speech words for said

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Last updated on Dec 02, 2021

270+ Other Words For "Said" To Supercharge Your Writing

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

Which dialogue tag are YOU?

Find out in just a minute.

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

Neutral/multi-purpose words

Happy/excited words , sad/upset words , angry words , annoyed words, frightened/pained words, prideful words.

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Upgrade your dialogue with our list of 270 alternatives to “said.”

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

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 200+ other words for said: synonyms to spice up your writing.

General Education

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

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

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

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

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

Other Words for Said 

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

Happy Words to Use Instead of “Said”

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

Sad Words to Use Instead of “Said” 

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

Angry Words to Replace “Said”

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

Different Words for “Said” That Express Shock or Surprise

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

Other Words for “Said” That Express Fear

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

Words to Replace “Said” That Are Expository

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

Other Words for “Said” That Are Argumentative

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

Words to Use Instead of “Said” That Are Critical 

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

Words to Use Instead of “Said” That Are Implicative

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

Words to Replace “Said” That Seek Information

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

Words to Replace “Said” That Reveal Information

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

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

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

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

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

Technical Writing

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

Creative Writing 

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

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

“I suppose I didn’t see the point.” Paige shook her head. “It’s not like you would’ve let me go if I’d told you ahead of time.” 

“That’s really selfish, Paige.” 

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

Academic Writing

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

3 Reasons Why Word Variety Is Important in Writing

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

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

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

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

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

What’s Next? 

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

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

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

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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335 Alternatives to Said to Spice up Your Dialogue

Dialogue tags | other words for said, last updated on: october 02, 2022, what are dialogue tags, using “said” in dialogue, lists of other words for said.

Dialogue tags are exactly what they sound like—they are tags that tell the reader who is speaking. He said, she said, Callie yelled. These are all dialogue tags. They set up not only who is speaking, but how they are speaking.

Dialogue tags can appear at the start, middle, or end of a speech. Below are some examples.

• “Look! The new movie is out. Let’s go,” Tom said.
• Tom said, “Look! The new movie is out. Let’s go!”
• “Look!” Tom said. “The new movie is out. Let’s go!”

When it comes to creating dialogue for a book or short story, there are two schools of thought on the use of dialogue tags. The first says that the only dialogue tags you’ll ever need are “said” and “asked.” That’s because they perfectly express what the speaker is doing while falling to the background. Simple words like “said” and “asked” get overlooked, lending more weight to the words that are being said than to the way they are being said. The second school of thought says that these words should be used sparingly, in favor of more active verbs such as shouted, cried, wailed, or cheered. Writers who believe in using these louder dialogue tags feel that they offer more variety to a book and give a character more personality.

Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle. I absolutely believe that dialogue tags can be critical to understanding a character’s state of mind at any given time. The problem is, they are often overdone and become distracting. For example:

“I give up,” Molly shouted, stomping her foot.

“Why would you give up?” Sue questioned.

“Because this is impossible,” Molly cried. “I can’t do it!”

“Sure you can,” Sue implored. “Just try again.”

“No,” Molly resisted. “I’m done.”

In the above segment, the dialogue tags give us a sense of how the characters are feeling, but the words are so loud that they call attention to themselves. Any sense of what this conversation is about disappears under the tags used. Now take a look at this version:

“I give up,” Molly cried, throwing her hands up in disgust.

“Why would you give up?” Sue asked.

“Because this is impossible. I can’t do it!”

“Sure you can,” Sue said. “Just try again.”

Molly shook her head. “No. I’m done.”

Here, the focus is more cleanly on the words, rather than on how they are said. Dialogue tags are replaced with actions that carry more meaning, saving the loud dialogue tags for where they work best, while the remaining dialogue tags fall to the background.

So it is best to stick to “said” or to use more expansive words? Probably a mix of both. But if you’re going to go for those more active verbs, make sure you’re finding the right ones. Below is a list of words that can replace said and asked, listed by emotion.

55 alternatives to “said” to be used in most any situation:

40 alternatives to “said” that express anger or irritation:, 25 alternatives to “said” that express doubt:, 35 alternatives to “said” that express happiness:, 45 alternatives for “said” that express persuasion:, 15 alternatives for “said” that express pride:, 22 alternatives for “said” that express sadness:, 17 alternatives to “said” that express harsh teasing:, 24 alternatives to “said” that express worry or fear:, 41 alternatives to “said” that express the giving or receiving of information:, 16 alternatives to “asked":.

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300+ Ways to Say “Said” (“Say”): A Word List for Writers

He Said. She Said. They Said.

Said is a convenient word when you need it, and some pundits claim you should never use anything else, ever, to attribute dialogue.

I disagree.

Please don’t get huffy until you read this entire post, especially if you’re a writer who swears on a bushel of Dothraki bells that said is the best way — nay, the only way — to tag conversation.

Repeat any word often enough, and it morphs into an irritation just as obnoxious as a saddle sore on a long ride.

Forget the rules . Invent your own. Whatever engages readers is right.

Consider the Following Micro-Story

An icy draft speared through the living room as John stepped into the house from the wintry blizzard that raged outside. His arms overflowed with packages.

“Please close the door,” Amy said . “It’s freezing in here.”

John said , “Close it yourself!”

Amy said back, in an angry tone, “What did you say?”

“I told you to close it yourself,” he said , in a voice so loud it rattled the windows.

She pressed her lips into a firm white line and said , “You’re the one who pays the heating bill. But I guess you have lots of money. You can afford it.”

He slammed the door closed and said , “If you’d get off your duff and find a job, I wouldn’t have to pay all the bills myself.”

Amy said , “Well, if you hadn’t got me preg —”

“You’re pregnant?” John said . “Why didn’t you say something?”

Try This Instead

Amy glanced up from the baby booties she was knitting. “Please close the door. It’s freezing in here.”

John glowered . “Close it yourself!”

“What did you say?”

“I told you to close it yourself.” The windows rattled. From the angry volume of his voice? Or the storm?

She pressed her lips into a firm white line. “You’re the one who pays the heating bill. But I guess you have lots of money. You can afford it.”

He slammed the door. “If you’d get off your duff and find a job, I wouldn’t have to pay all the bills myself.”

“Well, if you hadn’t got me preg —”

“You’re pregnant?” John beamed and dropped the packages. “Why didn’t you say something?”

Did You Notice the Changes in the Second Piece?

#1. Two paragraphs have no attribution. With obvious back and forth of dialogue, it’s unnecessary and distracting to tag every snippet of speech

#2. Action beats replace dialogue tags in a few spots.

Amy glanced up

John glowered

She pressed her lips

He slammed the door

John beamed

#3. The knitting of baby booties gives readers a clue about the ending, which comes as an abrupt surprise in the first piece.

#4. One adjective, angry , describes John’s attitude. Yes, it’s a tell, and the pundits who recommend that you should always show might disagree with its use. However, rules are made to be broken. Right?

#5. One narrative statement becomes interrogative. Judicious use of questions can draw readers into prose or poetry.

Reread the pieces to see how much stronger the second example is. Both contain the same number of words.

Now Consider a Third Version

John retorted, “Close it yourself!”

“I told you to close it yourself,” he snapped. The windows rattled. Perhaps from the angry volume of his voice?

Did You Catch the Two Said Alternatives?

Retorted and snapped are so much more effective than said .

But don’t overdo! Like exclamation points, em dashes, and ellipses , excessive use of colorful verbs for dialogue tags irritates readers.

By the way, the third piece contains the same number of words as the first two.

And About That Slamming Door

It’s unnecessary to say someone slams a door closed.

Whenever You Need a Direct Replacement for Said , Refer to This List

Some of these words contravene the show, don’t tell rule.

As always, watch for clichés, and apply these suggestions sparingly. Some, while suitable for children, might not be appropriate for adults.

Words such as neighed or whickered can describe a character’s voice , especially appropriate for someone with a horsey face. Frugal use recommended.

Although many writers show their characters laughing, sighing, sobbing, or breathing speech, I recommend you avoid verbs like these as dialogue tags. Save them for action beats, or substitute body language to show emotions.

Lied or doubted and their ilk can break point of view if not used correctly. Many of these would be suitable for micro fiction where tell is often the norm, because show requires too many words.

A accused, acknowledged, acquiesced, added, admitted, admonished, advised, advocated, affirmed, agreed, alleged, announced, answered, apologized, applauded, argued, asked, assented, asserted, assured, avowed

B babbled, badgered, barked, began, begged, bellowed, bellyached, beseeched, bickered, blabbed, blabbered, blathered, bleated, blubbered, blurted, boasted, boomed, bragged, brayed, broke in, bubbled, burst out

C cajoled, called, carped, cautioned, challenged, charged, chatted, chattered, cheered, chided, chimed in, chirped, chittered, chorused, claimed, clarified, clucked, coached, coaxed, commanded, commented, complained, complimented, conceded, concluded, concurred, confessed, confided, confirmed, congratulated, contended, continued, contradicted, contributed, cooed, corrected, corroborated, counseled, countered, cried, croaked, crowed, cursed

D and E debated, decided, declared, decreed, deduced, demanded, demurred, denied, described, directed, disagreed, disclosed, disputed, dissented, divulged, doubted, drawled, dribbled, droned, echoed, effused, ejaculated, elucidated, emphasized, encouraged, ended, entreated, exclaimed, explained, exploded, exulted

F to H finished, fretted, fussed, gibbered, gibed, gloated, granted, greeted, griped, groaned, growled, grunted, grumbled, guaranteed, guessed, gurgled, gushed, harangued, hinted, hissed, hollered, howled, huffed, hypothesized

I to M imitated, implied, implored, informed, inquired, insisted, interjected, interrupted, intoned, instructed, invited, jabbered, jeered, jested, jibed, joined in, joked, lamented, lectured, lied, lisped, maintained, marveled, mentioned, mimicked, mocked, mumbled, murmured, mused, muttered

N to P nagged, nattered, neighed, nitpicked, noted, objected, observed, offered, opined, ordered, persisted, persuaded, pestered, piped, pleaded, pled, pledged, pointed out, pondered, praised, prated, prattled, prayed, pressed, proclaimed, professed, promised, proposed, protested, provoked, purred, put in, puzzled

Q and R quavered, queried, questioned, quipped, quizzed, quoted, raged, ranted, rattled on, reasoned, reassured, rebuked, recalled, reckoned, recommended, recounted, reiterated, rejoined, related, remarked, remembered, reminded, repeated, replied, reported, reprimanded, reproached, reproved, requested, resounded, responded, resumed, retaliated, retorted, revealed, roared

S and T sang, sassed, screamed, scoffed, scolded, shot, shouted, shrieked, shrilled, slurred, snapped, snarled, sniveled, spat, speculated, spluttered, spoke, squeaked, squealed, stammered, started, stated, stormed, stressed, stuttered, suggested, surmised, swore, tattled, taunted, teased, testified, theorized, threatened, thundered, told, trilled, tutted

U to Y urged, uttered, verified, volunteered, vowed, wailed, warned, weighed in, went on, wheedled, whickered, whimpered, whined, whinnied, whispered, whooped, wondered, worried, yammered, yawned, yakked, yelled, yelped, yowled

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8 thoughts on “ 300+ Ways to Say “Said” (“Say”): A Word List for Writers ”

I don’t use dialogue tags. Never. They’re a distraction created by lazy writers. You have to be more careful to make sure the reader knows who’s talking, though.

Gordon, if you can do that and produce a story that seems natural, good going. However, wouldn’t the absolute avoidance of anything, whether it be dialogue tags or adverbs, seem unnatural to readers?

You make some good points. I find ‘said’ annoying when it is a question. It is technically correct, but that is a personal tick. If it is a question and needs a dialogue tag, I used asked. I am also willing to use whispered and shouted. I really do not care what ‘rule’ someone else makes up. But that is the full list of dialogue tags I am willing to use. If only two people are speaking, the reader should be able to tell who is speaking much of the time without being told. If they cannot, a beat will often be good, but you don’t want to turn your character into a jackrabbit by making her bob about too much either. A judicious mix when needed is, in my opinion, the best choice.

I prefer simple: asked, in/enquired, requested, demanded, stated, whispered, mumbled, murmured, muttered, yelled, shouted, explained, and a few others.

However, when writing for kids or creating a humor piece, words such as brayed, cawed, etc., create the perfect image.

I’m somewhere in the middle when it comes to the “said” argument. While the tags “said” and “asked” are generally invisible, they’re also pretty bland at times and not entirely sufficient at getting across the intended tone or inflection of a person’s voice.

People don’t always just “say” things. Sometimes they scream, whisper, mutter, hiss, and so on.

I’m in the middle too, Rhonda. I’m usually not keen on a character “whinnying” dialogue, but in rare cases, it works.

I hope 2022 is treating you well!

Great article! I love the rewritten versions, much improved, and the list is very helpful too. Your advice is solid — not to be completely rigid on “always use said” but not to overdo the alternates.

One additional consideration when using action beats in lieu of dialogue tags, is whether a listener will be able to interpret dialogue as dialogue when the story is read aloud. In your examples above it’s clear, but sometimes a character will say something that could easily be interpreted as narrative rather than dialogue.

I often read novels aloud to my children, and sometimes have to stop and explain who was speaking, or insert dialogue tags myself.

Thanks, Mike. Great tips!

40 alternative words for “said”

Advanced Vocabulary & Collocations

Do you ever notice that we use the word “said” a lot? He said this, she said that, then I said something else. Now there’s nothing wrong with the word “said,” it’s perfectly fine – but the English language has TONS of other options.

Today we’re going to learn 40 alternatives to “said” – and as you will see, each one adds some extra meaning describing the way the person said something, or the reason they spoke.

If you want to expand your vocabulary beyond basic words, then you’ll love my Advanced Vocabulary and Collocations Course . The lessons inside teach you more than 1000 high-level words to help take your English vocabulary from “simple” to “sophisticated.” One student described it as “like a gold mine for my vocabulary.” Click below for more information and to join:

OK, now let’s look at some different words we can use to describe people talking or saying something. We’ll start with some simple ones, and then move on to verbs that have additional meaning.

mention / comment / remark / state

• He said that he used to be a piano teacher.
• He mentioned/commented/remarked/stated that he used to be a piano teacher.

All of these are basically alternatives to “He said.”

Mention  is often used when someone just talks briefly about something, they don’t talk in detail about the topic. And state is often used for somewhat more official things, like when someone on trial states that they are innocent of a crime, or a politician states his/her position on an issue.

add / answer / reply / respond / reiterate

These verbs all provide some information about context of a conversation.

If we answer , reply , or respond , then we are saying something in reaction to another person’s question or statement:

• I asked her if she’d ever been to Mexico; she replied that she hadn’t.

To add means to provide additional information, either to your own previously-mentioned point or to someone else’s point:

• Brian described the environmental benefits of the new law, and Melissa added that it would also reduce costs.
• I told the interviewer about my experience as a writer, and then added that I’d also received several awards for my stories.

To reiterate is similar to the verb “to repeat” – it means to say something again; sometimes using the same words and sometimes using different phrasing.

• The supervisor of the factory reiterated that safety was the primary concern.

ramble / rant / go on and on

These verbs mean that someone is talking excessively about a topic:

• My son spent the whole car ride rambling about his favorite superheroes.
• Our boss went on and on about the importance of customer satisfaction.

recite / rattle off

These are used when someone says something (or a list of things) that they have memorized:

• The lawyer recited the text of the law without needing to check her notes.
• He’s a big fan of Star Wars and can rattle off the names of all the movies.

claim / swear / maintain / insist / stress / emphasize

To claim something means to say it is true (sometimes in situations where someone is doubting that) – and to swear that something is true is adding extra force to your claim.

If other people question you or doubt you, then you might maintain or insist that it’s true – keeping to your position over time, or repeatedly. You might stress / emphasize (give extra importance to) some of the best evidence.

insinuate / imply / hint

These words are used for saying things indirectly. For example, if someone is talking about how unhappy he is with his current girlfriend, he might insinuate / imply / hint that he’s planning to break up with her soon. He doesn’t say it specifically, but you can “read between the lines” and understand it.

blurt / reveal / confess / point out

These verbs all have to do with giving information. To blurt or blurt out means to say something spontaneously without really thinking about it beforehand.

To reveal means to say some information that was previously hidden/secret – for example, She revealed that the company knew about the defective products but didn’t do anything.

To confess means to reveal you did something wrong, or say something to which other people might react negatively:

• She confessed that she’d stolen the money.
• He confessed that he didn’t really like his mother’s cooking.

And to point out simply means to say an observation:

• I p ointed out that the paint we bought was a slightly different color than the paint already on the walls.

Next we have some words that have to do with the tone or way of talking, as well as the emotion when speaking.

rant / gripe / hiss / snap / retort

To gripe means to complain, and to rant means to talk a lot in an angry way. These verbs are usually followed by “about”:

• She ranted about how unfair it was that she had to work overtime without extra pay.
• Stop griping about all the work you have to do, and just get started!

To hiss means to say something angrily in a soft voice, like an aggressive snake:

• The people sitting in front of us in the movie theater turned around and hissed , “Shut up!”

Snap and retort both mean to say something in a quick and angry way, usually when we’re in a bad mood or in response to someone else’s insult:

• I asked my wife what time dinner would be ready, and she snapped that she hadn’t had time to prepare anything.
• He was making fun of his sister’s job as a house cleaner, and she retorted that his job as an administrative assistant wasn’t exactly glamorous, either.

gush / joke / exclaim

To gush about something means to say lots of extremely good things about it, because you really love it or you think it’s great. When we joke about a topic, we say things about it that are supposed to be funny, not taking it too seriously.

To exclaim means to say something in surprise – this could be a good or bad surprise:

• My boss exclaimed that this was the best work he’d ever seen.
• “Ugh, this hotel room is filthy!” we exclaimed when we arrived.

advise / caution / warn / beg / implore / press / urge

These words are used for saying things to try to influence someone else’s behavior. Advise is used for giving general advice, and caution/warn are used for alerting someone to danger:

• I advised him to send a cover letter with his resume.
• They cautioned/warned me not to go into that bad neighborhood at night.

To beg/implore someone to do something means to ask persistently with a lot of emotion:

• He begged her to forgive him after he cheated on her.
• We implored the teacher to give us more time to finish the project.

To press/urge someone refers to applying strong pressure:

• We need to make a decision – the other company has been pressing us for a response all week.
• I urged her not to give up on her musical career, because she has real talent.

Now you know a great variety of words to describe different ways of talking and reasons for saying something. And if you’d really like to take your vocabulary up to the next level, I’d encourage you to join my Advanced Vocabulary and Collocations Course.

For now, why don’t you try using a few of the words from today’s lesson in your own sentences? That’s a great way to establish them better in your memory. Thanks for watching and I’ll talk to you next time!

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Home > All Writing Tips > 316 Other Words for Said (+ Tips to Use Them)

316 Other Words for Said (+ Tips to Use Them)

To dialogue tag, or to not dialogue tag… a question forever debated by writers! And within that dialogue, is it acceptable to use a word other than “said”?

