Clatter: pots and pans falling on the floor

Clang is noisy and unpleasant, right?

Now imagine lots of clangs. That’s clatter.

Smash

Smash: a glass bottle breaking

The sound of something breaking into a million pieces. Usually violently.

“Smashing” can also mean “excellent”:

“She did such a smashing job that we hired her full time.”

Slam

Slam: an angry man closing a door

We usually use this to describe closing a door very loudly.

But we can use it for other similar situations.

You can slam the phone down (if you’re using a non-mobile phone, like the retro kid you are).

You can also slam a glass on the table. (Think tequila shots.)

If someone slams the door in your face, they basically decide not to help you or give you information that you need.

“I called the helpline about it, but they refused to help. Completely slammed the door in my face.”

You can also just “slam” something. It means “give a very, very negative review.”

“The New York Times completely slammed his new book. But I thought it was pretty good.”

2. Mechanical sounds

Honk

Honk: a clown with a horn

When I lived in Istanbul, I would play a game.

I would try to count to five without hearing a single car honk its horn.

I never got past three seconds.

Also — it was a terrible game. But I was bored.

Whir

Whir: a table fan

A continuous sound — usually quiet, often calming.

Tick

Tick: a grandfather clock

We almost always think of clocks and watches when we hear the word “tick.”

It’s that tiny, short sound.

So it wouldn’t surprise you to hear that we can use the phrase “time is ticking” to mean “hurry up!”

“Let’s get started! Time’s ticking.”

If you’re a bit angry (not furious — just a bit), then you can say that you’re “ticked off.”

“To be honest, I’m a bit ticked off. I didn’t expect you to tell everyone about what I told you. It was private.”

“In a tick” can also mean “in a minute,” “in a second,” “in a moment” or just “soon.”

“Take a seat. I’ll be with you in a tick.”

Click

Click: a man clicking a biro

A small, sharp sound.

Think about a light switch.

Or this annoying guy and his annoying pen.

When you click with someone, you immediately get on well. You start talking and it feels as if you’ve always been friends.

“I’ve been friends with Gudrun for 20 years. We clicked as soon as we met.”

Bang

Bang: a woman shooting a gun

A loud noise! Usually sudden.

This is most closely associated with guns. But the building site next to my house also produces a lot of bangs.

If you go out with a bang, you finish or leave something in a super-dramatic way.

“Wow! His last day of work and he throws coffee in the boss’s face! Talk about going out with a bang!”

When someone bangs on about something, they talk for ages about it while successfully boring the life out of whoever has the bad luck to listen to them.

“If you could just stop banging on about your new computer for a minute, I’d like to talk to you about what happened last weekend.”

Buzz

Buzz: a mobile phone vibrating on a table

The sound of something vibrating.

When we talk about the buzz of a place, we’re talking about that special energy it has.

Some cities (like Vienna) have a real buzz, while some cities (like Swindon) don’t.

“What I miss about Istanbul most is the buzz. And the food. But mostly the buzz.”

You can also buzz someone in when you’re at home, and someone wants to get into the building. It saves you from having to walk all the way downstairs to let them in.

“Hey! I’m outside your flat now. Can you buzz me in?”

Finally, you can give someone a buzz. It just means “give them a quick call.”

“Let’s have that drink on Friday. Just give me a buzz, and I’ll let you know where I am.”

3. Electronic sounds

Ping

Ping: a man ringing a bell at reception

This is the sound of a very small bell.

Think of a typewriter or a hotel reception desk.

Blip

Blip: a radar display

A ping will last for a long time (piiiinnnggggg). But a blip is very, very short.

Think of a radar in those films with too many submarines in.

Beep

Beep: a supermarket cashier scanning items

A blip sounds quite nice, but a beep can get very annoying very quickly.

I don’t know how people working as supermarket cashiers don’t go crazy. Do they still hear the beeps when they go to sleep at night?

4. Organic sounds

Snap

Snap: a man breaking a twig

A sudden breaking sound — think of the sound of wood breaking.

I guess because it’s quite an unpredictable sound, we can also use “snap” as a verb to mean “suddenly get angry.” When you snap, it’s probably a result of lots of things building up.