Some authors declare that ALL colorful dialogue tags are trash. “Only use said,” they insist. “And use it as sparingly as possible.”

But the truth is, creative writing doesn’t have hard rules. We each have our own unique style and voice. So what works for Stephen King shouldn’t be set in stone for you. There are some general best practices, but ultimately, it’s up to you and your writing style to make the final decision.

I’m going to share a few sides of the debate along with examples. And finally, a list of other words for “said” in case you decide that’s the path for you.

Why the Hate for Fancy Dialogue Tags?

It’s true—some writers go a bit nuts. They feel like every single dialogue tag has to be fancy and unique, and it can get really distracting. It’s a common mistake for new and inexperienced writers.

Some of you might be familiar with My Immortal , an infamous Harry Potter fanfiction that was so awful it became a meme.

This infamous example can show what happens if you only use words other than “said”:

“I’m so sorry.” he said in a shy voice. “That’s all right. What’s your name?” I questioned. “My name’s Harry Potter, although most people call me Vampire these days.” he grumbled. “Why?” I exclaimed. “Because I love the taste of human blood.” he giggled. “Well, I am a vampire.” I confessed. “Really?” he whimpered. “Yeah.” I roared. My Immortal

This is an extreme example, and it reads a bit silly. But it captures the main reasons why some writers advise against excessive dialogue tags.

The truth is, a lot of new writers make this mistake. They’re afraid that using “said” too much is repetitive, so they try to spice it up with alternatives. Word repetition can be detrimental to your story , sure, but “said” is a common enough word that you don’t need to worry about it.

In this particular example, the problem is deeper than just other words for “said.” There’s a lot going on here.

• Every line has a unique dialogue tag, making it feel forced.
• Most of the tags don’t make sense with the dialogue.
• Every tag is applied in the same way, making the sentence fluency sound choppy.
• There’s no description or character action, making this a case of “talking heads.”
• The grammar is a bit off, too. Dialogue tags should attach with a comma instead of a period.

So it’s not JUST the dialogue tags that make it read poorly. But they certainly don’t help!

The Argument for a Simple “Said”

Like mentioned before, some writers keep dialogue tags as simple as possible – they exclusively use “said.” Sometimes I’ve heard that “asked” is the only acceptable alternative.

“Said” is invisible. Most readers won’t even actively register reading it.

It’s simple. Clean. It gets the point across, keeps your writing tight. and doesn’t distract your reader. So some writers say that other words for “said” just aren’t necessary.

It’s true that not every line needs a dialogue tag. You can pair dialogue with description or leave it plain.  Sometimes this is a better place to describe your character’s tone or imply how they’re feeling.

It’s in line with the classic advice of “show don’t tell.” Instead of telling us that your character is whispering, describe the scene in a way that implies the need for quiet or secrecy. Then your reader will imagine everyone speaking in hushed tones without the need to explain it.

“Wait,” Kent said, catching her by the elbow. “Tell me your name.” The witch yanked free from his grip and continued walking. Her pace was grueling. “Don’t you already know it? I know how they talk about me in town.”

Can you guess the tone of these two characters, just based on their actions and words? Do I need to say “Kent shouted” or “the witch snapped”?

Sometimes there’s no need for a word other than “said.” The tone is implied by the context.

RELATED: Writing Dialogue: Saying What You Mean (Not!)

Why not both try a mix.

You’re a writer, which means you get to decide on your own rules.

Don’t let others tell you there’s only one right way to write dialogue. We each have our own writing style, so we each get to make this choice for ourselves.

So play with it. Read books by your favorite authors and pay attention to what they do. Decide what you like best and write it that way.

Personally, I find that limiting myself to just is “said” a bit boring, and it’s just not always the best tool for the job.

Sometimes you want to capture an emotion in your character’s voice, and a dialogue tag is the best place to put it. Sometimes you want a simple, to-the-point “whispered” over a wordy description. Sometimes there’s multiple people in the room, so you need a dialogue tag to clarify who’s talking and “said” isn’t quite right.

My Strategy: Simple, but Varied

With dialogue tags, it’s easy to get carried away.

When I write, I keep it simple, but I’m not afraid to use something other than “said.” I’ll sprinkle in a few variations, but keep it common. Asked, whispered, hissed, interrupted, insisted, began. If the situation calls for something slightly more fancy, I’ll go for it.

Uncommon words can be distracting. Used incorrectly, they can feel forced or awkward. If they don’t fit your voice, it sounds like you’re writing a school assignment and showing off your vocab for the teacher.

A dialogue tag should be more or less invisible. They need to fit the situation and your writing style. Typically, fancy alternatives for “said” just don’t meet those criteria.

Remember, too—not every line of dialogue needs a tag. Sometimes it’s better to leave it plain or partner it with a descriptive sentence. Mixing it up is better for sentence fluency, too.

Here’s a sample I pulled from A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas.

“There’s a bond—it’s a real thread,” he said, more to himself than us. “And?” Mor asked. Lucien ran both hands through his long red hair. His skin was darker—a deep golden-brown, compared to the paleness of Eris’s coloring. “And I got to Elain’s end of it when she ran off.” “Did you sense anything?” “No—I didn’t have time. I felt her, but…” A blush stained his cheek. Whatever he’d felt, it wasn’t what we were looking for. Even if we had no idea what, precisely, that was. “We can try again—another day,” I offered. A Court of Wings and Ruin

As you can see, this short conversation includes a mix. Said, asked, and offered, along with some lines that don’t have a dialogue tag at all. The dialogue tags add a little info without being distracting.

Need Other Words for “Said “?

Here you go. A cursed list filled with many (dangerous) alternate words for “said.”

Some innate part of me likes to collect and hoard things. So I wanted to dive into the English language and collect as many other words for “said” as I could find.

English is a HUGE language, so yeah, I found a lot of them.

Most of these you’ll probably never use. Most of them you SHOULDN’T ever use.

But hey, maybe there’s a time and a place for every option on this list. A really snobby character might use really snobby vocab. A badly programmed robot might use random, nonsensical words. A parody writer might stuff a ton of these into a poorly written fanfic purely for entertainment purposes.

With power comes responsibly and lots of margin for error. So be safe, be smart, and use this list at your own risk.

A Masterlist of 316 Synonyms for “Said”

• Acknowledged
• Articulated
• Backtracked
• Complimented
• Compromised
• Contradicted
• Deliberated
• Embellished
• Entertained
• Exaggerated
• Gesticulated
• Interjected
• Interrogated
• Interrupted
• Procrastinated
• Recommended
• Spelled out
• Surrendered
• Volunteered

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Dialogue words: Other words for ‘said’ (and what to avoid)

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

• Post author By Jordan
• 438 Comments on Dialogue words: Other words for ‘said’ (and what to avoid)

What is a ‘dialogue tag’ (or speech tag)?

Tags (like name tags) identify.

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

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

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

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

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

Read more in our complete guide to dialogue . Here are some tips for using dialogue tags such as said and synonyms for said well:

How to use said and its synonyms well:

• Use all dialogue tags sparingly
• Use said or other tags only where necessary
• Show how people speak using action and gesture

1. Use all dialogue tags sparingly

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

Novel writing coach Romy Sommer says of dialogue:

Keep it as tight as possible, and move as quickly as possible into the purpose of the conversation. Romy Sommer in ‘Writing dialogue: What to avoid’, webinar preview here.

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

Compare these two versions of the same conversation:

“I told you already,” I said, glaring. “Well I wasn’t listening, was I!” he said. “Apparently not,” he replied.

Now compare this to the following:

I glared at him. “I told you already.”   “Well I wasn’t listening, was I!”   “Apparently not.”

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

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

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

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

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

Using dialogue tags sparingly allows your reader the pleasure of inferring and imagining. Keep in mind that they do have a purpose in writing, and often can be used to break up long lines of dialogue. 

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

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2. Use said or other tags only where necessary

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

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

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

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

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

Consoled, comforted, reassured, admired, soothed.

Excitement:

Shouted, yelled, babbled, gushed, exclaimed.

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

Determination:

Declared, insisted, maintained, commanded.

Sighed, murmured, gushed, laughed.

Cried, mumbled, sobbed, sighed, lamented.

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

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

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

Storytelling:

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

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

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

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

3. Show how people speak using action and gesture

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

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

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

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

Now compare:

“That’s not what you said yesterday…” She hesitated, turned and walked to the window. “Well I hadn’t thought about it yet.” He stepped closer. “The truth is now that I’ve had time I see that maybe it’s not going to work out. But let’s not be hasty.” He placed his hand on the small of her back.

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

These are also termed ‘action beats’: a short sentence that describes what the character is doing. They can occur before, during, or after an exchange between characters. 

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

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

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

Related Posts:

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• How many words are in a novel? Finding the right book length
• Adjectives for description: 60 precise words
• Tags alternatives for said , dialogue tags , dialogue words , writing dialogue

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

438 replies on “Dialogue words: Other words for ‘said’ (and what to avoid)”

Sorry. This is totally wrong. Said and asked disappear in the readers mind. Adding synonyms to those brings the reader out of the narrative. Everything I’ve read on dialogue states not to do this. Make the dialogue show what the character is saying. Or have the character do something. “It’s just that.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “We’ve been fighting a lot.”

It may be a differnent teaching in other countries, but here in the states every book I’ve read says to only use said. And ask where appropriate.

Like every single bit of writing advice that tells you to ALWAYS do x or NEVER do y it needs to be taken in moderation. There are times when it is appropriate to use something other than said or asked, much of the time it is not. The trick is learning to recognize those times.

Yes, the trick is to choose the best possible way to get the meaning across to the reader while considering genre expectations and not relying on any one technique or repeating too much. Don’t be afraid to break rules and don’t ignore them completely either.

That’s spot-on, Conrad. The way dialogue is crafted should fall naturally on the ear since it is mimicking speech and sometimes tags are a distraction which is why many authors do away with them entirely and use actions more, as Alice suggested. It’s interesting how everyone has such a strong opinion on this subject. If you are going to use tags at all, it is useful to be aware of the many alternatives and the subtle and not-so-subtle connotations they carry, at least.

I have to agree with you, Alice, and thanks for pointing that out. Reading all of those different attributions (chortled, shouted, exclaimed, replied, inquired, ejaculated, etc.) in a text makes me close the book and pick up another. It’s such a distraction from the forward momentum of the story. Furthermore, the problem is exactly that using these other attributions constitutes TELLING, which is just the opposite of the “show, don’t tell” rule of reader engagement.

And agreed with Conrad, as well, that everything must be taken in moderation, but the ultimate goal of every rule (or of breaking a rule) has to be keeping the reader engaged in the story. The first second the reader disengages from the story, you should have followed that rule (or not broken it in the first place). Attributions like these cause me to disengage from any writing.

Thanks for raising those points, Eleanore. Sometimes telling is useful and even necessary (as Ursula K. Le Guin argues in an interesting article on her personal website) but you’re right that dialogue tags, if used excessively (and for some readers, at all) can be a deterrent. A lot depends on frequency of use, genre (some genres are more amenable to dialogue tags than others) and so on.

Thanks for your reply! I have to admit that after having posted my thoughts yesterday, I remembered that when I’m reading books written by authors like Austen and Dickens, I don’t mind the varied attributions so much. Somehow, stylistically, things like “ejaculated” and “replied” and “murmured” seem to fit better in that kind of historical, sweeping literary style.

I did have another thought on the subject, in general. As a freelance editor for fiction writers, I’ve seen a lot of the use of words like “sighed” and “laughed” and “chuckled” (etc.) in dialogue (e.g., “I can’t understand it,” she sighed). Those words in particular drive me crazy. Has anyone ever actually tried to “chuckle” speech? Or “sigh” words? You can sigh before or after speaking, but not as speech. Similarly, you can laugh before, in the middle of, or after having spoken, but you can’t laugh speech. Perhaps it’s more those attributions to which I find myself *really* objecting! 🙂

Hi Alice – thanks for contributing a different viewpoint. I think it’s more a question of repetition perhaps – after the tenth ‘asked’ or ‘said’ in a scene, it starts to stand out and become a little tedious for some. Many literary writers do away with dialogue tags entirely, possibly partly for this reason, relying on context and the reader’s interpretation of other markers (e.g. characters’ differing personalities and ways of expressing themselves) to work out who is saying what. You’re right that actions are excellent for subtly conveying tone and emotion. A lot does depend on the genre and the age of the intended audience, as younger readers might not have quite as variegated perception of what these different bodily gestures suggest.

Thanks for stimulating debate on this subject. It’s quite a subjective topic.

I agree with Alice. I once read a book in which the author used every word BUT “said” and “asked”… and I *hated* that book. The writing came off as amateur, and it seemed as though the author had done this just to sound smarter. Ironically, in most cases, the tag didn’t even make sense, because it didn’t actually have anything to do with vocalization, nor do many of the suggestions above. And it’s true — words like this detract from the dialogue… Because that’s all I remember about the book are those horrible tags. This is, in my opinion, lazy writing. There are much stronger ways to convey what a person is thinking, doing, feeling, etc.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject, Krysten. It is a fine line between using dialogue tags in places to avoid ambiguity of expression and overusing them and coming across amateurish, as you say. Alice’s suggestion of using actions instead of tags is another discussion but is a very effective way to keep the author’s presence in the text less obtrusive.

yeah, I agree with the others. I don’t think this is great advice. Favoring colorful alternatives to ‘said’ and ‘asked’ is just distracting and comes off as amateurish in my opinion. What trumps everything is clarity in the reader’s mind. Don’t use ‘said’ and then go on to describe how the character pounded the desk and his words echoed until they rang in everyone’s ears–use ‘shouted’. But for heaven’s sake, don’t use words like mused, sighed, and cajoled just for the sake of changing it up and keeping it fresh. I don’t think there’s a great risk of word fatigue if you use ‘said’. Better yet, use nothing at all if you can get away with it.

Good advice, Matt. It does depend (as you say) on whether using a dialogue tag will avoid unnecessary and cliched action description or whether it is better to make actions or simple word choice convey the shifting emotions, tensions and resolutions in a piece of dialogue. I think avoiding ‘gimmicky’ use of any device or technique is always wise. Thanks for contributing your perspective to the discussion.

You don’t need to use “asked” because if the dialogue ends with a question mark, it’s obvious. I agree with Alice on this. “Said” disappears for the reader, whereas “grumbled,” etc. jumps out. Let the dialogue and action show the character’s state of mind. Tags help the reader keep straight who is talking if there are multiple people in the scene. But you can do away with many of them by just using action instead of the word “said.”

You both raise a good point, Diane. Dialogue tags are definitely controversial. As always, it’s up to the writer to do as she (or he) feels is best. There will be readers who like emphatic dialogue tags and readers who loathe them. A lot depends on genre, but you’re right that they can draw too much attention to the construction/craftedness of the text.

Also, it’s not necessary to use a dialogue tag after every line of dialogue. Once the writer has set up who is speaking, she can skip several lines of dialogue before adding another tag, which at that point can be action. There’s a fine balance between too many tags and too few.

You’re right there. A lot of this is a matter of balance. Dialogue is something where many trip up because it’s a constant measuring and deciding between getting the natural patterns of speech right (so that the reader’s ear doesn’t vehemently disagree) and making choices around the fact that it is given to the reader textually, not aurally.

The magic of using said is that it doesn’t jump out at the reader. Writers who use a wide variety of dialog tags feel like they are trying too hard.

Good point, Jeri! I’m loving the spirited debate everyone is having here. Of course everything should be used in moderation, and I think there are certain genres where colourful dialogue tags are more the norm (and norms must of course be questioned and examined) than others. Thanks for your perspective.

I’m glad to see someone finally come out against the fallacy that “said/asked” are better because they “disappear” in the test and don’t “jolt” the reader. After years of only using beats (which take up much more space) or inserting descriptions of tone while desperately trying not to be cliche, I’ve found that bookisms and adverbs get the correct intent across with a minimum of words or fuss. The tag “he asked sharply” will not jolt the reader. It will allow the reader to picture and hear the scene correctly — and enjoy the novel more. Great post!

Thank you, Lexa. Glad you enjoyed reading it. I like that everyone commenting has strong feelings one way or the other on the topic of dialogue tags. I think it all depends on genre. Definitely in more ‘literary’ fiction obtrusive dialogue tags are less common. I think they can richness, especially for younger readers. So much depends on audience.

I was taught the opposite. Most craft books I’ve read say “said” is invisible, while “fancy tags” call attention to themselves. So we’re supposed to use such devices sparingly, only when the way things are said isn’t implicit in the words or context. Some (Elmore Leonard) go even further, and claim no tag but said should EVER be used, which seems excessive in the other direction. I was also taught that tags that can’t actually be spoken, like “stormed” or “coughed” are signs of amateur writing.

Having said this, I think “florid” tags can work for some voices or styles. I don’t think Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy would have been as as funny without its “gushing” doors and “opining” androids.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, E.L. You’re right that tags that can’t be said or voiced in some way are not ideal. At the same time you’re also right that it’s a stylistic/genre matter. A lot of fantasy writers (particularly those writing for YA/middle school audiences) use more florid, as you say, tags. A lot is down to taste, but there are some (ab)uses that are more commonly disliked than others.

Great series – Douglas Adams is hilarious.

Thanks, Bridget for this update.Certainly, the speech about the couple as has been rewritten in the update comes across as very well written. It beats the other two. It has the quality of clarity as it is more vivid. Of course, it is also more interesting. I’ll go for this style any day.

It’s a pleasure. Thank you for contributing your perspective, Ohita.

I been reading your “dialogues” post. I write in spanish. And for be honest, the advise we receive from people is used “said” not particullary another words. Why? the reason they explaine is when you write “he asked, he questioned, he explained… etc., people made a kind of stop, because is habituated to read “said” as a common word, and this turns “invisible” and people can read easy; use a different word can be a extra efford from the author to “look smart”. (They says). For me, that explanation does not have to much sense. For me, if a word is necessary, you must to used it, but not just to “delete/change” the words “said/asked/answered”. And you can explaine with another words which character is doing. For me, if you read words (dialogue), is because someone is speaking…

I guess the rules are different between spanish and english writing style. I tried do not use just Said/asked when a character talks. But some word in spanish are not so common to use as: “replicar” (replay) “expresar” (express). In this case, in spanish is not “good way to write” when you “reconfirm” a statement (?). “When?”, he asked. “Tomorrow”, she answered. In those cases, you even can omit the words asked/said. For that, this point is really interesting for me, see the difference in the style in both lenguages. In spanish, if you wanted express something, just take off the obvious thing, and the example dialogue can turns in: “When?”, he mused. “Tomorrow”, she complained and walked away.

Its good see another point of view.

The varation on traslated book, can defines, why in our spanish “original english books” are so different. But, the fact I learn is when you write, you must to use the balance, the dialogues are great if you use the right words, do it too much “florid” if is a neutral narrator, can be a desaster, as if you use a “plain” (said) if the narrator is a erudit, first witness narrator. For me, each narrator will ask always a good balance, not ignore or abuse with some particular words.

P.S.: Sorry for my english mistakes, is not my mother lenguage.

Thank you for this detailed input – it’s interesting to hear your perspective as a Spanish speaker. You’re right that the dialogue tag is better omitted in instances such as your example, of course. Tags aren’t usually necessary when it’s clear who is speaking and the tone/feeling behind their words.

this is so helpful…..Jupiter Thanks

It’s a pleasure! Thanks for reading.

in a novel im working on I wanted some good words for awnsering questions that another character asked. I noticed there was only persisted. Am I missing something? If not what are some good words to use in my situation.

Hi SC. It depends on the nature of the conversation. If the character asks a silly question, you could use ‘scoffed’ or ‘laughed’ for the reply. If you want to create a little awkwardness (say, for example, the questioning character is being too probing/personal), you could use ‘she paused’ or ‘she hesitated’ (more a descriptor of the flow of conversation than explicit statement of how the character is speaking). I hope these give you some ideas!

You spelt all the words in your sentece wrong. https://www.everyjobforme.com/?asID=38338658&creative=177118047034&matchtype=e&network=g&mobile=&placement=&aceid=&pos=1t1&kw=mcdonalds%20application&vtcid=188313298&vtagid=15813199378&vttid=aud-47140501152:kwd-774007650&vtlpid=9031667&device=c&gclid=CjwKEAjwvr3KBRD_i_Lz6cihrDASJADUkGCakq7qnLvEUQtujuq9aoujcg7R6CLQgwyY3PdygLhtSRoCjIHw_wcB The next time you decide to be a twelve year old on a site with clearly more intelectual people on it I strongly recommend you click this McDonald’s application link.

Great!!!Helped me a lot

Thanks, Nishanth. Glad to hear it. Thanks for reading.

Thanks a bunch! It helped me a lot with a story I have to pass to my teacher and she was delighted of my work! You’re the best!

It’s a pleasure, Immawi.

This is fantastic!

Thanks, Detective! Feel free to share it.

Okay, I will. C: Btw, I Make Stories Feel free to read! ^-^ Here the link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/126989834-the-final-journey-to-detective-conan

same here but I’m just a beginner lol…check my stories out https://www.wattpad.com/user/Gibby_The_Gibster

Lol, same. I’m beginner; you know what it means? I’m getting stupid.

Why did you say you are getting stupid?

I’m the worst…People at my school called me a stupid kid, four eyes asshole, that loser who is obsessed with stupid kiddy (anime) shows, and that guy is the worst writing in the planet, tell him that go home and kill yourself…

I don’t know who am I anymore… 🙁

look do you enjoy writing and do YOU think your good at it

But…My grammar mistakes… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d42a4b365a483e2437b21c4f7dcf9dbb2cdf8339c7e4f4eadbdb30f865803a20.gif

It’s ok I’m writing my first book (not for publish yet) and I made so many grammar mistakes. Just keep practicing and you’ll do great at it!

heck even i have grammerly humans make mistakes its why the backspace button exists

True…

I feel bad for you. At my school, most people accept me for being a person that likes anime (or not a lot who complains about it). I also have lots of friends also who like anime and lots who aren’t a fan. I guess I got lucky with my location. Hope you find others who share the same interest as you. But I reckon you can use your experience to write a book as a good book relies on the author’s experience.

Your lucky… ;-;

Don’t worry, the world is a big place. Sooner or later you’ll meet some1 with the same interest.

Maybe….Maybe in seven years or ten years…

Better than never.

Jesus your book is good, im making one at the moment, wow

yep, it is very good and… creative that’s how you describe it

right there with you

love the little anime girl thing

no u is good writer i read your recent release its great

don’t fell that way I watch Poke’mon and beyblade all the time

man, I cried when I read that. My Narrative has Miku Hatsune in it( don’t know if I spelled that right, though) LOL

They’re just dumb kids who probably can’t write a paragraph as good as ur stories. Plus, 4 eyes is better than 2

I knew there were people who used this to write on wattpad. I love wattpad to be honest, I’m writing a story as well. Although my story aren’t being published because I’m not comfortable yet. Good luck with your story! uwu

I’m in the same situation as you. Wattpad is amazing. I’m also writing a story but I don’t have enough confidence to post it yet. I get petrified when someone says something really bad about my things. I’m sure every will feel bad when someone does that, so make sure you only post nice comments and appropriate feedback. ^-^

Dude I’m in the same boat with you. And I agree

Hey you guys, I’m a Wattpad author myself, and I just reached my 20 followers point, actually 🙂 You shouldn’t be afraid of the haters, let them say what they want to say! I bet half of them couldn’t even work up the courage to write anything at all! Wattpad is a friendly community of people, there’s only a few haters. Most people will encourage you to follow your passion! And it’s no big deal if you’re just not comfortable, though I’m sure it’s more amazing than you take credit for 😀

P.S. Gods, I really don’t want to sound like I’m advertising, but my user is @Awesomeandscary123 if y’all are interested in reading my works. Always up to you, though 🙂

What I am doing is writing the full story and then publishing it all at once so that my readers don’t have to wait and wait for another chapter.

I don’t agree with your advice. Said is often used because it’s unobstrubsive, so that the reader will focus more on the dialogue.

Thank you for the feedback, Iva. It is a a contentious topic, but you’re right about ‘said’ being less obtrusive. Often no dialogue tag at all is even less obtrusive, however, as often the reader can infer from speech marks and context who is speaking, making it unnecessary to use ‘said’. Yet everyone has their preferences. Essentially the advice is not to use ‘growled’ or ‘whispered’ every other line. Thank you for weighing in.

thanks it was a good website

Thank you, Maeve. Good luck with your writing.

helped me so much my teacher said my narrative wasn’t boing 🙂 thank you so much

I’m so glad to hear that, Anna. I’m sure you deserve all credit for that.

“Dude I love this it helps so much” admired Deamyn

Thanks, Daemyn. I’m glad you found the suggestions helpful.

thank you, my teacher doesn’t allow the usage of ‘said’ every time someone speaks. So now my writing is fantastic thanks to this article. So, again thank you so very much. 🙂

That’s great to hear. Sounds as though your teacher has the right idea. It’s a pleasure!

These words are great, but I can’t really find any words for people/things that are just talking in a normal tone, without much expression.

Hi Asgore – that’s where a simple ‘said’ here and there where tags are necessary would be good. My advice would be to put some expression in all the same, as if there’s no expressive quality at all to the dialogue the characters could seem strangely uninterested in the conversation at hand. You can also focus more on their surrounds or movements if these elements show more of the scene’s tone and mood or purpose than the conversation itself. Hope that helps!

Thank you so much!!

It’s a pleasure, I’m glad you found this helpful.

I’m so glad I came across this! I found it very helpful, and it was exactly what I was looking for!

I’m really happy to hear that, Nona. Good luck in your writing.

Very helpful, ive lost count as to how many times ive refered to this while writing my novel. Thank you so much

Thanks, Magnet. I’m glad you’re motivated and working on your novel. Keep going.

Very nice! I plan on using this for stories and papers I write. I find the way I describe dialogue is often bland and boring; I hope this makes it more interesting.

Thank you, good luck for your next story or paper!

Regarding dialogue tags: This is exactly the opposite of the advice most editors will give you when you’re publishing your novel. In fact, when I published my first novel, my editors made me go back through my entire manuscript and weed out all of these kinds of words and replace them with “said” and “asked” in almost every instance. Said and asked are the words you should use most of the time. Alternate words like the ones you listed above should be used sparingly, unless there is a good reason (i.e. whispering, etc). However, I do agree with your points about action and gesture, generally.

hmmm, interesting…

Genre and market do come into the equation too. For example, YA readers might be more forgiving (as they were of J.K. Rowling) of ‘fruitier’ dialogue tags 🙂 It depends on a number of factors but I prefer the minimalist approach myself and using gesture and staging more to attribute dialogue than tags, personally. There’s never a ‘one size fits all approach’ so it all depends. Thanks for reading and engaging!

Dude, you really ruined the fun. Boi, just Boi!

This was very helpful! I always found ‘said’ so bland and boring, I realised I mentioned that word way too often in my writings (As well as Responded,Replied etc.) I plan on using these tips 🙂

You can use said for the halfway- beginning, but then you can use the other more advanced words, it will make your story more interesting and more suprising. At first, they’ll probably think your a not-so-good writer, then you can show them you are one. Note : This is just an advice.

hi guys from my classroom

I use this all the time when I create stories with Wattpad. It really helps! In fact I think I’m getting used to these, so now I can memorize these words! Thank you.

It’s a pleasure! Thank you for reading our blog.

thank you so much!!

It’s a pleasure, MK. Thanks for reading!

I bet you that you are here bc of an ff. I know this because I am doing the same.

hahaha same

Why’d you expose me like that haha

I’m writing a zombie story on Wattpad. My account is KingKawaiiKiwi, if you search it in the Wattpad search bar, you’ll find my vampire story (which I just might discontinue) and my new zombie apocalypse story.

This is really useful thank you I use it with every story 🙂 I love it

It’s a pleasure, Jan. Glad you enjoyed this.

Thank you so much, this helped me to improve my writing.

That’s great, Matthew. Keep writing!

This is great and I totally agree. I have always found it hard when reading to know who is saying what until after they have said it, which just takes you away from the moment.

You’re right about that, Mandy – so important it’s clear to the reader who’s speaking so they don’t get distracted from the content of the dialogue itself.

Yes. Great point. And thanks for your information it is great.

Thank you so much, was a great website helped a lot with my assignments. My teacher was astound with my work.

That’s fantastic to hear, Susan. Good luck with your studies further! Thanks for reading.

you put agreed in the Making up twice.

Great catch, Leo, thanks! Nobody’s immune to mistakes. That’s been corrected.

Thank you so much. It is so simple and easy to apply. Sometimes I hit a roadblock trying to explain my characters’ feelings at certain moments. This is so helpful.

I’m glad to hear that, Kgomotso! Good luck with your story 🙂

I agree with using tags sparingly, strongly disagree with using the “said” tag more sparingly than others. The word itself may not add color or personality, but that’s the dialogue’s job.

Thank you for this feedback! It’s not that the ‘said’ tag should be used more sparingly than others necessarily but rather that you don’t have to attribute every line. For example:

Cara saw her mother was limping up the driveway. ‘What the heck happened, mom?’ ‘Fell down the stairs at gym… don’t laugh!’

Here you don’t need ‘Cara said’ or ‘her mom said’ because the first line of narration sets up the context for each character’s words. So ‘said’ should be used more where there’s possible ambiguity regarding who spoke. I hope that clarifies a little 🙂

Thanks so much for this! Really helped when writing my novel!!

I was typing an assignment and this really helped 🙂

Thank you so much.

It’s a pleasure, thank you for reading 🙂

Very helpful, kept me from being dull or overly expressive

I’m glad to hear that 🙂

“Thank you so much” Nicholas applauded. ” I am writing a story WRITE now! The main characters name is Kane.” He continued. “Oh! Here he is! He’s a little shy, being a werewolf and all.” Nic exclaimed

“NIC!” Kane was surprised at his mess up. “You can’t just tell everyone! But… erm, thank you…” Kane nervously thanked.

“And guess what!” Nic proclaimed “I’m only a middle schooler!”

Hi WolfyBoi, that’s quite a few dialogue tags! I’d particularly advise against using an adverb ending ‘ly’ plus a verb, as that really draws attention to the tag and the ‘writtenness’ of the speech. You could use a gesture to show Kane’s nerves instead, e.g. ‘Kane fidgeted at his desk.’ Keep writing 🙂

Thank you, I really appreciate your reply. My book is much further along than it was 3 months ago. I have this website to thank. I recently got into dnd and I couldn’t help but add him to the story. However, I am switching between medieval fantasy, and modern fantasy, tunic vs hoodie amiright? What do you think I should do to help decide? Thank you.

Hi Wolfy, it’s a pleasure. I’m glad to hear you’ve made progress in this time 🙂 Take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I would personally go with modern (medieval is such a saturated market with the likes of GoT and other big series). At the same time, readers still love dragons, warriors and all things mythological, so it depends. My hunch is modern but go with which era you feel most excited about, I’d say. The advantage of modern is it’s easier to create a niche that’s all your own (because it doesn’t have as many standard elements/tropes).

helped, thanks

it needs some for curiosity

OMG!!! This is amazing! Now I don’t have to get stucked when i’m writing my short story for ELA. thank you so much!!!

It’s a pleasure, Vivian. Good luck with ELA!

Me when im typing my essay https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a8e595d23e040d52ccf86d6b93c03e018101916392cf7c381acd1b57473b1f52.jpg

OMG. I was in such a bind before I found this! Seriously, I was like, “I can’t keep making people interrupt and drop the phone every time they finish talkling.” LOL You… Just rescued me from hell in the third chapter of my favorite movie of all time!

I LOVE YOU!

I’m glad to hear that, and you’re right – variety (coupled with good sense and taste and moderation) is key.

Thank you, I’m really bad at coming up with different words, and this has helped me a whale load. 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

I just realized it is called “dialogue tags”. Thank you so much.

It’s a pleasure, Johnny! Yup, that’s the technical term 🙂

Do you have list of different ways to say “asked” like you did here for “said”?

Because My struggle is my main words are asked, questioned, wondered, inquired . So yeah. I guess I’m asking for more colorful words for that.

What you have for “said” is helpful 🙂

Hi Brad, thank you for your question! ‘Asked’ is probably best (using ‘wondered’ as a tag might read strangely, especially in a conversation context, since ‘wondering’ is usually something we do to ourselves rather than in communicating with others). I’d say ‘asked’ is the most versatile, as you can imply the tone (e.g. one of wonder) in the actual words said. For example, wondering or incredulity: “Can you believe Miss A gave us all that homework!?” I asked Jay.’

I hope that helps!

You saved my life! I write fanfiction on Wattpad, I needed this! My Wattpad—> TheFoxInTheShadows

Hi Kitsune,

I’m glad to read that, good luck with your fanfiction!

Lmao me too My Wattpad—> Shuichis_Ahoge

I love this site! I use it every time I write a story!

Hi Blue, thank you! We’re glad we can help.

We’re glad to hear it, Blue. Thanks for visiting 🙂

A very handy guide, thank you.

It’s our pleasure, Jason. Thank you for reading our blog!

no worries.

This helped me a lot! i was having trouble with the dialogues in my story sounding a bit bland. Thank you.

Hi Colour! Thank you for reading it, we’re glad to have helped 🙂 Good luck with revising your story further.

what is a good word to used when like frustrated and stuff without saying said before it like, “You can’t have waffles!” Dad said , angrily or something?

Hi Lovealot, thanks for asking If the underlying emotion is irritability, ‘snapped’ is a common acceptable tag. Otherwise a simple ‘said’ is always a good neutral go-to, with the words themselves supplying tone. I hope this helps!

I feel like there should be more scenarios that involve more words to describe dialogue. Such as an intro, where the character says hello. Or instances that require a much larger vocabulary to describe what is happening, not every situation where you want comedy/humor should you say Teased, joked, laughed, chuckled, chortled, sniggered, tittered, guffawed, giggled, roared. Otherwise it’s a great place to expand your vocabulary and/or get advice to write a great story. Just a critique.

Hi SpartanISO, thanks for reading and sharing your critique, we’ll keep it in mind when we update this article. Happy writing 🙂

This really helped with my homework

I’m glad to hear that, Jaxson. Hope you get a good grade!

My teacher will be amazed

This really helped my Narrative fall into the right place, thank you! I really appreciate it you know!

is everyone here also writing a ff on wattpad too?

bish how tf you know lmaooo

o-o how tf do you know

I’ve been exposed

oof im here for school but i do write ffs

Well, not for an ff but it is on Wattpad. ?

me zara24567

I was about to. But I realized I could get copyrighted, so I decided to make an OG vampire story. It’s the second result when you search, The Vampire Experience.

Edit: First result

*Me writing an OG story on wattpad* -Well f*ck I’ve been exposed

ahhh how did you know? I’m writing a hp fanfic on wattpad

I am writing an Avengers ff on Wattpad, but I am using this for and ELA essay.

At my school, Wattpad is blocked on school internet filters, for “mature” and “forums.”

SAME! I’m writing a Loki one tho. If you’d be interested it’s called “Mirrors and Magic” my @ is @CrazyPerson4967.

Omg! your ff is so good! I love it!

I’m writing an avengers fanfic too haha. My account is APPOJUICE and the story is called ‘Winx Club’ if anyone wants to read

Good luck with your Avengers fanfic and your ELA essay! I hope you got top marks 🙂

Thank you so much! Every kind comment makes me want to write even more.

THATS LITERALLY *PRECICELY* WHAT IM DOING

I’m trying to write a Naruto fanfic UwU. I’m righting on Grammarly and getting words from here! my account name is called Nightshade_Kuro and the story is going to be named Someone Lost

lol actually I’m writing a short story (OG) just for me, but I might post it on wattpad when I’m done now that I think about it

Uhm…okay yes. But I’m also a published writer. I just happen to enjoy shooting writer’s block down with a powerful fanfic. I actually looked for this post since I’m writing in English which is clearly not my native language hahaha. Anyroad, best wishes to every single Wattpad writer here!! If you need me I’ll be word spinting in my account CeciliaPerazaArias 😛

i’m writing a life is strange 2 fic on wattpad. you caught me.

What’s the name? If you’re posting I’d read it

yep descendants one called the warriors son about Shan Yu’s son, this site is actually really helpful

I just need this for my ELA class XD

Hope you ace your class, Temmoo 🙂

this did not help much but i got a little bit out of it

I´m making a book this is very helpful to me because I´m only 12

I’m glad to hear that, Shayla. Good luck with your book!

*smacks head on computer* i’m so stupid for not looking this up earlier XD

Anyone on this for Wattpad? My story is the second result when you search, The Vampire Experience. (Unfinished!)

Yep! Writing a OG book! Its -a night to myself- :3

Good luck with your book, Oliver 🙂

Good luck! What’s it called?

Edit: first result, but I’m writing 2 different books now, so I might just tag it as discontinued.

I didn’t know I need these tips up until this day :’0 thank you so much!

It’s a pleasure, Cactus. Thank you for reading our blog.

Thanks this really help for my wattpad story!

We’re happy to hear that, keep writing!

This is really helpful. I’m entering a writing contest, and this was amazing.

We’re glad to hear this, Sara! Good luck for your contest and thanks for reading our blog 🙂

*when you here to write a book but people are here to write fanfics*

Really helped with my writing! Thank you!

It’s a pleasure, Ally! Thank you for reading our blog 🙂

rewriting a ff i made in 2018,thanks 🙂

Really appreciative of this blog piece. I was trying to wrap my mind around descriptive emotions and this helps shatter my writer’s block. Thank you.

That’s lovely to hear, keep writing! 🙂 Thank you for reading our blog, too.