“It was when her kid put his school tie in the toaster that she finally snapped.”

It also has a second meaning.

Have you ever tried to talk to someone, and instead of saying “Hi!” or “Good to see you!” or “Nice hair,” they just angrily shout at you — completely unpredictable and sudden?

Then they snapped at you.

“I wouldn’t talk to him right now, if I were you. I just asked him if he was OK, and he snapped at me.”

You can also just say “snap” when someone else has something that you have. It could be a plan, an interest, or something physical, like a T-shirt.

“No way! Snap! I’ve got the exact same phone.”

Finally, there’s a snap election.

It’s a general election that the prime minister or president suddenly announces — usually because they think they’ll win. All of a sudden, we’re voting. Again!

“She said she wouldn’t call a snap election. Then she did.”

Crack

Crack: a woman cracking a whip

It’s like a loud snap.

If you want to celebrate, you can do so in style — by cracking open a bottle of champagne:

“You got the job?! Awesome — let’s crack open a bottle, yeah?”

If you drink too much of it, you might find EVERYTHING funny and just crack up all the time. It means suddenly start laughing. A lot. Until your face hurts.

“I told him my idea, and he just cracked up. I didn’t think it was that funny.”

Crackle

Crackle: a family in front of a fireplace

Lots of small cracks.

Fire and fireworks crackle. And not much else.

Pop

Pop: a champagne bottle being opened

A tiny, little, mini explosion sound.

Because it’s such a short sound, we use it in phrasal verbs to describe something quick.

You can pop out (go outside — but only for a bit):

“I’m just popping out for some fresh air. See you in a few minutes.”

Or you can pop in somewhere (visit — but only for a bit):

“When you’re in town, why not pop in for a coffee?”

Sizzle

Sizzle: a woman cooking on a stove

The sound of food cooking.

Rustle

Rustle: a boy playing in a pile of leaves

There are basically only two things that rustle.

Leaves (especially dry, autumn leaves) and paper.

To rustle something up means to make a quick meal — like a sandwich or some toast.

“You haven’t eaten? Give me two minutes — I’ll rustle something up.”

Rumble

Rumble: a hungry woman thinking about food

A continuous, deep sound.

Think of thunder.

Or your stomach when you’re really hungry.

5. Water sounds

Fizz

Fizz: a glass of soft drink

That nice sound of bubbles popping. Think about sparkling water or champagne.

Squelch

Squelch: a man walking through mud

You just need to say this word to understand what it means.

Go on, say it. Feels good, doesn’t it?

It’s basically the sound of walking in mud.

Gurgle

Gurgle: a man gargling

This is the sound of bubbles being created.

Imagine lying down in the green grass next to a beautiful stream.

What can you hear?

The gurgle of the stream of course.

And the lion. Look out for the lion.

Glug

Glug: a man drinking quickly from a bottle

If gurgle is a series of sounds, then glug is a single one of those sounds.

Think of how you sound when you’re drinking water quickly.

Drip

Drip: a dripping tap

“Drip” looks like “drop,” right?

Well, “drip” is the sound that a drop makes when it hits something.

Splash

Splash: a girl playing in a paddle pool

The sound of something hitting water (or any liquid).

Think of the sound of kids in the bath.

Or the sound at the end of a water slide.

If you feel like spending a little more money than you should, then you splash out.

“Yeah, it’s a bit pricey. But it’s my birthday. I’m gonna splash out.”

Trickle

Trickle: a gently running tap

This is the sound of liquid flowing very slowly.

Squeal

Squeal: a rat making a sound

Don’t step on the rat’s tail. He’ll squeal really loudly.

Also, it’s not nice. Leave the rat alone, you monster.

Squeak

Squeak: a mouse making a sound

A squeak is a small, high-pitched sound.

Think of the sound of a mouse.

Or an old bed.

Or a door that needs oil.

I once had a pair of shoes that squeaked a lot.

You can also use the phrase “a squeak out of someone” to describe any sound coming out of their mouth at all. It’s usually used in the negative.

“Right. He’s coming. I don’t want to hear a squeak out of either of you until he’s gone. I’ll do the talking.”

Hiss

Hiss: a bowl of snakes

OK. Repeat after me:

“Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.”

Good — you’ve just made a hiss.

Swish

Swish: a bird moving its wings

This is another word that sounds like it sounds. (These words are called onomatopoeia, by the way.)

It’s a bit like a mixture between a hiss and a rustle.

Creak

Creak: a man tiptoeing on creaky floorboards

When you open that old, heavy wooden door.

Or decide to take your kids to a playground that was built in the ‘50s.

Then expect to hear a lot of loud, high-pitched sounds of wood and metal rubbing together.

A lot of creaks.

Scrape

Scrape: a man running his fingernails down a blackboard

The sound of something hard or sharp rubbing against something else.

We use this a lot as a verb.

You might have to scrape ice off your car on winter mornings.

Or scrape the pancake off the pan after you’ve burned it.

Or scrape chewing gum off the table. Seriously, why do people do that?

There’s also the idiom “to scrape the bottom of the barrel.”

We use it when we’ve almost completely run out of options, and all we have are the worst choices.

“Is this the best we can do? We’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel here. I mean some of them don’t even have faces.”


Congratulations! You now know 42 sound words in English (plus some new idioms).

So let’s practice:

  1. Have you splashed out on something recently (like a slap-up meal or clothes)?
  2. What ticks you off the most?
  3. Can you remember cracking up over something that wasn’t funny? What was it?

Answer in the comments!

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На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать грубую лексику.


На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать разговорную лексику.


Can you imagine what that word sounds like to someone who’s not a detective?



Можете ли вы представить, как это слово звучит для тех, кто не детектив?


What does that word sound like on his lips?


It is interesting that this word sounds like that according to interpretations of translators.



Любопытно, что так это слово звучит согласно трактовкам переводчиков.


By a keyword we mean an English word that sounds like some part of the foreign word.

Ничего не найдено для этого значения.

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Сегодня мы рассмотрим конструкцию страдательного залога «it is said that», правило её употребления и образования. Подробнее о страдательном залоге вы можете прочитать в предыдущей теме.

Знакомство с конструкцией «It is said that…» начнем с примера.

It is said that правило

It is said
that he has three dogs.

He is said
to have three dogs.

(Говорят у него три собаки)

Оба предложения передают одну мысль.


При передаче каких-либо фактов или новостей, мы не всегда являемся очевидцами или первоисточниками информации. В таком случае, мы выражаем мысль с помощью следующего предложения – «говорят, что…».

Чтобы передать подобную мысль в английском языке, мы используем конструкцию – It is said that…

Также есть немного другой вариант передачи такой информации. Смысл при этом остается неизменным.

Подлежащее + be + said + инфинитив.

Форма глагола «be» зависит от числа и лица подлежащего.

Обе конструкции мы уже рассмотрели в первом примере.

Вместо глагола said могут быть использованы и другие глаголы. К наиболее распространенным относятся.

  • Know (known) –известно
  • Allege (alleged) – утверждают
  • Believe (believed) – верят, полагают
  • Consider (considered) – рассматривают, думают, полагают
  • Expect (expected) – ожидают
  • Report (reported) — докладывают
  • Think (thought) – думают, считают
  • Understand (understood) – понимают

Примеры

  • It is known that this company produces milk / this company is known to produce milk. (Известно, что эта компания производит молоко);
  • It is alleged that he has four children / he is alleged to have four children. (Утверждают, что у него четверо детей / У него якобы четверо детей);
  • It’s reported that the game is canceled / The game is said to be canceled. (Говорят, что игру отменили).

Данные конструкции могут передавать также продолжительное или будущее время. Обратите внимание, как при этом образуются предложения.

Примеры

It’s believed that the summer will be very hot this year / The summer is believed to be very hot. (Полагают, что лето в этом году будет очень жарким);

It’s expected that she is going to quit her job / She is expected to be going to quit her job. (Ожидается, что она бросит работу).

It’s thought that the company is losing a lot of money / The company is thought to be losing a lot of money. (Считают, что компания теряет слишком много денег).