I’m writing because it’s fun when your fantasies come true even if it’s just words. This helped me a lot thanks 2020 here

Hi. I’m also a wattpad writer. I only started writing on wattpad recently but if you have a chance, would you please check out my story called: The Alpha, rejected his mate? My username is aaliyahisaas2003.

im writing a descendants oc fanfic about Shan Yu’s son called the Warriors son if anyone wants to read it this site really helps thans

I have just started writing because I have so many stories going on in my head and I knew it was time I put these fantasies into words. This blog really helped a bunch, especially as a young writer!

That’s awesome to hear, thank you Nic. When it’s time, it’s time 🙂

Thank you! I was looking for something like these to help me with my writing class. This is really going to be of great use from now on. Thanks!

It’s a pleasure, Johanna! Good luck with your class.

This was so helpful, I don’t know what I would have done without this extra information. I’m a Jr in high school and I ‘m writing a narrative and I’m tired of saying “He said”, “She said” it’s getting repetitive.

Hey Aries, that’s great to hear. It can be repetitive. Remember that when its clear who’s speaking (e.g. when one character already named in the scene replies to the only other character in the scene) you can leave them out. Have a good weekend.

omg me too, I’m writing a narrative right now and my teacher said she would take points off if we continuously said “he said, she said”

Hey thank you a lot I am doing a English paper right now and i needed a word for a determined person and I found it right here clear as day.

I’m glad to hear that, Remi! Good luck with your paper.

This is great! An amazing novel to read for this is Catch-22. Joseph Heller came up with about a million ways to say “said,” and it really helps you hear each character’s individual voice.

Thank you, Suzanne. Great recommendation.

Loved this so much 🙂 Perfect for me as I was writing a college essay and had some serious word block. Thank you so much

Hello Jordan This is awesome, but I didn’t find what I wanted I needed. It’s a different word for said and the context is leaving somewhere. Could you please tell me it. Thanks, Sherbek

Hi Sherbek,

Thank you. When you say ‘the context is leaving somewhere’, do you mean it’s a dialogue tag word indicating a character is leaving? I’d suggest using an action tag instead, e.g. “OK, sayonara, bye, whatever.” He made air quotes on ‘whatever’ and slouched out of the room, trying to look as hip and disinterested as possible.’

The benefit of an action tag is you can get quite specific about the way a person leaves. Saying ‘he farewelled’ or finding a similar way to squish a sense of departure into the dialogue tag would stick out and be less effective, for sure. I hope this is helpful.

These words were very helpful to me thank you so much you are a lifesaver!!

That’s great to hear, Via. Thanks for reading our blog.

This helped me so much! I’m in middle school and writing a story for my class and I didn’t know what else to say, so thank you!

I’m glad to hear that, Norah. Good luck for your class, I hope you get good feedback on your story.

Hey thanks for the help I’m 12 and I’m trying to write a novel about hell’s creatures invading a small town but i was tricky to think of elaborate words in the beginning

That sounds like a fun story scenario, Asher. I hope you’re finding it easier to find the right words.

It’s beneficial for my new fantasy novel, I’m a newbie writer, and I really had a hard time dialoguing. Thank you for this.

It’s a pleasure, Vywx. Good luck with your new fantasy novel!

Yea, super helpful! I’m in middle school and I needed better words other than ” I said. ” That was getting old.

That’s good to hear, Aarya. I’d say remember that ‘said’ can also be the least obtrusive option (or using action tags instead ).

This is extremely helpful, but I couldn’t find what I was looking for! I’m writing for school (and a little for fun) and I don’t know what to write. The quote is “Where are you going?” and it’s a child speaking respectfully to an elder. Do you think you might know what I’m looking for?

Hi Michael, thank you! I’m sorry you couldn’t find precisely what you’re looking for. Do you mean the quote is a prompt? If you’re trying to write a story based on that quote I’d suggest brainstorming about where the elder is going, and involving the child in the object of their departure (for example, are they coming back? Is the object of their departure something relating to the child, that they’re perhaps intending to do something for them?).

Here’s a blog post on finding ideas that may help!

When you use dialogue such as: he teased, he smirked or he laughed. Are these action beats with periods and capital H’s?

Great question, Connie. It would depend whether it is being used to describe the voice of the character immediately following speech or whether it comprises a separate action. Compare:

He teased her mercilessly, until she turned beet red. “I can’t believe you said Japan is larger than Australia in the quiz.”

This is an action tag, the action being complete in a sentence apart from the dialogue it characterizes.

Compare to:

“I can’t believe you said Japan is larger than Australia in the quiz,” he teased. Here, the teasing action serves as a dialogue tag as it’s describing the speech without being a separate sentence. You could also have:

“I can’t believe you said Japan is larger than Australia in the quiz.” He teased her mercilessly, until she turned beet red.

This is the same as the first action tag, of course, with the action simply coming after the dialogue. This would be incorrect:

“I can’t believe you said Japan is larger than Australia in the quiz.” He said [or teased].

Here the ‘he said’ is describing the manner of the man’s speech (you can see it more clearly than with ‘he teased’, as this could be a complete action fragment).

Dialogue tags should always have a comma preceding them as they’re part of the previous line. Just the same as you wouldn’t have ‘He ran. Fast heading for the train’ but ‘He ran fast, heading for the train’.

I hope this helps to clarify!

Thank you so much for this Jordan! I’m doing a retelling of a long movie. Over 10 pages I have forgotten to use more specific and more advanced vocabulary instead of “Said” or “Asked”

This helped me a lot so keep doing what you’re doing your good at it, you help thousands of kids like me! =)

Hi Nate, thank you, it’s a pleasure. That sounds a fun project. I’d add the caveat that ‘said’ is often the least obtrusive option. Action tags and making the content of the speech itself convey the feeling and character are other alternatives to using very exotic tags.

Good luck with your movie retelling!

Ooh thanks! I needed another word to convey sadness, and I found just the one!

This helped me alot, writing a book at a young age. Thank you and I wish everyone luck!!

I’m glad to hear that, Emma. Good luck to you, too!

This helped a lot, since I’m in middle school and had to write a story for school. Thanks!

It’s a pleasure, Anna! I hope you got the grade you wanted.

How do you come up with a good book name? Mine is Submerged…

Hi Emma, these ideas for brainstorming titles should help! Good luck.

This made writing easier for me. Thank you very much!

That’s great to hear, Rose. Thank you for reading our blog!

this really helped

Fantastic, Daniella. Thank you for reading our blog!

Thank you so much for this! Im writing a story in my middle school and my teacher always says “Said is Dead!” This helped me to get a good grade!

Hi Trixibelle, we’re always glad to help here. Congratulations on your good grade! Thank you for reading our articles.

Very helpful. Thank you, Jordan. Per Connie Parker’s question about “teased”, would “laughed” be treated the same way? I’m thinking it would, but I’ve had a couple of people tell me you can’t “laugh” dialogue. Do you agree?

Hi Keith, it’s a pleasure, thank you for reading. It’s a tricky one, since I would say you can laugh to a degree while speaking (or a laugh could interrupt your speech). Personally, I would lean more towards using an action tag and making the sense of amusement evident in the speaker’s words themselves. For example:

“You mean to say … he actually … seriously?” Laughing, unable to finish a sentence, she wiped her eyes and tried to suppress another fit of giggles.

Thanks for writing this article, it helped me greatly. I have a question. If I were to write an emotional ‘scene’, is is fine if I use a lot of different words than “said”? Or should I limit the amount of words that express emotion?

It’s a pleasure, Gillian. Great question.

I would say try to make the words being spoken themselves convey the bulk of the emotion, so that the tag doesn’t need to do that much ‘heavy lifting’. One could also use action tags to convey emotion, particularly loaded gestures. For example, “I’m not going!” She slammed the door so hard the crack snaking from the doorframe must have grown an inch. Varying devices will keep dialogue from sticking out as overly ‘written’, making the scene more immersive.

This helped a lot! I am in the middle of writing a book, but I have a little problem. Even though my problem isn’t associated with the topic of this blog, I wanted to ask: How can I make any battle scenes in my book seem more natural? I feel like I have been adding too many battle scenes that end too quickly.. (3 battle scenes throughout 13 pages) Can you maybe refer an article or give me advice?

I’m glad to hear that! You might find this article on writing fight scenes helpful. Thank you for reading our blog.

I was wondering what word you could use other than said to express happiness and sadness.

Hi Brianna,

Thank you for asking. I’d suggest making the words your character says happy or sad in themselves and then perhaps using an action tag (as adverbs can be weak in effect). For example:

“So I guess we can’t go to the beach this year?” She sat with her shoulders slumped, frowning.

Or “It’s so good to be here again.” She ran down to the shoreline, shrieking when an unexpected wave raced for her feet still in shoes and ran back laughing to where we had stood minutes before.

So putting the despondent or joyful tone into a mixture of tone and action will help to give your dialogue the overall emotional character. Think about how you can weave in setting too at times, so that dialogue also helps to describe where your characters are at this point in time while they converse.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE ITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is soooooo helpful

This was helpful for me again, Thank you for making this. This wants me to make more books.

I’m trying to find a word for said that expresses both confusion and shock but I can’t think of one

Hi Scarrlett, thank you for sharing that. Perhaps ‘gasped’? Also try to find the words in the dialogue that convey those emotions, and perhaps gestures too (e.g. a character suddenly turning their head with a frown on their face, or giving a reaction-based start. Good luck!

Great job, guys. Very helpful. Thank you, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year in advance. Stay Safe

Hi Ben, thank you! A belated Merry Christmas to you too, and a Happy New Year. Stay safe and may 2021 bring many blessings and inspirations.

Dude, I’m writing a book right now, and you have no idea how much this helps

Hi Pulse, that’s great to hear. Good luck with your book!

Hi, I am writing an essay for school, but it has lots of dialogue. Do you know any words with like, a questionable tone but a suggestion. Thanks! (Ex. “Hmm, maybe we could make it using the other recipe?

Hi Malyiah, thank you for your question! What you’ve used there is good.

You could also use ellipses (e.g. “That went well … Maybe we could make it using the other recipe?”). Using ellipses to show someone thinking or to imply a pause can be used subtly with specific surrounding words to create a specific tone. For example, if a character has worn a questionable outfit to a formal event, you could use this to create a questioning/’shade-throwing’ tone: “I see you dressed … for the occasion.”

I hope this is helpful. You could also use action tags to show gestures or movements that suggest questioning (e.g. ‘She peered into the pot and gave her sister a doubtful look. “Maybe we could make it using the other recipe?”).

Helped a lot! was very useful. thank you!

Great, Pooja. Thank you for the feedback!

Thank you for making this webpage, it helps me a lot in school, My teachers like us to write paragraphs, with a lot of dialogue, this really helps out!

It’s a pleasure, Daisy! It’s good practice. I hope you do well in your next assignment.

I am making a story, and every now and then I have the character talk to him self, (e.g ‘since when has he listened to someone?’ Zenitsu thought.) What other word can I use other than thought?

Hi there! One great option is to use an action tag like you would in dialogue. For example ‘Since when have I listened to anyone?’ Zenitsu frowned. Or, ‘Since when have I listened to anyone?’ Zenitsu half turned, ready to storm out.

One thing to remember is it should be in first person rather than third (since a person would typically think in first person when referring to themslves). It’s also conventional practice to put thoughts (if it isn’t the character talking aloud) in italics, e.g. Since when have I listened to anyone? Zenitsu crossed his arms, preparing his argument.

I hope this helps! Keep writing 🙂

hello, I am making a prequel for a story but I am having trouble choosing words for dialogue for example “it’s fine I can give it to him,” she …………

Hi Donna, thank you for sharing that. In this case (and many others), a simple ‘said’ would suffice. Otherwise you could also use an action tag to show the speaker’s emotions or intent. For example:

“It’s fine, I can give it to him.” She reached her hand out for the folder.

I hope this helps!

How would describe dialogue when thanking someone?

Hi Victoria, thank you for your question. It would depend on what the person is thanking for. You could have a simple, “Thanks,” he said.’ Or, for example, if someone didn’t actually like what the person gave them, said or did, and was being sarcastic: “Gee, thanks.” He rolled his eyes’. So try to balance showing the feeling through the words of the dialogue itself with showing feeling through the gestures and expressions people make when they speak.

I hope this helps! Happy writing.

Hi there! Im a young author and already know most words for ‘said’ but i wanted to know more words for feelings or for thought. And i am so very sorry if you already wrote some of it, i just didnt have time to read it since I am a really busy kid.

Hi Yuko, thank you for sharing that. When you say ‘words for feelings or for thought’ do you mean words to show that a phrase is what a character felt or thought, or words for feelings and thoughts themselves (e.g. “X,” he thought…’ or the names for different emotions and such?). In place of ‘thought’ you could have tags such as ‘wondered’, ‘reasoned’, ‘puzzled’ etc as thought-actions. For example: “But if the shooter was standing here…” The detective puzzled over the scene.’

Thank you for the feed back! I really appreciate you writing back! This is a fan fiction story, from an anime in Kimetsu no naiba and often they have scenes when a character is talking to them selves. So the scene I made was: “We shall not have that language in here Inosuke!” Kiena chided firmly. Almost immediately Inosuke bowed and replied “I’m sorry Miss!” ‘Since when did when have he listened to someone?’ Zenitsu questioned himself. When I have scenes like this, I often write the same thing over again (e.g thought Tanjiro/ thought to himself.) I am looking for another word for thought..do you have any ideas?

I made a mistake! It meant to say: ‘Since when has he listened to himself. (not have)

Note well Elmore Leonard’s Rule #3 of his Rules for Writing (and I quote): “3. Never use a verb other than ”said” to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But said is far less intrusive than grumbled, gasped, cautioned, lied. I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with ”she asseverated,” and had to stop reading to get the dictionary.” Verbum sab sat!

Hi Alex, absolutely, this very good point is exactly why we revised this. There also is a genre/literary debate about this, as one does tend to see more ‘nose-in’ tags in certain genres, but ‘said’ is definitely least obtrusive. Action tags are also a helpful way to avoid making the dialogue tag do too much of the work. We also followed up on this with another post here , with more examples showing why unobtrusive is often as effective and renders the author’s hand less visible.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for reading our blog.

This helped me so much! We had to write a narrative and I was using a lot of “said” Because I couldn’t figure out other words instead of “said” Thank you so much!

Hi Ari, it’s a pleasure! I’m glad it’s helped with your assignment. Just remember to use action tags and other devices too so you aren’t overusing odd substitutes for ‘said’.

This has helped me ever so much!!! I had to write a suspense story for school. My mind was completely blank so I searched up synonyms for said and this website came up! I tried it out and it really helped! Thanks so much. Will definitely come here for future assignments.

Hi Ant, it’s a pleasure! Thanks for reading our blog and good luck with your school assignment.

Thank you so much! This helped me with an assignment for my English class. I could not think of any words besides said, but thankfully I got some words thanks to this.

Hi Grace, that’s fantastic. I hope your assignment went well (English class was always my favourite ?). Thank you for sharing your feedback.

This was incredibly helpful, and also articulate and comprehensible for a non-native speaker like me! I especially enjoyed the part about using the speaker’s gestures and actions to substitute tags; it’s something I love in dialogues, so this helped me so much. Thanks a lot! 🙂

Thank you, Lena! I love that in dialogues too, it brings in a little more visual specificity and movement. Thank you for reading our articles.

This helped me so much – I’m writing a so-called book/novel and my head couldn’t think of anything besides “Said”. This came in handy, thank you! 🙂

Hi Alma, that’s great to hear. I hope your novel is coming along well! Thanks for reading our articles.

This helped me a lot while writing a passion project of mine thanks so much

That’s great to hear, PK-Volt. Thank you for sharing your feedback!

This really helped me! I am righting a book named ” The Secret Demigod”, and it adds a lot of expression using these words!

That’s great, Gleam! Good luck with The Secret Demigod as you progress further!

This website helped a lot! I couldn’t find any words other than “said” for my novel and It really bothered me but thanks to this I have different, interesting, better words to use. Thanks!!

Hi Lizzie, thank you for sharing that. I’m glad to hear it’s been helpful. Good luck with your novel.

This is really useful! I just couldn’t think of any other words besides “said” and “asked”, so this really helped me out. Thanks!

That’s great to hear, Sakura. It’s a pleasure, good luck with your WIP.

This helped me so much with my book I’m writing! My mind was completely blank before. And now I’m the top of my class! Thank you very much!

Great, Pankaj, keep excelling at school.

This really helped! I’m writing a story and I was only putting said and stuff like that. Now I’ve changed the story around and it sounds a lot better!

That’s great to hear, Alex. Good luck with the rest of your story.

Hey! I am in still and school and I am planning on writing a book but I always say ‘said’ so it gets repetitive. This Helped me loads! Thanks so much!

It’s a pleasure, Dakota/Flynn. Here’s to less repetition 🙂

Thank you for this post. I am writing a story and I needed better words than said, shouted, yelled and other lame words like that. Thanks for helping my story sound better.

It’s a pleasure! Remember that ‘said’ is often the least obtrusive (if the words a character says can convey the emotion, that’s half the work a tag could be doing already done).

Hey Jordan, I think that it’s so cool that you reply to everybody’s comments. It really shows how much you actually care. And pay attention to the comments instead of ignoring them like so many other people. Really awesome.

Thank you, L.P.S. I try to reply to everyone, we want to encourage discussion and questions as much as possible. Thank you for reading our blog, too ?

This helps me a lot! Using a ‘said” word is very repetitive and sounds boring. I am still in school and I was planning to write my own story and published it on Wattpad. This really saves me from using said. And I thank you for that Jordan.

It’s a pleasure, Yvonne! Good luck with your Wattpad story (feel free to share stories for feedback with our critique community, too).

Thank you so much this really helped me with my writing, thanks again.

I wrote my entire book but found so many plot holes when rereading it, I ended up scrapping it and going back to work on my timeline, while doing that I’ve been researching a lot of stuff to make my book as perfect as I can get it. Dialogue has always been something I was confident about, but after reading this I realize that I would almost always have a “spoke (character)” at the end of each phrase. I never really thought much of it till reading this. I want to have it more sparingly, and after going over this blog? I think I finally get how to do that. Thank you so much.

It’s a pleasure Ross, it’s good you’re getting stuck into revision and learning as you go. Keep it up.

This is great, I’m writing a story and I never know what to put down instead of said. Also i would say to add to the words a bit.

Hi there, thank you for your feedback! When you say ‘add to the words’, could you maybe be more specific (to which words in what way)?

It helped me a lot. Thanks to this I’ve gotten an idea of rewriting my story.

That’s great to hear, Ej. Good luck with your rewriting!

It helped a lot for my parable I did in Ela thankyou

It’s a pleasure, Samuel, we’re glad it helped with your assignment!

I think this website is awesome And as other people said, I love how you reply to everybody’s comments and remind them of what they can do and how you encourage them with there projects or books

Thanks, Sam! It’s a pleasure, we’re here to encourage and help 🙂 Thank you for sharing your feedback with us.

It helped a lot with my parable. Thank You!

It’s a pleasure, Briana! Thank you for reading our blog.

thanks this helped a lot with my school project

That’s awesome, Marie. Thanks for letting us know and for reading our blog.

Thank you so much for the free advice. I am writing my first book, which I started on three weeks ago. 20,000 words into the novel, I am amazed at how difficult it is to write dialog without making it sound repetitive, cumbersome and monotonous. Conveying emotion through writing is so challenging. And capturing body language, emotion, tone and intention only through words in a concise, creative and captivating manner is an art, as I have now come to appreciate. I am learning as I go because I don’t want to be the person who says “I will write a novel some day” and never get around to it. I have been writing at least a 1000 words a day and I have promised myself to not be judgement even if it is crap and a plot is not developing. Later, when I go for a walk on the beach, the characters take on a life of their own and the plot develops. It’s a leap of faith and in the interest of making myself accountable to someone, I hereby pledge that I will complete the novel by April 25th.

Thanks again.

Congratulations on the progress you’ve made so far. It’s a good sign that your ‘characters take on a life of their own’ when you’re not writing as that shows your unconscious mind is showing up for the task, imagination is taking hold. 25th April is an ambitious deadline if you’re about a quarter of the way through (keeping in mind that the average trade paperback is around 80,000 words long) but if you have the time, focus and commitment I’m sure you can do it.

i really needed this. i was writing a story right now cause i cant sleep and these really helped with expressing the dialogue. thank you!!

It’s a pleasure, Stacy. Good luck with your story (and with getting more sleep!).

This is great! It helped a lot with my school study!

Hi Olivia, thank you for your feedback. I hope you get great grades 🙂

I really love to write fanfiction, and I post it, but sometimes it’s just so frustrating with the lack of anything but ‘said’ in some of the fics I read! and write, too. I really can’t express how much this helped me. I hope to write a book someday as well, and if (hopefuly when) I do, I’ll be sure to keep this in mind! Here’s a bit from one of my stories that I changed before I found this site. ‘Harry Potter picked moodily at his food. The year was turning out to be even worse than the last, and that’s saying something.

So far, he’d been attacked by dementors in front of Dudley, been to a hearing at the Ministry, almost been expelled from Hogwarts, had a VERY bad (to put it lightly) Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore had been kicked out, he’d been having dreams, his scar hurt, had to take extra lessons with Snape, deal with everyone calling him a liar and insane, deal with everyone keeping secrets from him, Dumbledore would barely LOOK at him all year, AND, to top it all off, that toad had etched words into his hand! Oh, and he was also banned from Quidditch for life.

Ron Weasley nudged him. “You okay mate?”

His eyebrows furrowed with concern. “You need to eat, Harry,” Ron continued when Harry didn’t respond.

Harry just shrugged in response.

To tell the truth, no he wasn’t okay.

Hermione Granger sighed and closed the book she had been reading. “Harry, please, at least eat one piece of bacon.”

Harry bit his lip.

“If you don’t eat, you might get detention!” Ron joked in hopes of getting the moody raven-haired boy to eat.

But even that wasn’t enough to lift the teen’s spirits.

“Harry,” Neville Longbottom piped up, “seriously, answer. You’re scaring us.”

Harry pushed his plate back, ignoring the stares he was garnering from his friends, and a couple other Gryffindors who had been listening. “Guys, I’m fine, really,” he tried to tell them.

“Then why aren’t you eating?” his (male) best mate countered, quick to jump on the opportunity.

“Not everyone had a bottomless pit of a stomach, you know,” Harry replied, a bit amused.

His friends sighed in relief. But Harry went back to staring at his plate when Professor- oh, sorry, I meant Headmistress Umbridge walked in.

He quickly looked up, though, when he heard the toad clear her throat. “Hem hem,” she began, getting the attention of the students. “Classes will be cancelled until otherwise said. Until then, we will be reading a series of seven books, about the life of Harry Potter, from years one thr- ough seven.”

At this, there was an outcry.

“You can’t do this!”

“This is an outrage!”

“Invasion of privacy!”

“Slimy wart-covered toad!”

These were just some of the things that were called out. The last one, the insult, was probably one of the mild things said.

“Dolores, you can’t possibly do this!” protested Professor McGonagall. “First off, this is an inva- sion of privacy, and Mr. Potter is only in his fifth year! And, even if he wasn’t, you should at least have full permission to do this, which you obviously do not have!”

Umbridge smiled in a sickly-sweet way. “Yes, Minerva, I am aware. Perhaps you’d like to read the note that came with the books out loud so people will see the reason?”

McGonagall grinded her teeth but read the note.

As she did, people looked at Harry in various degrees of pity, surprise, horror, and some disgust, the last from a couple Slytherins.

“This has to be illegal!” Hermione cried out, standing up from the bench and putting her book down.

“Not cool,” snapped Ron angrily.

Harry just sunk down in his seat to avoid the stares. Sure, he really didn’t want everyone to read his private thoughts, and the idea that he’d feel the pain was just cruel, but in the note it said that they didn’t want it to be like that. At least Umbit- sorry, Umbridge -wouldn’t be able to do anything.

The door opened and the people mentioned in the note walked in. “Snuffles!” Harry cried joyfully as the great black grim came loping over. Snuffles barked, and Harry ran a soothing hand through his fur.

It was still weird to him that he was petting his godfather, but if it would calm him down . . .

And reading the books would save lives, at least that’s what the note said. And, the books would prove Hagrid and Sirius innocent!

And, they’d only read up to the fourth book, and then they needed Harry’s permission to continue reading. That was a plus.

Remus and Tonks came over to sit with Harry and his friends. “Wotcher, Harry,” greeted Tonks. “The rest of you as well.”

“Hi Tonks!” responded Ginny brightly.

“Professor Lupin!” Dean Thomas stood up. “What are you doing here?”

“Same as everyone else.” Remus shrugged. “I got a note from the Ministry and came straight here.”

“Oh, Harry!” Molly Weasley gushed, coming over to sit with them. “Are you okay? Oh, this must be dreadful for you!”

Everyone looked expectantly at Harry, waiting for his reply.

Harry fidgeted uncomfortably at the sudden attention. “Well- I don’t like it, obviously, but if it’ll save lives . . .”

Ginny sighed, and Harry had a good idea why.

“Hem, hem.”

Gathering everyone’s attention, Umbridge stood up. “Now that we’re all clear on what’s happening, why don’t we start reading?” ‘ well, there it is! again, that you so much!

[…] speak, you can use descriptive verbs and nouns to paint a picture with a simple word. Here are some voice synonym ideas to give a try when you write your next dialogue […]

This site helps out a lot. I am currently writing a little story and this site is helping me with it. Thank you!

It’s a pleasure, Makoa. Good luck with your story!

This website is amazing and really helpful. At the moment I am writing my own story and I am trying not to repeat the word “said”. Thank you so much, I recommend this website to my friend and she too thinks this is wonderful, thank you again : )

That’s great to hear, Alicia. We’re glad to help. Thank you for recommending Now Novel to your friend, too. Good luck to you both with your stories!

This has helped so much, thank you! I used to have no idea what to type in dialogue except for said. Now I can just come here and look for one. My friend and I are writing a book now it sounds much better. Again, thank you! 🙂

That’s great to hear, Leona. It’s a pleasure! Good luck with your co-authored book.

The website doesn’t let me respond to your last message to me. Thanks for the encouragement.

Today, I am at 52,000 words and plot has been built. Maybe I won’t get to exactly 80,000 by April 25th but I anticipate that I will and if not, I will be somewhere in the 70s (thousands, that is :).

I have learnt that taking a leap of faith just means setting that time aside. I can do 1000 words in 50 minutes and my commitment to this effort in a minimum 1000 words a day. On a good weekend, I can do 5000 words but this weekend I only went 2000 words over because obviously, if the story is not flowing out of my fingers, I don’t want to produce for the sake of producing.

But when all is said and done, I have more stories, characters and plots in my head than I can ever get out into a novel. The difference between now and before is that previously, I never thought I had what it takes to be a writer and now I believe that anyone write a novel. I’ve learnt that it takes a combination of imagination and discipline.

Thanks again, Rajita

It’s my pleasure, Rajita. That sounds like fantastic progress, congratulations! You’re absolutely right that it takes imagination and discipline as well as making smart choices (e.g. where you describe writing 2000 when you aimed for 5000 but not letting this discourage you or pushing yourself past what felt a natural stopping point).

It sounds as though you’ve developed a process that works for you. Good luck finishing your story!

This is so cool, I’m in 6th grade and this helps a lot!

That’s great to hear, Juliana. Good luck with your story!

I am a 9th grade student. I started to write a book during the quarantine and this helped me a lot. thank you 🙂

That’s awesome, Joan. Thank you for reading our blog and sharing your feedback! Good luck finishing your book ☺

i love them for my new na no wir mo book

Hey Jordan,

I made it to 77,000 words today, finished writing the climax, and tied up most loose ends. I have 3,000 words to go, which I can reach simply by bulking up a few sections that need more description. I started mid-Feb and haven’t missed a day of writing at least 1000 words. This is in addition to the 60 hours I work per week. Once I hit 80,000 on Wednesday or sooner, I can’t wait to take a day’s break before entering editing hell. So much cleaning up to do and if I have a mental block, this is it. Something about going back and cleaning up raises fear that I will look back at all the words I wrote will look like drivel lol. and then there’s the hunt for an editor and with any luck a publisher/Audio book procers. I will definitely be coming back to this site for cleaning up the dialog in the next few weeks.

I think posting here on March 14th that I would finish the book by April 25th kept me accountable as I am not good at straying on my word. Thanks again for your forum 🙂

Hi Rajita, congratulations on your progress in writing your story! That is fantastic progress, especially given the 60 hours you work per week. Editing can be hell, but it can also be heaven, too! I would say try to shift your view of editing away from ‘cleaning up’ to ‘freshening up’. So often when I edit the author has a hidden gem behind some overwriting here, a little repetition and waffle there. Try to see it as an additional creative process rather than a chore, I’m sure that will help you find it more fun.

I’m glad we could help you keep accountable! You can be proud of the progress you’ve made.

I’m writing a book for a school project and this helped me a lot!

Great, Lily! Good luck with your school project.

thanks for the other words jordan, i’m doing a project on disney and this helps a lot with the work!

It’s a pleasure, Aiden. Good luck with your Disney project!

I just want to thank you for all of your work on this article! I’m working on a Dystopian story and needed all these words.

It’s a pleasure, Lisa! Thank you for reading our blog. Good luck with your dystopian story.

Thank you, so much for this. I’m a 5th grader and this is helping a lot. I am currently writing a story and this is helping a lot, thank you again

It’s a pleasure, Jie. Have fun writing your story!

This helps so much! I’m in 7th grade and I’ve been writing story’s for about two years now, and this site has helped me significantly improve in my writing.

That’s great to hear, Ava. I’m glad we’ve helped with your writing. It does take time, so it’s good you’re persevering with your story. Keep going 🙂

thx! im writing a story and im just trying my best to use the word ‘said’ so much lol!

thank you this helped me a lot! ?

this was so helpful for the book I’m writing!

That’s great to hear, Olivia! Thank you for your feedback.

i’m writing a book and this was super helpful. thank you! ?

It’s a pleasure, Mar! Thank you for reading our articles ?.

Wow! Thank you all so much for helping me, my writer’s block has been going on for a while now and this really helped.

That is great to hear, Akai. Happy writing 🙂

I’ve heard of show and not tell. I’m trying it now and it works great.

I’m glad to hear that, Richard. It does help immersion. Good luck with your story and thanks for reading our blog.

This has been really helpful for me

I’m glad to hear that, Josh. Happy writing!

I’m writing a story on Wattpad right now and this helped so much!

Hi Arshiya, I’m glad to hear that! Thank you for reading our blog.

This really helps me with my writing!!

That’s great to hear, Juli. Keep it up!

This really helps me with the short story I’m writing for class. Thanks!

I’m glad to hear that, Lacey. Thank you for sharing your feedback!

This really helps me to write wattpad books. Thanks!

I’m writing my debut novel as we speak and I’ve always struggled with dialogue as my skills lie in plot-building, scene descriptors, etc. It’s always been my weakness and I couldn’t figure out why. This put the why behind my dialogue that was okay, but not good. This was specific so now I see why mine always felt a touch wrong. I can pinpoint the differences in my own versus the examples that are clearly better. Thank you thank you!

Hi Cate, that’s great to hear. I’m glad this article had practical utility for you. Good luck with writing dialogue further, and thank you for taking time to leave your feedback and for reading our blog!

I am doing my first story for fun, I never thought to use gestures and such. Thanks!

It’s a pleasure, LG. Enjoy the process! Thank you for reading our blog and leaving us feedback.

This was super helpful! I’m writing a book, and since I haven’t done anything like that in a while, I needed a bit of a refresher. Now I use this as a guide of some sort! Thank you 🙂

Thank you. This helped me so much cause I have to write a fiction story in my class.

It’s a pleasure, Sean. Good luck for your class!

This really helps!

I’m glad to hear that, Sammie. Thanks for reading our blog!

I have to write a realistic fiction story in my ELA class in school, and I say “said” or “says” so much, so this is a program was sent by an angel! LOL!

Hi Sadie, I hope you get a top mark or we’ll be hiring new angels ?. Thank you for reading our blog.

Thank you this really helps me write my story in my ELA Class in school I didn’t use say a much and a now how to write past, present, and future tense.

Hi Darius, that’s great to hear. I hope you do well in your class. Thanks for reading our blog and leaving feedback!

[…] Dialogue words: Other words for ‘said’ (and what to avoid) […]

This was so helpful for everything! It helped me understand more of the work ethic for writing so much better! And guess what? I got an A all because of this amazing source! Thank you so much!!

Hi Fiona, that’s awesome, congratulations on your A 🙂 Keep it up and thanks for reading our blog.

I rarely leave replies on anything, but this was fantastic. Thank you!

Hi Carmine, thank you in that case for the rare comment 🙂 Thank you for reading our blog, it’s a pleasure.

I’m using this article for some help in writing a smaller novel/novella I’m writing. I have almost 14k words in it and wanted to see how many “said” words i had in it. I used it about 48 times, but wanted to lower that, so that’s what i did! Now its at around 10 🙂

also the word “said” was mainly used in the dialogue parts of it such as, “Oh, I said that to him.”

Hi Aaliyah, that sounds like a productive edit, I’m glad you found this article helpful. Good luck with your novella 🙂

hi, this really helped me in my realistic fiction writing thank you for making a page about this

It’s a pleasure, Insiyah. Thank you for reading our blog.

Wow this helps me a lot thanks!

Hi Joshua, it’s a pleasure. I’m glad you found this helpful, thanks for reading our blog and sharing your feedback.

This is great advice. Like some of you, I have struggled with using he said, she said so much in my novel. I feel a bit more freedom now to let these characters yell, mumble, etc.! Thanks for the great post.

Hi Billy, thank you for sharing your feedback! A great rule of thumb is to favor words that one can easily imagine saying. For example, ‘she whispered’ (versus ‘she trilled’). The more ‘out there’ or creative the dialogue tag, the more it draws attention to the author’s hand usually.

I am so impressed and challenged by the information shared here and in the comments of your readers. I am working on a post for Education, as well, so it’s a timely visit. It is an important post, and I’ve not taken enough time to write it yet just thinking and researching so far.

Hi Vincent, thank you for sharing that. Good luck for your research and for writing it, I hope you enjoy the process.

Thank you this is so helpful I’m actually currently writing a book so I really appreciate this advise!

Hi Hayden, it’s a pleasure. Good luck with your book and thanks for sharing your feedback.

I’m only in middle school and my friend showed my story to her teacher that used to be a highschool teacher and he said it would a A if I were in highschool and it was probably because I used a lot of the tips from this website.

That’s so lovely to hear, Zoey. I’m glad you received such encouraging words from your friend’s teacher. Keep writing!

it was too long i could not read it

Hi Shlok, I’m sorry to hear that. What is an ideal word count to you? We value our readers’ feedback 🙂 The links in the sidebar hopefully help to jump the sections that are most important/useful to you.

i like this website a lot it helps me

This was awesome, I kept referring back to this page, and my vocabulary got so much bigger.

Hi Little_Cat, thank you for your kind feedback, I’m glad you found this article useful.

Hello Jordon, Thank you for sharing this article with category-wise dialog words. I have one question, though. Can we use ‘thought’ also as a dialogue verb/word? An example: “Then, we have to get some solid proof somehow,” thought John.

Hi Mvsagar,

Great question. This can be used to indicate a thought, but is maybe best used for thoughts that are spoken aloud as the speech marks make it easy to confuse with spoken/voiced material. So the more common approach for thoughts is to italicize the thought. In this case, if the surrounding narration is in third person, the thought is written in first-person, present-tense (since it occurs in the unfolding moment).

Example: They had plenty of evidence, but hardly enough to sway a jury. Then we have to get some solid proof somehow, thought John.

It looks like I missed an email from your website about your reply. I have seen your reply just now. Thank you for your clarification. Now, I realize that we quite frequently say “I think ….” while speaking with others. So usage of the verb “thought” as a dialog verb seems right!

Thank you! I’m writing a story and this helped me a lot!

That’s lovely to hear Ayra, it’s a pleasure! Thank you for reading our blog. Remember to subscribe to our newsletter if you want to know whenever we share new articles.

Thank you so much! I’m making a story right now and this helped me out. 🙂

Hi Julia. We’re glad we could help! Dialogue is crucial to making your story come alive, so it is worth taking the time to write believable conversations. We wish you the best of luck with your story, and hope you come and share it with us on our critique groups.

Do you have other words to use in your writing instead of thought?

Thanks for question. You could say contemplates, ponders, wonders, muses on, considers or reflected, for instance. All of these could work well in place of ‘thought’. My personal preference is to write as plainly as possible, and ‘thought’ is good. The reader’s eye almost just glides over it to the meat of what is being said or thought. But I agree you need some other options if thought is being used over and over especially on one page!

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500 Dialogue Tags Examples using other Words for “Said”

Last Updated on July 20, 2022 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD

This article features an ultimate list of dialogue tag examples you can use in your writing . “Said” is the word most often used as a dialogue tag. However, there are many other words you can use to add more spice and variety to your writing.

What is a Dialogue Tag?

A dialogue tag is a word or phrase that indicates the tone of voice used by the speaker. It’s usually placed at the end of a dialogue line and followed by a punctuation mark such as an exclamation point, comma, colon, semicolon, or period. Some writers use an ellipsis for their dialogue tags while some use a dash. In an email, a dialogue tag can used in the subject line for tagging purposes.

• “I can’t believe it,” she said.
• She spoke in a shocked tone.
• She exclaimed, “I cannot believe it.”
• She gasped, “I can’t believe it!”

How to Use Dialogue Tags?

You must always remember that the dialogue tag is a support for the dialogue that has to blend with it. It’s not a “stand-alone” element, but rather an addition to the mainline.