It is said that, правило для прошедшего времени

Если необходимо передать события, которые произошли в прошлом, мы используем «to have + глагол в третьей форме».

  • It is alleged that he stole the money / He is alleged to have stolen the money. (Утверждают, что он украл деньги);
  • It’s said that the fire started around 2 a.m. / The fire is said to have started around 2 a.m. (Говорят пожар начался около 2 часов ночи).

Supposed to

Конструкция supposed to имеет два значения.

Supposed to имеет то же значение, что и it is said.

  • Everybody is talking about that film. It’s supposed to be really good. (Все говорят об этом фильме. Говорят, он очень хороший);
  • He is supposed to own a lot of businesses around the world. (Говорят у него бизнес по всему миру).

С помощью конструкции supposed to мы можем выразить наши ожидания. Эквивалентом в русском языке могут служить такие выражения, как «должен», ожидается что…». При этом описываемое действие, как правило, отлично от реальной ситуации.

Для понимания, давайте рассмотрим пример.

Вчера вы слушали прогноз погоды, по которому обещали солнечную погоду. Сегодня, выглянув в окно, вы увидели, что идет дождь. Вы говорите:

It’s supposed to be sunny today. (Сегодня должно быть солнечно).

Примеры

  • What are you doing so early in the morning? You’re supposed to be in bed. (Ты что делаешь так рано утром? Ты же еще должен спать);
  • I shouldn’t be eating this cake. I’m supposed to be on a diet. But it’s so tasty. (Я не должна есть этот торт. Я вообще-то на диете. Но он такой вкусный);
  • I’m sorry for what I said. It was supposed to be a joke. (Я извиняюсь за то, что я сказал. Это должно было быть шуткой).

Not supposed to

Мы используем конструкцию not supposed to, чтобы передать ограничения или запрет делать что-либо. В данном случае not supposed to схоже с модальным глаголом must. Однако, must носит более сильный оттенок запрета.

  • I’m not supposed to call Jim after noon. He’s not available at this time anyway. (Я не должен звонить Джиму после полудня. Хотя он все равно не доступен в это время);
  • You are not supposed to do any hard work after your illness. (После болезни тебе не следует делать никакую тяжелую работу).

It is said that — тест на закрепление

other words for said

Direct speech can be difficult to smoothly navigate when you’re writing, but if you’re writing a novel or short story, dialogue is almost certainly going to happen at some point. When there is a conversation, the most common thing to do is use “said” when a person speaks:

“Are you crazy?” said Mary.

“Some of the time,” said John.

“Well,” said Mary, “I wish you would give me some warning before you do things like that!”

“I’ll try,” said John.

Then Mary leaned in close and said, “Oh shucks! I love you anyway!”

That’s a whole lot of “said” right there, and it gets repetitive pretty fast, doesn’t it? It becomes essential to have alternatives for the word “said” if you want your writing to sound decent. There are several ways this can be done.

Skip the Bits Outside the Quotation Marks Altogether!

If a conversation involves two people (dialogue), your reader will quickly see the two people are talking. That means that you can introduce your speakers, and then continue the conversation without saying who said what on the assumption your reader will be able to work out who is speaking, at least for a few lines.

Describe Actions Before or After the Quotation Marks

For example: “Oh shucks! I love you anyway!” Mary cuddled closer with a sigh.

In our example, we can clearly see Mary was doing the talking. If John says something next, he’ll get a new paragraph to himself, emphasizing the change of speaker. Voila! Conundrum avoided. “Saying” words have been completely skipped, but we still know who was talking.

Use Words Other than “Said”

Depending on context, there are a whole bunch of alternative words for “said” we can choose. Perhaps Mary’s romantic utterance was:

  • Whispered
  • Breathed
  • Murmured
  • Sighed
  • Purred
  • Blurted
  • Gurgled
  • Chuckled
  • Mumbled
  • Warbled
  • Simpered

Her opening, “Are you crazy?” could have been:

  • Asked (a little weak, but there it is)
  • Exclaimed
  • Cried
  • Yelled
  • Squealed
  • Screamed
  • Shrieked
  • Squeaked
  • Shouted
  • Bellowed
  • Roared
  • Snapped
  • Wailed
  • Gasped
  • Laughed
  • Giggled
  • Tittered
  • Complained
  • Objected
  • Protested
  • Sobbed
  • Groaned
  • Grumbled
  • Scolded

What’s interesting is all these words imply mood much better than “said” does. Was Mary objecting to John’s actions in a good-humored, frightened or angry way? Your choice of words can tell your reader what her tone of voice was.