A dialogue tag must be placed where it won’t make readers confused about who’s talking. It’s important to note that you should never start a dialogue line with “he said” or “she said.” The only exception for this is when you’re using “said” as both dialogue” sentences so if you find yourself describing what your character is doing, then you should consider rephrasing or changing it.

• “I’m coming, I’m coming,” he said as he walked towards the door.
• He shouted, “I’m coming, I’m coming.” as he walked towards the door.

Notice that in this example, it’s clear who’s talking because of the narrative tag.

You must also be sure that you are using the right tone of voice for your dialogue tag. There are some words that can’t immediately indicate whether a dialogue is said in an angry, irritated, or agitated tone so you have to consider adding more clues to guide readers.

You also have to remember never to use adverbial phrases at the beginning of a dialogue tag as it can make your writing feel clunky. The same thing goes with any other unnecessary words. In the example below, the dialogue tag is split from its dialogue which makes it hard to follow:

• “Nice to meet you,” she said, holding out her hand.
• She held out her hand and said, “Nice to meet you.”
• She smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

The word “said” is the most common dialogue tag but there are other words that can be used as well. You can use any of the following synonyms instead of “said” if it better fits with your character’s tone of voice or the mood of the story .

• Whispered softly/gently/calmly
• Replied calmly

Keep in mind that there are some forms of dialogue like stage plays, TV shows, and movies where you never use dialogue tags as it’s already clear who is talking by looking at the character’s face, movement, and actions.

• “I love you,” she said softly as she looked into his eyes.
• “I love you.” She gazed into his eyes and smiled.

While writing dialogue or a prose, it’s important to create a balanced rhythm between dialogue and narrative. Readers want dialogue to be short, snappy and engaging so avoid using too many descriptions at the beginning of a line as this makes it harder for readers to understand who is talking. The use of action beats or action tags in between dialogue lines can help in this.

Complete list of dialogue tags examples using other words for “said”

This detailed list is divided into three sections. In the first part, you’ll find words that are often used in fiction writing, especially for novels. The second one features dialogue tags specific to different types of media while the third section offers more examples of non-dialogue tags that can be used instead of “said.”

100 Dialogue tags that are often used in fiction writing, with examples

Example: “I beg to differ,” he argued.

Example: “I’m sorry,” she blurted out.

Example: “Let me tell you the story of how I caught this fish,” he boasted.

Example: “I used to be a great athlete in my high school days,” he bragged.

Example: “I’m not leaving until you let me see her,” he called out.

Example: “One, two, three, four,” he chanted.

• Chuckled/chuckled merrily/happily/joyfully

Example: He chuckled softly. – She laughed happily. – He laughed joyfully.

Example: She cooed softly. – She cooed to the baby in her arms.

Example: He cried out, “Stop!”

• Demanded/Asked angrily

Examples: “What were you thinking?” he demanded. – “Where is she?” he asked angrily.

Example: She ejaculated the words. – The words escaped her lips as an accusation.

• Gasped/(gasp)

Example: She gasped in surprise

• Giggled/giggles
• They giggled softly.
• She giggled nervously.
• He groaned in frustration.
• He groaned, “Oh God.”
• Growled/(growl)

Example: He growled, “You stupid idiot.”

• Grumbled/grumbled angrily/sullenly/testily
• He took a deep breath.
• He grumbled impatiently.
• She grumbled under her breath.
• Mused/(muse)

Example: She mused, “I wonder what happened.”

Muttered/mutters

• She muttered.
• He murmured politely.
• She murmured something in his ear under her breath.
• Said angrily/(angrily)

Example: He said fiercely. – He said angrily.

• Sighed/sighs
• He sighed, “It’s over.”
• She sighed dreamily.
• Snapped/snaps
• She snapped at him.
• He snarled in reply.
• Sneered/(sneer)
• He sneered in disapproval.
• She sneered, “You look ridiculous.”
• Sputtered/(sputter)

Example: She sputtered, “I didn’t mean to.”

• Squealed/squeal/(gasp)/(scream)/yelped/yelp/(cry)/(whine)
• Her voice rose into a squeal.
• She squealed in delight. – She yelped in pain.
• Stuttered/stutters
• She stammered nervously.
• He stuttered out the words.
• Whispered/whispers/(murmur)/(murmurs)
• He whispered into her ear.
• She murmured softly.
• Yelled/(yell)
• He yelled angrily.
• He yelled at the top of his lungs.

100 Dialogue tags that are specific to different media forms, with examples

Aged/aged dramatically/years in 10 seconds

Example: “I can’t believe you’re here,” he gasped, aged years in 10 seconds.

Announced/announced dramatically/dramatic pause/(pause)

Example: He paused and announced dramatically, “There’s something I have to tell you.”

Bellowed/(bellow)

• The lion bared its teeth and howled ferociously.
• The coach bellowed, “You’re out of the game!”

Boasted (boast)

Example: He boasted his wealth and influence.

Cackled/(cackle)

• The witch cackled maniacally.
• She cackled when she saw the look on his face.

Cried out/(cry)

• The woman cried out in pain.
• The king cried out, “Enough!”

Echoed/echoes/echoing

• He whispered her name and it echoed through her soul.
• She repeated his words slowly, “You don’t love me anymore?”

Explained/explain/(explanation)

• He sighed and began to explain.
• They exchanged grim glances, each one silently explaining the unexplainable.

Groaned/groan/(moan)

• She moaned loudly when she felt his hands on her body.
• The injured man groaned but didn’t open his eyes.

Grumbled/grumble/(murmur)/(murmurs)

• He grumbled to himself about the long drive.
• They murmured quietly among themselves.

Gurgled/gurgle/(chuckle)

• The baby giggled and gurgled happily.
• He chuckled and gurgled at the same time, making his wife laugh out loud.
• He chuckled softly. – He smiled and gurgled with pleasure.

Howled/(howl)

• The dog howled at the moon in the night sky.
• The mob howled outside the house of the innocent man.

Hummed/hum/(instrumental song)

• She hummed a familiar tune softly to herself.
• He played the song through, humming along.
• She laughed and replied, “I can’t argue with that.”
• They both laughed until their sides ached.
• The prince laughed at his foolish brother.

Laughed out loud

• She laughed out loud when she saw the joke in the magazine.
• He shook with laughter until he was red in the face.

Murmured/murmur/(whisper)/(whispers)

• He murmured something into the air.
• She whispered quietly to herself.
• They murmured prayers for their lives.

Mused/muse/(think)/(thinking)

• She paused and began to muse about a happy memory from her childhood.
• He mused silently for a moment before speaking again.
• He muttered a curse under his breath when she spoke to him sharply.
• He muttered his answer resentfully, not looking at her.

Panted/(breath)

• She panted in her sleep.
• He took a breath and continued to run towards the horizon.

Plagued/plague

The house was plagued by mice in the walls.

Played/play/(instrumental song)

• She played a sad melody on her violin.
• He played the song through, playing all of the right notes perfectly.

Questioned/question/(ask)

• He questioned her about what she had seen in the woods.
• What was she trying to do by questioning him like that?

Quieted/quiet/(soothe)

• Her singing quieted the baby down.
• He soothed her frazzled nerves with a gentle voice and caring touch.

Rambled/ramble/(talk or speak fast without stopping)/(talks or speaks fast without stopping)

• He rambled on about the people in his life until she stopped him.
• She rambled on about her day before turning in for the night.

Replied/(answer)

• He replied with a shrug, “I don’t know.”
• She replied to his unasked question.

Shouted/shout/(scream)/(screams)

• The man shouted over the loud music.
• The baby screamed and cried when he saw a strange dog in front of his house.
• She shouted at him to get out of her way.

Sighed/sigh/(breathe out)/(breaths out)

• She sighed and nodded, making her husband smile.
• She sighed loudly and lay down on the bed, exhausted from the day’s work.

Spoke/speaks/(say)/(says)

• He spoke calmly and confidently about what needed to be done next.
• He said something under his breath.
• She spoke up and said that she was the only one who could help him.

Stammered/stammer/(be unsure of what to say next)/(is unsure of what to say next)

• He stammered out a reply.
• She was stammering with shock and disbelief.

Taunted/taunt

• The man taunted his opponent to get a reaction from him.
• He taunted the other man about his lack of success with women.

Whispered/(talk or speak quietly)/(talk or speak in an undertone)

• She whispered to herself and started to cry quietly.
• They talked in an undertone about the events that had happened.

Wailed/(cry or weep loudly)

• She wailed at his feet, begging him to come back to her.
• He wailed in agony after he heard about what happened to his best friend.

Yelled/yell/(scream)/(screams)

• He yelled for his mother after he saw the man running towards him with a gun.
• She yells at her daughter when she smashes another vase.
• He yelled in his sleep and woke up the whole household.

List of Non-dialogue tags that can be used instead of “said.”

1. General: murmured, exclaimed, babbled, cried, protested.

2. Feelings: shrieked, whined.

3. Sound: hissed, sobbed.

4. Physical Actions: blundered into him/her/it/them/one; collapsed on…; muttered to…; glanced at…; smiled at…; turned to…; pressed against …; screamed at…; swung around to…; pointed at …; leaped up/down/upwards/downward etc.

5. Emotions: sighed in relief, laughed scornfully, grinned darkly, cried bitterly.

6. Place or Thing: whispered behind his hand, murmured something soft and bitter to herself under her breath, muttered an oath under his breath,

7. Time: muttered, grumbled, rasped, gibbered.

8. Thoughts/Images: He thought of the day he had met her and smiled to himself.

9. Physical Sensations: The pain throbbed in his stomach like a pulse beat.

10. Actions or Movements: He nodded; rose; shook his head; leaned forward…

11. Relationships/Character Traits: She looked at him with loathing in her eyes.

12. Other Phrases (once again the list is very long): “He lowered his voice to a whisper”/”He dropped his voice to a whisper”/”He raised his voice to a yell”/”She threw her head back and laughed with delight”/”Her eyes blazed with anger”/”His face was etched with pain as he stumbled toward home.”

Adverbs used as dialogue tags without the word “said”

1. Whispered: She whispered softly, “What do you think of the new girl?”

2. Murmured: He murmured something under his breath.

3. Yelled: She yelled at me and I didn’t know what to say.

4. Shouted: He shouted over the loud noises we were making.

5. Sniffed: Nathan sniffled and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.

6. Cried: “No!” she cried, “Please don’t do this.”

7. Babbled: He babbled incoherently.

8. Giggled: She giggled nervously.

9. Sighed: He sighed at the mention of her name.

10. Roared: He roared with laughter when he saw me jump in fright.

11. Sobbed: He sobbed into his handkerchief, unable to continue talking about it anymore.

12. Yelled: She yelled, “Get out!”

13. Gasped: He gasped and his eyes opened wide in fear.

14. Cackled: The witch cackled at her misery and pain, saying that she deserved it all for being such a wretched girl.

15. Began: She began to cry when I said my father died.

16. Chirped: She chirped, “I hope you like it!” and handed me a small box tied with a red ribbon.

17. Giggled: She giggled nervously and looked away from him, focusing her eyes on the carpeted ground instead of his handsome face.

18. Hissed: He hissed, “That’s not what I meant!”

19. Cried: She cried out in despair, “Why?”

20. Screamed: They screamed and ran away from her as far as possible.

21. Rasped: He rasped for air and tried to sit up, but only managed to lean on his elbows.

22. Whined: She whined for him to stay with her forever.

23. Huffed: He huffed at my suggestion of staying home tonight instead of going out with friends.

24. Whispered: She whispered, “Don’t tell anyone but I think you’re really nice.”

25. Gasped: He gasped and waved his hands around frantically, trying to find the source of the water leak.

15 tips to use “said” and its synonyms well

1. Use the tag “said” as often as possible to maintain credibility and clarity, especially in emotional scenes.

2. The words that replace said should be carefully selected to avoid disrupting the narrative flow or making dialogue seem melodramatic or awkward.

3. Use dialogue tags to establish who is speaking and how they sound (angrily, hoarsely, nervously).

4. Use of dialogue tags must create a distinction between two characters speaking.

5. Avoid using said and its synonyms too often (when possible). If you use the same word over and over again it will become annoying and distracting to readers. While some say that “said” is invisible and unremarkable, others argue that it should be used as often as possible to maintain clarity; to avoid disrupting the narrative flow; and because it makes for good writing.

6. Use “said” in combination with adverbs like whispered, shouted, or snapped (look below for more info on each) when you want to emphasize how something is said.

7. Use “replied” when you want to indicate that dialogue is being quoted.

8. Use “exclaimed,” “shouted,” and “yelled” when you really need the reader to notice that dialogue has been said in an exaggerated or emphatic way, but try not to overdo it with these tags because they will lose their power.

9. Use “whispered” and “murmured” when someone is speaking in a voice that is too quiet to hear, but use these tags sparingly because they really only work when not many characters are around or if there’s some kind of secret being shared.

10. Use the tag “asked” when a direct question is being posed to someone who does not have the floor in dialogue.

11. There’s no need to tell readers that a character “sighed,” “muttered,” or “replied” because these actions are implied by the words they use and so they can be safely left out of dialogue tags unless you want to emphasize how something is said or shared.

12. Use “chuckled” and “giggled” when you want dialogue to seem awkward.

13. Use “began” and “continued” when a character has begun speaking, but keep in mind that these verbs do not always work because they’re easily confused with dialogue tags that indicate who is talking. For example, if a character says “Well…” and then another character continues that thought with “I don’t know,” the reader might assume it was the first character who said “Well.”

14. Use “asked” when a direct question is being posed to someone who does not have the floor in dialogue.

15. If there are many characters involved in dialogue, avoid using “replied” unless you make it clear whose turn it is to speak next, or use said with the name of whoever has the floor.

https://www.york.ac.uk/english/writing-at-york/writing-resources/

https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/support/writingcenter/resourcesforwriters

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Other Words for “Said”

“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:

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

• Asked (a little weak, but there it is)

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

• Barked (lots of doggy words so far)
• Bellowed (and a moose)
• Roared (and a lion – this one could also imply triumph)
• Remonstrated
• Huffed (this one is just mildly exasperated)
• Thundered (and some weather)
• Hollered (a bit of volume in these last few!)

Happy, Amused, Positive

Certain, Sure, Confident

Sarcastic, Creepy

Asking or Asking for

• Asked (of course)

Tones other than the ones we’ve already covered (especially the loud ones)

And we’re just scratching the surface…here are a few more:

• Volunteered
• Interrupted
• Interjected

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.

Great list of awesomely perfect words, thanks for this.

Some good words for said are as following: Whispered, cried, screamed, sobbed, screeched, sang, giggled. Each one produces a different emotion so each one can work in all different situations!

“said” is so boring. It’s like using “very” when describing everything. You can make your stories so much more interesting if you use a little imagination and creativity instead of using “said” all the time.

Ya! I’m writing a story and i found this, and it helps SO SO much!!!

same it helped me so much

definitely not definetly

You sound like me. I always correct my friend on grammar and spelling.

We are like the only people from 2021

next thing you know it’s 2024 and everyone checking back on this post is like ayyyyyy I made that joke like a year ago

Hehehe I’m still using this link in 2024 when I found it in 2023.

you are a kotlc fan i looooove kotlc it is the best book series ever

Yes. Keefe is my favourite person in the whole series!

i havent finished it yet but its good so far

Oh My Gosh! I love KOTLC, too! Keefe all the way!

Same here, but I’m only on the 4th book

You don’t always have to comment on someone else’s spelling. That’s just the way the spell it .

Yeah, it does! I’m writing a story with my best friend and I had NO IDEA what to say instead of said, and then I found this!! You can guess what happened next! XD

Oh!! I am too, haha! 🙂

I’m writing a story with my friend too! hahaha

I am writing a story with 2 friends and this really helped!

they might already have this one, I don’t think they do though. Exclaimed is a good one

yeah, they do have exclaimed, I agree though! it is a good one!

Do you like Harry Potter Weaslyboy??? I do!

Me too, LizzyCupcakeAuthor12!!

I LOVE the name Harper!

Agreed, my friend told me about this, and this has helped me have a much more interesting story.

I was searching for words to use other than said and came across this. It helped soooooo much

Same I’m writing an essay it was so boring until I found this

ya, that’s what I’m doing.

Yes! I am writing one based on Greek Mythology.

Greek Mythology is the best! Boy, were they creative.

Yeah! I love their stories, it’s so interesting!

I love the Percy jackson books!

Same! iits sooo good

I’m literally using this for my PJO fanfic

Noice. I love Greek Mythology!

yaas greek mythology is the best

Percy Jackson is Greek Mythology it’s the best series ever

I am also writing a story and I kept using the word “said” so I looked this up and it helped.

It helped me to, but I just wanted to say that my name is Lyla too!

IKR I’m writing a book and this helped so much!!!!

I’m writing a book too! so helpful

you are so right! I’m writing on too and this helps lots!

Same! It is a really good source for improvement!

Even though it’s been three years since you’ve commented this, how’s the writing going? Lol

Me too this helps me so much!

i know i am also writing a story too and this helped a lot ty!

i decided to use miraculous stories for that but umm…THANK YOU GOOGLE!!

Same. This has been amazing. It helps me because in the first chapter, I used “said” like 23 times. So I used good ole google and here we are folks

Haha me too! I always have this tab open 🙂

Agreed. See isn’t agreed so much better than said?

I second this. When I found this page, my book went from said said said to She hesitated, then whispered “I know” just to scratch the surface

this helps me a lot when writing my stories. Thx

I’m writing a story,And this really inspired me,To make my book interesting.Thank you 🙂

why is everyone writing stories not like im not…

I too find “very” a dull word. I try to combine very + adjective and use that instead

Said is dead! LOL

omg lol i gonna say that and it rymes too lol

My ELA teacher from last year always said- no, declared that to the whole class when we wrote narratives.

They should make a site for words replacing “very” as well!

I agree Sequoia.

I agree very is extremely plain!

You are soooo right. I find very, very plain!!

SAME! I am writing a story and this REALLY helps!!!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!

Yes.I agree the best word is begged

true! i bet the people who disliked this comment probably uses said and very all the time lol

Your right, but the good thing about “said” is it’s an “invisible word” meaning the readers don’t really realize the word said unless the word is overused.

Same Im writing a story for fun and it’s called “The orphange” and this help me so much when people start or finish talking.

I am writing a story called Knock Knock Who’s There and it is a graded assignment for school. I used said too much and wanted it to have different words to describe the way they said things.

I think you meant “stated”.

Yeah im writing a horror story called blair high and it helps alot. i wonder if this website has a page for other words for very.

I am writing a horror story too, monster.

That is sooooooo not true, dialoge tags are MEANT to be invisible

Same with me! I have 117 pages so far in my book and I need more types on my said problem!

“Said” is literally the worst to use. It really helps ya a lot when you choose good words so you have an awesome story.

It makes it more descriptive and colorful- and even better? It makes us look smart and sophisticated.

I love how everyone here is writing a story

Yes, I agree! I use this all the time. My writing gets better each day.

I know!!! What if we teach this to the kindergarteners!

Same. It would be a great idea to teach this to younger generations.

Wait, Harper? My story is about a guy named Harper…

Wow this article is great! I was assigned to find words other than said and this was great! Shout out this was great to whoever made this!

Said is boring (so is math). So is the word very!

Personally, I think it’s okay to use “said” sometimes, if there’s not really any emotion in the scene, and there’s no need to use another word besides “said” to express emotion or characterization. Just, please don’t make it the entire story. Please use other word besides “said”, especially in more intense scenes. It also can help give characterization. I don’t think it’s a problem to use “said”, in a scene were a character isn’t really expressing any type of thing, but if you do have an opportunity to have it be, “slyly”, then that can tell us that the character is, well, sly. Anyways, still better than, “Ron ejaculated loudly” lol.

So true. I sometimes find it hard to replace said with another word.

So true! I agree!

I agree! It’s better to use other words to substitute because readers can often find themselves getting bored when reading your work if you only use ‘Said’.

Maybe you should put In read, like for example: “Dear Abby” She read. If you don’t think so, then thats okey! -LizzyCupcake!

thank you for this amazing list!!

You said make a novel on how to better express dialouge, or on how to better express one’s writing.

I think You should make a novel on how to better express dialogue, or on how to better express one’s self in writing. ~RoseAngelz

novels are fiction, though. it would be an informational/self-help book rather than a novel.

Actually a novel is a book that is a chapter book, fiction or not.

Sorry I know this is the third time, I’m commenting on this; however this time I’m not a guest. Plus I’m not sure if you got my comment the first two times – no I’m not trying to spam – so I’m gonna comment this one last time. I think you should make a novel on how to better express dialogue, or on how to better express one’s writing. Again I’m not trying to spam; it’s just that I’m not sure if you got my comment the first two times. ~RoseAngelz

Well “said” is a rather valuable word when it is used properly, as you can “build up” emotions onto it

exactly like “YAY” Mia said jumping up and down with excitement! although doing that makes your story longer.

Btw who is going out and disliking all of these comments?

I know right!

I have no idea but they are very annoying…

No idea. It’s like almost every comment has at least 10 likes. lol

None of these would be a synonym for “said” per se, but all could be used in it’s place given the correct context. Retorted, responded, replied, shot back, countered. Mentioned, noted, suggested. Warned, cautioned, advised, admonished, corrected. Reported.

In my English class we have a board with ”Said is dead” and we have to write different words for ”said”, if we do we get a prize so I study different words at home lol

That’s what we do in my English class too! 🙂

that’s what we do in mine too!!

that’s what i did in 4th

o yes! I went to a writing camp with a song that goes, like “said is dead, this is the funeral!” lol.

im being forced to do a story but this helps so much!!!

This is so good

Everyone should use these words

This helped me a lot with school work

I want to be a writer, but one of my cons is definitely finding proper words to use instead of “says” or “said”. This has helped me a lot, so thank you very much!

said is sooooo boring

Best website in the WORLD!

I would have to agree with this statement.

I’m 14 and I’m writing a book. I haven’t gone to school to do this kind of stuff, but this was really helpful. Now maybe I can get my book published!

I’m only 11 and writing a book and it’s turning out great! Getting published is my dream, and this site has been really helpful!

Same! I’m writing a book about MAGIC!

maddie me toooo

OMG SAME!!!! FANTASY IS MY FAV GENER!!!! :DDD

ooh same. fantasy is so interesting. i was planning on writing a short story but i ended up with a chapter book! and i’m only 11.

I am 10 and planning to get my school story published when me and my friend finish it. I too love fantasy and read that genre

I love books with magic in it

even younger than katie, but apparently reading at a late 10th grade level, and writing a chapter book, this list helps a LOT!

Yeah! I’m writing an 6-8 paragraph essay on a spooky story for Halloween, and this site helped me so much for that reason! Ahhh my essay is so spicy nowww! 😀

I’m 13 and I started writing when I was I think 9 or 10. I have never found a good website that has helped my as much as this one has. I have over 20 books that I am working on and this is one of the things I have troubles with while writing. Thank you so much to whoever posted this site! It’s been a huge help to me.

I am 11 too, I am writing a chapter book and is about mysteries

omg i’m writing a mystery book series too! mystery is full of suspense and i like it

And my dream is the book to get published

YES! I’m only 11 and writing a chapter book! This really helped me. I also really want to get my story published.

woah im 12 and I’m writing a sci fi book :00

Ya, me too! I’m 12 and have been writing a book series since November in 2019. It’s about metamorphosis and people that have metamorphosi forms. This website has really helped to make my stories more innovative! THX A LOT

Have you read Animorphs by K.A. Applegate? Or watched Inhumans or seen the episodes about them on S.H.I.E.L.D?

I’m writing a composition and this really helped! 😀

Hey, I was wondering if you could answer me a question. I am trying to write a book but want an opinion. Horror or Mental Health?

I’m 12 and writing a book about people who can make whatever they imagine come true- kinda like authors. I’m using this for a PJO fanfic I’m writing tho.

we’re all so young, I’m 14 and trying to write a couple stories.

I agree but Im 10 not 14 ha

heh me too :> but i’m using this for my school compo hw .w.

mate getting ur book published is a BIT too far

you saying that is a little to far

Okay, they were only saying that it is a dream, and you can never go too far with a dream. ‘Cause it might actually come true. Don’t just tell people to give up on their dreams. ‘Cause actually, that’s what I’m working up to. I want to do this for a living, and there is nothing wrong with that. So leave them be to dream and make it come true if they can. And know this: If you fail, try until you succeed. ‘Cause I know that you can do it, as long as you are willing to go through with it.

Uh—– The youngest child to write a published book was a 4-year-old girl named Dorothy in 1964, according to Google, so I think someone my age (ten years old or so) can publish their book.

Yess! Same! writin is my dream and rite now my goal is to not have a SINGLE “said” in my entire story. This helped a lot! Woot woot!

Haha, me too. Said is so overrated when I can use these!

*writing and *right not trying to be rude just correcting you! sorry if this comment sounded rude!

Yes! That’s exactly what i’m doing! I’m also trying to not use a “talking” word more than once!

Yay! I’m 13 and writing a book. This really helps. I love it!!

I’m 10 and writing a book too, my dream is to get published. Hopefully, your book gets published! 🙂

I teach 10 year olds I have a few students writing books – you go girl!!! You can do it:)

I’m actually 10 but i’m also planning to get a short-ish book published

I LOVE this it helps me with work so much whoever did this should so get an award as a “thank u 4 all these awesome words!!”

This website helped me with my narrative writing! Also who is the person/people who keep going around and disliking every single comment? It is just annoying.

I know right? It’s annoying and kind of hurtful for me. At least put a comment that says why you dislike it! Just… don’t use bad words.

Bad words like said or very. 😉

All of these words helped me write my story! I wonder what other words we could use instead of said.

amazing list

Maybe meowed? I know that’s what cats do, and even if you aren’t writing about cats, maybe a person is mimicking one of the cute little felines?

Ooh, admitted is also one. Like, “I guess you were right,” Bob admitted.

I have to write a story (Thanks Covid) and this has been soooo helpful! Gracias! -unknowable

am i the only one here who’s writing a fanfic?

No you’re not . I am writing a fanfic too . lol

And me, a draco Malfoy one 😏

That’s awesome!

WOAH YOU HAVE THE SAME NAME AS MY COUSIN, LAST NAME INCLUDED-

I’m thinking of starting a Supernatural fanfic. Do you think I should?

Of course! I honestly love supernateral, and I think that the fanfic ones are the best. I don’t write fanfic though, I only do it in my head or cosplay it with my friends. Good Luck!

Thanks. Also I started a BNHA fanfic with my sister, it’s going well I think.

Yep! Wattpad videogame fanfic writer here ✌

I am doing my school work and it helped so much I got eight lines of speech with this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish you could replace my editor. I’m a new author and my editor just tells me what’s wrong without helping me fix it. I’m glad I found this website.

Good luck with your book! I hope it gets fully published! I’m currently writing a book, at the same time trying to figure out how to publish without spending a TON of money. Good luck!! Hope u get the advice u need

yes i’m writing a book too and this list prevents my story from getting boring…lol

if i do use said i like to put something like he said with a smile 🙂

I totally agree… sometimes adding just a bit of flavor can make even “said” interesting to read

I’m working on a novel, and this helped so much! What a great website!

I’m writing a short story on the word ridicule and this is really helping TYSM!!

Is there any word for when someone is stern?

Forbid/forbidden/forbiddingly

Well, when someone is stern, u could use some words (Glared, muttered, forbade) but, what I would recommend is something like this: “Why did you sneak out tonight?” His mother cried, slamming both her hands on her table. Jake opened his mouth to speak, “You could have been killed!” Jake winced. He had hoped she wouldn’t find out about that. “Mom I-” “No!” she glared at him. Her face straight and void of any laughter. “I don’t want to hear it” “I’ll do better next time!” “You’re grounded for a week” he looked up at her in disbelief. “Grounded? A week?” he began to stand up but his mothers gaze stopped him “Mom, seriously, it won’t happen again! It’s Lila’s birthday on Wendsday!” “You heard me” her gaze didn’t waver as she stared him down. Jake flopped backward into his chair, defeated, “Lila’s gonna kill me” he muttered.

You see, sometimes, (I think this was said above) its not better to use dialouge tags. Actions make writing much stronger and less choppy, hope this helps

I love making stories! I’m trying to make one for school, but I was so stuck on what to say instead of said THIS RLLY HELPS

I have to write a story every week for school so I will use this so much thanks!

I think that this website is wonderful! My friend thought writing was hard until we found this!

This really helps make stories more interesting then if you just say said. When you use a little imagination or you find words (like the ones above) to use in your story it really makes a world of difference.

Yes! Exactly, Lauren, have you read Keeper of the Lost Cities? If you haven’t, you really should. Its amazing!

this was very helpful lol. my sister read my narrative and she was like “dude ur in 6th grade i expected more” and i was like “bruh shut up i wanna see u do better” lol

I doubt she could do better. My sister who is 3 years older than me says that, and her writing (sorry sis) sucks!

I am writing a narrative and this list helps me so much! I love all the words that you can choose from! Overall, so helpful!

So helpful thanks a lot, makes my narrative a lot better.

Thank you very much! Our school wanted us to write a story and I absolutely love writing stories but I got a little annoyed when I kept using the word ‘said’ again and again. Just like ‘very’ is used pretty often. These words express emotion into the sentence and make the sentence more longer which for me is a good thing. I really appreciate your help. Thank you so much once again. ~Asuna

I have been writing a book since I was eight years old, and I am now about to turn 14 years old. Many of the chapters were discarded, as I did not like the word choices. I tried using things like thesaurus, and many others, but none worked and none gave me the help I needed personally when trying to use words. What I recommend is opening a google doc (I know that’s what we’re all using, and we learned about it from school), and copying and pasting the words. Of course, label them saying “this is for angry scenes” or something of that sort, but that’s what helps me so I can quickly find a word I’m looking for and I don’t have to scroll past all the passages. Also, it’s much more organized! Happy writing!

Angelic Devil

Thx writing an essay for school and that’s an amaz. idea!!

Thx soooo much Angelic Devil

tg for this! it was so helpful! im writing a piece n this def helped me! tysm!

I think this is helpful even though i knew most of the words it helped me a lot.

tysm! this was so helpful! tg for this! im def going to use this! amaz!

I’m 10 and I’m writing an article about food and this really helped. Thx a lot. Also, Said is the worst word you can use for said. XD

I need this for my story for little kids thank you

This has been SO helpful! I am writing my own little short story in my (little) free time and I have been struggling to find more descriptive words other than the common ones. This website is pretty much a miracle to any other writer out there! I will say, sometimes when I use the word “said” I like to add a bit of flavor to it, like instead of Brooke said You can put more discription onto it like Brooke said, a grin spreading across her face. Anyways this was sooo helpful thank you for this amazing site!

Like in the story I’m writing for school about a zombie apocalypse one of my sentences is; “Alright let’s move on. My name is James, and I am absolutely useless just so you guys are aware.” He nods at the group with a tight smile on his face as everyone starts laughing.

This is a great website to make stories more intresting!

Bruh… all of these comments make you guys seem like newbie writers (no offense) because it’s really easy to think of words instead of said without searching up websites. And SAID IS NOT BORING. Writing too many complex words, or getting TOO descriptive, will make your writing seem immature and cringy. Just saying. SAID IS A GOOD WORD. it’s classic, and it should be used the most, but just use words like yelled, whispered, etc. to show readers HOW that character said that line of dialogue. You don’t need to go out of your way using the word “expostualted” when you literally can just simply use the word “said”. It’s simple and smart. Period.

Yea, and? To get good at writing, you need to know what words to use. It’s how everybody starts, and nobody should take offense to that. And no, it is not necessarily that easy to just think of words. Writing with “too many” complex words is good, gives the characters tone, and emotions. It makes the characters feel real. We have complex words in our dictionary for a reason, to explain complex feelings. Also, said is not classic. It’s a word, just a simple word. It doesn’t explain much at all. Simpler words should be used, but that doesn’t mean we need to overuse them. Finding more complex words helps make your story not sound dry and boring. It is not simple and smart, it sounds blatantly stupid, and honestly, you sound like a person who doesn’t know much about writing. Thank you.

I think what he means is “Do you think this is right?” he catechized “N-no” she blundered You see? The words are complex and its hard for people to understand. It kind of seems like you don’t know what you’re doing. If you do it like this though “Do you think this is right?” He demanded, his stern gaze looking into her. Maya shrunk back, “N-no” she said, hoping that was the right answer. (Or, she said with a stutter/stammer)

if its not boring then why are you even on this website.

Excuse me? Does writing a chapter book seem like newbie writers to you? That comment you just posted might have crushed some of their dreams! I also do NOT allow the word, “cringey,” to be used on comments, chats, etc. etc. It is rude, it is offensive, and like I said before, it will crush other people’s dreams. SO DO NOT USE THE WORD CRINGEY! And yes, you seem like a person who do NOT know about writing at all. You can’t just simply use the word “said.” Didn’t you read this article? Using the word said can be “BORING” and “NOT INTERESTING.” You need to read the article and you can’t judge other people’s comments and what they type and what they think. End of discussion.

Agree and disagree. He was a little rude about it, but like I said in a reply above using too many complex words can actually make writing boring (believe it or not). Said should definately be used many times, but other words are important too! He’s saying don’t get carried away with fancy words! (I know from experience, I used a bunch of words I thought would make me sound sooo good, but after I finished I read it through and it sounded choppy, noobish, and… wrong, somehow.) I think this guy is just trying to save everyone from digging a hole they cant get out of. He could have been nicer about it, but we all make mistakes, (Even if he meant to be rude) I hope my comments helped clear things up with everyone. Said does get boring, DO NOT use it too much. But also DO NOT make your writing completely void of the word. If you want, use adverbs. “I can help!” She said cheerfully, I hope this helped! Everyone who is making a book, perservere, u can do anything if u put your mind to it. Get advice from others, read and reread. Your book may someday be a bestseller! Best of luck!

What was the point to make this mean comment Zack? I agree with bree and emma! There is 277 pages in my book, I’m ELEVEN! That sound like a newbie???

Yo. I have written a 30,000 word essay!!! I’ve written more in a book and I’m 12!!! I SO agree with Bree, emma, and DarlingCat11. You are rude and when someone (LIKE YOU) says “No offense”, WERE GONNA TAKE OFFENSE!!! So why are you on this page anyway? to be rude? so take you non-boring said and GET OUT OF HERE.

I have a writing exam tomorrow so thanks a lot

This was very very helpful for my Christmas story. Thanks!

If you want to use an angry one you can also use the word hissed if it helps

Hissed is already up there, just letting you know.

I love this site, thank you, Regards.

I am writing a science fiction story and this list helped so much to make my story interesting! LOVE IT! THANKS FOR POSTING IT! – Some 6th grader.

Said is dead don’t kill it more

I absolutely agree with this. Said is not always a bad thing to use.

Th is is AMAZINGLY helpful I am righting school story and this is super great for it

This is super helpful!

Thanks for this list! I’m 11 and this has been incredibly helpful for writing a historical fiction story for school.

Ahaha this is amazing I’m making my own story & there was dialog so I had to find words that are not said this is amazing tbh

I’m writing a story right now about a girl who keeps having nightmares about her past self a.k.a what she’s done in the past only to find out those nightmares are real, and these really worked! Because I have lots of characters in the story and I can’t keep saying said or say

Honestly Ella, That is a good idea but I won’t steal it! I hope that book gets everything it deserves! I am currently the first like on this! Have a good day. (And I feel you, I forget about some characters and then I have to make up an excuse for bringing them back in.) Also, LETS BRING THIS COMMENT TO THE TOP! Hope you all have a nice day!

I have a lot of characters in my story too, (It takes place in a school, so… yeah) But, dont forget to still use said sometimes, (Definately not all the time). (Also, I make separate docs for lists of characters names and traits, just a tip!)

I’m writing a story and this is so helpful!

Thank u this helped so much 🙎🏿😺😾🕺🏾

A few more to intend bragging, or showing off that could be used: Boast(ed), Crow(ed), Bluster(ed), Swank(ed), Gloat(ed) Just some examples, not saying they should be added, just trying to be useful for anyone who needs more help with words that aren’t on the list. (at least I don’t think they are on the list lol.)

I’m almost 13 years old and I want to write a book of wizardry (sort o like Harry Potter). Either way, I’m really thankful for this website and this helps me soooooo much with my writing!!! ‘Said’ is like really boring, so tysm!!!

I write a lot of stories as well, and this list makes it so much easier to make intriguing dialogue! Thanks!

Im writing a book called the woman underwater and this is really helping me.

it is better to mostly use said. publishers will riject books that have too much other words instead of said because it is a sign of inexperience! 99% of the time you should use said!

Thanks for the heads up!

I love when actions describe or replace ‘said’! I’m writing a book, so this was extremely helpful. one like on this comment = one appreciation for this

Best website ever!!!!!

Thank you so much for this website! It helps alot!

This is extremely helpful.

A word a really like to use is Sputter(ed). It might already be up here but if it isn’t here you go.

I need a word to use when someone is scared, any ideas?

Wispered, Breathed, Muttered, Squeaked, Stuttered, Mouthed

Wow this helps so much! Thanks! Using said is so overrated now!

This was soo helpful! Thanks!

This helps so much! Thank you!

This helped me a lot when I was writing a story. I thought using ‘said’ all the time was super boring.

Thank you i was looking everywhere for different saids and i finnaly found one that shows the emotion that the person is feeling when they say that!

Am I the only one that has like 500 books on their computer and each one only has like 60 pages and you only finished like one?

I have like 15 I think. I guess, same!

Im trying to keep myself under control lol

This is so true though, having so many and then having another idea and then failing on finishing your old ones and returning to them years later only to realize they no longer sound fun and trashing them. XD I actually do this all the time.