And when she told John she loved him anyway, was she feeling romantic or amused? Did she blurt it out unexpectedly, or was she being coy and flirtatious? How did John feel when he responded to her initial protestation? Was he serious or light-hearted?

Changing Moods

Look at how these words change the mood of the conversation:

“Are you crazy?” sobbed Mary.

“Some of the time,” muttered John.

“Well,” Mary complained, “I wish you would give me some warning before you do things like that!”

“I’ll try,” John promised.

Then Mary leaned in close and murmured, “Oh shucks! I love you anyway!”

You should have gained a sense of how the person speaking felt by the way they said it. Now see how changing the “talking” words can change the entire scene:

“Are you crazy?” giggled Mary.

“Some of the time,” chuckled John.

“Well,” Mary laughed, “I wish you would give me some warning before you do things like that!”

“I’ll try,” John grinned.

Then Mary leaned in close and purred, “Oh shucks! I love you anyway!”

Ok, so it’s not great literature. I’d probably have avoided introducing the speaker from about line 3, reintroducing them if the mood changed, or the conversation started to get too long to follow, but you get the idea. Example one is a lovers’ tiff, while example two is a couple having fun together. That’s a big difference, and “said” just wouldn’t have conveyed that.

List of “Said” Words According to Mood

Angry, Tense

  • Snapped
  • Snarled
  • Growled
  • Barked (lots of doggy words so far)
  • Bellowed (and a moose)
  • Roared (and a lion – this one could also imply triumph)
  • Grumbled
  • Complained
  • Objected
  • Remonstrated
  • Huffed (this one is just mildly exasperated)
  • Nagged
  • Blustered
  • Thundered (and some weather)
  • Screamed
  • Rasped
  • Worried
  • Yelled
  • Screamed
  • Shouted
  • Shrieked
  • Hollered (a bit of volume in these last few!)
  • Seethed
  • Ranted
  • Fumed

Happy, Amused, Positive

  • Laughed
  • Chuckled
  • Giggled
  • Grinned
  • Guffawed
  • Gurgled
  • Joked
  • Quipped
  • Teased
  • Cheered
  • Crowed

Certain, Sure, Confident

  • Declared
  • Asserted
  • Announced
  • Insisted
  • Assured
  • Argued
  • Bragged
  • Boasted
  • Stated
  • Reassured
  • Preached
  • Commented
  • Remarked
  • Confirmed
  • Vowed
  • Promised
  • Observed

Sarcastic, Creepy

  • Leered
  • Sneered
  • Jeered
  • Drawled
  • Taunted
  • Cackled
  • Mocked

Asking or Asking for

  • Begged
  • Pleaded
  • Requested
  • Questioned
  • Queried
  • Probed
  • Asked (of course)
  • Inquired
  • Entreated
  • Cajoled
  • Wheedled

Unsure

  • Faltered
  • Stammered
  • Stuttered
  • Hesitated
  • Guessed
  • Blurted
  • Trembled
  • Speculated

Tones other than the ones we’ve already covered (especially the loud ones)

  • Whispered
  • Murmured
  • Hissed
  • Trilled
  • Sang
  • Sniffed
  • Snivelled
  • Mewled
  • Moaned
  • Purred
  • Sobbed
  • Groaned
  • Moaned
  • Grunted

And we’re just scratching the surface…here are a few more:

  • Volunteered
  • Lied
  • Interrupted
  • Interjected
  • Exclaimed
  • Remonstrated
  • Finished

And as for “finished,” I realize this list is far from actually being finished. “Said” is all very well, but with so many more expressive words to choose from, you probably don’t need it! Do you have a favorite word to use other than “said” when you write that’s not listed above? Let us know and we’ll add it to our list.

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