This helped me so much

I have started my own book series on this website so thanks a lot

This is sooo awesome I’m in middle of a story and i feel like I need to go back and change all my previous saids 😂

Though saying “said” can get a little boring, simply replacing them with action words is a no no. Said is really just a dialogue tag, not your chance to get creative or descriptive. If someone “said” something, you can say they “giggled it.” Amateur mistakes 101.

If you find yourself looking for words to replace said because you’re using it too many times, it’s a sign that you need to go back and restructure your sentences. That’s where you get creative.

It’s okay to get a big more descriptive than said sometimes, but substitute words is usually not the answer.

I actually think this works well XD I had so many “Saids” in my story. It’s 213 pages long so I need to go all over it again to fix all those mistakes XD

lol same! mine isn’t as long yet, but I still have to go back and change them all.

Said Is so boring I’m glad someone made this

This is so helpful. I can’t explain how thankful I am!

im writing a story about monsters at the moment i needed so much good word other than “said” and then i found this, this is so helpful, thanks!

I’m writing a story that using a lot of emotions, and this helped me a lot, thank you.

I am writing a new Percy Jackson book, and this helped me a lot.

so helpful! had no idea how much I used said until this!

This is SO helpful! I’m writing a book right now, and I have so many “said”s that I have to go change! (and, LizzyCupcakeAuthor12!, on one of the other posts I read the beginning of your story about the three orphans, and, by now you might have finished it, but it is AMAZING. Never give up writing!)

Thank you so much. I have to write a story for school and this was so helpful!!!😀😀😀

thank you so much! i’m not a native english speaker so i struggle sometimes, but this article helped me so much!

I am also writing a story! It´s for a school project I’m doing. It´s about a girl named sage who keeps living the same day over and over again. In order to fix it she has to touch a magic pendelum from an old grandfather clock wich got her into this mess in the first place.

That’s actually a really good idea! I’m in the middle of making an HP fanfic right now

OMG. That’s so interesting! If you ever want to publish it, I’ll be the first to purchase your book! 😀

Can concluded be used as well?

Yes, if you use it after the dialogue. It would probably work best if you use it after someone says a long paragraph or explains something with a lot of detail.

i wish i could be as good as enid blython or j.k rowling aka {joanne kathleen rowling} i finished them books im sad

Thank you so much for this! I’m trying to write a story and this helped so much!

This is very helpful. I will be sure to look at their stuff again. I’m trying to write a book for school and this helped tremendously!

This is amazing! It really improves my writing skills!

Thank you very much!! This helped a bunch!

So many unique and new ways to say ‘said’! I’m writing a short story essay for our dystopian unit in school, and this has helped SO much. Thank you 🙂

I’m currently writing a horror (but not that scary) chapter book series, and I need help for finding a word when they’re sad. If you can’t help me, that’s okay. I’m sure I’ll find a word. (P.S. To those who write stories too, I believe in you and good luck!)

I’m writing a story for my Reading class, and this helped me tremendously, thanks!

These really helped in one of my projects!

I’m writing a book, and this really helped. Highly recommend it.

I was writing a paper for school and I needed to find a word to use instead of said because I’m not allowed to use the word said in my paper, so this really helped. Thank you to whoever made this website!!!!!!

Really? You aren’t allowed to use the word said? Haven’t had that come up before.

yea it’s the same at my school/homeschool thing, there are banned words like: say; said and other overused words though at times it gets frustrating, it helps grow vocabulary and gets us used to using assertive words, and adjectives that are direct, and straight to the point, using words like: mumbled, breathed, quired, yelled and others add EMOTION to papers, essays, and stories

I started to write when I was eight years old. I have written more than ten stories to keep myself entertained during the long, boring winter. (and am currently working on one called the pack) Writing keeps me alive, and I often think about becoming an author when I get a little older. I found this website when I was around eight and a half, and it helped me to find other words than the plain old, ‘said’.

I have to agree with that, young lad. I also found this site very useful and probably the most useful source for “said” words. Make sure you keep you’re reader interested! 😉

I as well started when I was eight, I started writing fan fiction for some of my favorite stories, and we seem very alike, because I have a story called ‘The wolf packs’. Quite a coincidence.

Hey ya’ll! I’m 13, and I am officially finished my book and I’m publishing it really soon!! I just wanted to say thank you so this website for helping me reach my dream. I hope I can publish in the next few months, thank you for these words. It’s helped a ton!

I hope you find a publisher soon/are able to achieve your dream, Rose!

Wow. This helped! Im writing a story about a werewolf and this helped-

I came here for help with my DNF fanfic, Im taking your username as a sign lmao

I don’t know why, but I guess I have a lot of the same ideas as people, I also have a story that is called ‘Bewere’ about a Werewolf.

Thank you so much! I really needed this list of other words besides said!!!!!!! 🙂

I have a suggestion- whimpered. Fellow authors — present and future — you could also use this: “But then it would be . . . him!” She realized {or wondered, or anything related, of course!} aloud. Realized aloud. . .Just a tip!! Since most ppl read comments, you don’t have to put “whimpered” on your list. Thank you for this wonderful list, creator! Wow no one knew what the coronavirus was back in November 2016! btw I feel kinda bad for making the comment amount 221 instead of 220. BUT if someone comments again, it’ll be 222!

“this is nice ” stuttered molly “i know this place is amazing ” gigled polly “this place is so boring ” moared jon at the end: stuttered gigled moared

Thank you so much for these words! I’m writing a story about the day of the dead then realized I’m using said over and over!!

This is my favorite list because the organization just makes it so much easier to read. I hate walls of text with a burning passion.

This website has been a real help for me when I write!! 🙂

It’s sooooooo boring to use “said someone”

Thanks sooooo much, you don’t know how much this had helped me! Im writing a novel,and being only 11, I need to expand my vocabulary! (even tho I have a pretty big one already haha)

Said us the most commonly used and most boring word (apart from I and A ) in the entire dictionary! It is sooooooo boring! I’m writing a book and this really helps

I’m writing a book and this helped a lot.

Wow. I write stories and I was looking for other words then ‘said’. For my friends, I tried to read them my story. But I could see how bored they were. So I demanded them to tell me all the downsides to my story. And all three of them told me that I used ‘said’ WAY TO MUCH. So I re-read my writing and they weren’t wrong! I used it so much even I got bored of my own writing. So I looked for sites that’d give me some helpful word ideas and I came across this. TRUST ME, this is the best site. I love this and I think it is very helpful. Thank you to the creators of this website!

Using all of this won’t make the reader fall asleep when saying, “Said…said…said…”

Thx this really helped me with the story I’m currently writing – good one.

omg this was so helpful I felt like said,says and asked was all my vocabulary consisted of and this helps with my story!!

I am writing ✍🏻 a story and this has been very useful indeed , all ur words have been in handy especially when having so many ‘direct and indirect sentences’

I am writing a story as well. I had a brain fart for the word ‘said’ and looked up some meanings, and this helped out a LOT. Thank you so much

Tysm for this website! I am writing a realistic fiction/comedy/mystery, and also a Fantasy/Thriller and it is helping SO MUCH! I hope I can get it published one day, but… you know how life is… anyways wish me luck! Also, other words are Retorted, Countered, Glared, Calls, Affirmed, Greets. (Sorry if some of these are already on here) Also good luck everyone on their books!

Thanks! I’ll look out for your book if it gets published! What’s the name of your book!?

More words are: Inquired, Admitted, Accepted, Chided, Chirped, Piped, Announces, Scolds, Accused, Glowered, Snarled, Mused, Advised, again, sorry if there are already on here or someone else said them, I hope they help too!

Wow thank you so much I am a writer and somtimes I have a hard time replacing said though this made it fun and easy!!!

Im writing a book and I looked at this and exclaimed this helps! Thanks!

I was writing a story with cats, and all I could think to say instead of said was, “hissed, mewed, meowed, and spat.” I found this and it helps so so so much! Love this, and thank you whoever made this!

Yea I’m only 11 & 2 quarters and I’m righting a story and this helps me so MUCH

Yeah, me too! I’m also writing a story and I’m 11&11/12 (as in that I’ll be 12 in exactly one month). This has helped a LOT, although I’m going to have to use human words (like yelled, whispered, cried) for rabbits.

You could also use respond for the list

said is dead

does ‘shrugs’ work. it is kind of like, “I searched it up,” she shrugged.

Oh my gosh, you have NO idea how much I needed this. I am writing a book right now and the word “said” was getting repetitive. Thanks so much for this! 🙂

I love this! It helped me so much as I’m writing a book. Also made me laugh 🤣

Any suggestions for when a character is talking in an innocent way? (Besides innocently)

Thanks for making my short story so much better! It really is helpful

This helped me with a story that I had to type. I hate the word said, did, and because. I’m always correcting my friends when they talk.

I’m looking for something instead of though. But this helps! Thanks you! (I suck at writing narratives! It’s like I’m writing a whole book!)

I like to use “added” and “replied” alot.

I need something instead of “said”, but none of the alternates work for this sentence: “Hello, this is Violet Amorde,” she _____ brightly.

Chided, Chirped, Added, (Or said, Ig LOL)

Introduced her, maybe? That might work. Plus, if there’s other dialogue around it, you can get away with not using the tag.

I am writing a story and this has made my writing so much better

I’m writing a scary story for writing class, and this helped soooooo much. DEFINATELY much better than said. I am satisfied. I also like how the author explains everything too, in a relatable and entertaining way.😁

I am writing a essay and this helped me so much!!!

These help so much!

I was making an essay for something and this helped when I was trying to find a positive tone of wording rather than just said :]

This was really helpful with my homework! It gave me a lot of cool new words to use in stories. I’ll definitely use these for my classes.

I was wondering if you knew a good word for when someone says something in disbelief, shock, and disappointment. As if someone said something bad and someone else blurted out their name in disbelief. For example: To end the tourcher I blurted out the secrets to our captors, Nelly then (blank)”Tommy!” As so say come on really, I can’t believe you’ve done this.

Like this? I couldn’t take the torture any longer, I closed my eyes shut and blurted out the secrets to our captors. I opened my eyes to see Nelly’s disbelieving face, “Tommy!” She cried out in vain, Other examples: “Tommy…” She wispered, eyes bubbling with tears “Tommy!” She spat, “You idiot! Why would you say that?!” “Tommy” She muttered, refusing to look at me “Tommy,” She breathed, barely audible. Her [Blank] eyes staring into mine Let me know if this helps!

I’ve always felt so uncomfortable writing dialogue like

“Hello!” Mary said.

so I’ve always written it like

Mary ran up to Parker and wrapped her arms around him. “Hello!”

and I’m just SO glad that’s not a bad way to do it 😁😁

Actually, in a way it makes your writing better. It sounds more… I cant think of the word

I would say included, and the reader can feel more like a part of the story.

I’ve been writing a story for about two weeks. It’s kind of difficult since I’m only in 7th, and I don’t know a lot of words besides said, so this help a lot （￣︶￣）↗

Oml, thx for making this i am writing a narrative for my school and was like “ugh i hate the word, ‘said’ and i hated the others because they only listee like 2 or 3 words

I SO agree with you! I am writing a english essay, and I needed other words than said. I wanted it to be more interesting, because said gets really boring really fast.

So, great website! Great words, great advice! I have some advice too. Many times it makes your writing stronger to not use dialouge tags at all. Not saying u should NEVER use them, that would be utterly stupid. But don’t use them EVERY time. There’s a time for everything. A parent giving a talking-to to their kid is probably best for no dialouge tags. But a friendly conversation could benefit from them. Also, if you have a lot of characters I recommend making a separate doc with the list of characters and traits on it. One other thing; said can get boring and useless. Its a fact. But, dont let it get that way. At the same time, still use it, maybe even use it A LOT. Like “Blah blah” She said cheerfully “Blah blee blah blah” He grinned “Blah blah blah blee blah” Molly giggled Use said, dont overuse it, and make it interesting!

But, for those times where I want another word this was very helpful. Im writing a book about magic. I want to get it published someday, it may or may not happen. Its going to be a five book series that follows a girl, her best friend, and her twin sister, along with another friend. They go on quests, there’s a fair amount of fighting and betrayl. And more than just a touch of magic. I’ve already fallen in love with both my main character and her best friend. My brother has fallen in love with the twin sister and the best friends brother. I take this as a good sign. Maybe someday I’ll reach my goal. Best of luck to all of you! Dont give up! ~Narwhal

I have IEW, (Institute for Excellence in Writing), and I’m working on my final draft. All I could think of was, ‘Jane `said`, “I’m going to call the babysitter and check on the kids”, which I can’t use say or said, so I’ve been having a struggle. I looked up ‘different words for say and said’, because none of the ones I have in my binder where quite good enough. After searching different link I didn’t like many times, I found this one. SO many were perfect, but I only needed one. It’s funny how I was really struggling and couldn’t find or think of a perfect word, and then now I there is way to many perfect words! I also don’t know how you thought of all of these words! It’s making me bamboozled! Thank you a LOT for this site that you put all of your time into, because I will be using this page a bunch!!😂

This was so helpful thank you.

Other words for said could be utter, note, presume, pronounce, comment, and mention.

I use this link all the time and I also share it with my friends and family

hate this, it is amazing

How do you hate it AND it’s amazing? Do you hate amazing things?

Grumbled is another good word.

I write a book series (And I’m only 11 not to brag) and I use this whenever I get stuck

same, i’m also young and i’ve written multiple books on wattpad with thousands of views, im working on my fourth!

this website helped me a lot! it has great words and makes writing sound a lot better. could you also add in “guess” to the “asking” category? but it was super helpful and easy, thank you!

Thank you! I’m writing a novel and I was stuck- this really helped! 🙂

This really helped me with toy stories I’ve been writing.

thanks so much. I never knew there were so many ways to say things!

These are so so useful! Thank you!

Smiled is a good one EX. Luca smiled “I guess its all settled then”

I write stories too but I need some for words for like when there in pain or worried.

painfully exclaimed said worridly sighed in worry cried in pain shouted in pain

Shouted Screamed in agony Strained Struggled Gasped Said, gasping for breath Said anxiously Fretted Said uneasily.

Screamed and shook in agony

I always come here when I get stuck on wording my dialogue to find the words to match it how it sounds in my head. It’s been a big help for me. I’ve also been thinking about making a book based on a true story, I’d have to get permission from my friend, but I’m still trying to decide. I don’t know if I should start it though, I’ve got an entire huge drawer full of WIPs and am still getting ideas for new stories.

“said” is so boring. It’s like using “very” when describing everything. You can make your stories so much more interesting if you use a little imagination and creativity instead of using “said” all the time.

this kinda save my life i’m an editor for a small story and theres so many saids-

same. i’m writing a wattpad story and this saved my life.

I’m writing my first ever biography and this was extremely helpful

this helps with all my story’s thank tou

I am SO bad at writing things without said. It is such a bad habit at this point. This list has helped me so much! My dearest thanks!

Thank You! I am writing a story and I need to change the word said ALOT TYSM!! <3 🙂

I’m writing a story, and this helped honestly so much. I am a very descriptive writing and this is definitely helping my creative imagination run wild. Tysm.

I’m currently writing a story about a coffee shop where dead famous people come and I needed other words then said! Thanks you so much this helped a ton!

This helped me so much with my story. Thx!

This really came at the perfect timing when I needed words to replace said this is a lifesaver

I was writing an essay and i searched up “words to replace said” and i found this i love those words that are up there

Not being rude to blog, but I despise words like said and anything that replaces them. In my opinion it is easier to avoid words like that in favor of adding detail: ie “‘we could go to the beach,’ he said” sounds so much better as “‘We could go to the beach,” his eyes were hopeful and he smiled.”

But, is it better than “we could go to the beach,’ he queried” actually, I think that has a ring to it, depending on the context. I mean, I don’t think many authors would add that much detail in a sentence like that, unless it was romantic or something, at least I wouldn’t. That is adding too much detail to a simple sentence. Like putting lipstick on a pig. You only really need to add detail to moments in your book that are really important, or just moments you want your reader to remember.

said is dead!

Helped me so much in my writing it just brightens up my writing.

I”m writing a horror story and this helped tons.

btw my book is called the haunted dollhouse because i’m a huge horror fan

Can I read it? It sounds interesting!

Bellowed is a good one when someone is loud.

I really appreciate this website. It helps a lot with the story I am writing.

This really helped! Thank you!

Thank you for this list. It has helped me with school work and helped me with writing my book Millie and the Lost Diamond. I’m a enormous J.K Rowling fan and Harry Potter. Comment back if your the same!

guys this too much comments for anyone to read!

another good one is, “chimed”. It really helps when the character in question is overly happy about something. For example, ” “I am really looking forward to coming over tonight!” He chimed.”

croaned is one I like, especially when showing love or care proclaimed is one I use bemused I think you can use that one proffered retracted when taking something back relented same

am I the only one who has this tab open every time they’re writing a story lol xD

I also always have it open while I write.

This really helped me with some dialogue in my story, it used to be:

“Oh really?” Asked Rust.

“I’m sure of it,” Dew said.

“Well, then, where’s the proof?” Rust told him.

It turned into:

“Oh, really?” Rust snarled.

“I’m sure of it,” Dew gave him a weary look as he muttered.

“Well, then, where’s the proof?” Rust inquired.

I feel that I have about one million stories in progress, Mystic Kingdoms, Bewere, The Keeper, The Forgotten Power, An Abstract story, Life in 4th Grade (Started this in fourth grade, somehow not done), Dragonslayer, How It All Began, Nessi, New Dawn Old Dusk, Destiny In The Making.

This helped me alot, thanks i guess.

notice that a lot of these came from Harry Potter

yep! I finished my first book and now i’m writing another one I spent hours looking for this website. SO HELPFUL!

very help full im righting a book about a witch called far away still making it but because of this its helping so much

This was so helpful for my writing! Thx!

I’m writing a book called champion. I have people in place, and plans to get it published(self-published actually). I am 13, writing this book with my best friend Sadie (one of the main characters), and one of my dreams is to be a writer, as a thirteen-year-old, I’m taking control of my experience with writing, and putting it toward my book. I know many authors, many self-published people, some people’s books have profited, some not, but I’m taking control of my future, building my creativity, and learning. As a teen, this will help build my confidence for the future, and if my book does profit, it will give me an opportunity for a career in writing. This has helped, by taking my character’s conversations and adding emotions.

That’s super cool, I wish you good luck on your book

I NEED OPINIONSSSS i am writing a book, champions is the title, and the main characters are luke,sadie (who are d8ing) amealia,mason,and julia SHOULD THERE BE ROMANCE BETWEEN MASON&AMEALIA (btw amealia is the main character)

This will help me loads!

One other word I dont think they mentioned is Confessed

Thank you sooooo much. I’m 13 and I’m getting into writting so I’m writting my first story/book. I’m so excited to use these in my story!! ^-^

I am using this list while writing my book, and this is helping me a lot as a young writer. Thanks for making it!

I’ve used this in soooo many stories i’ve written, it’s super helpful. I have been using this for almost a year.

I love this! I am writing a story right now and using “said” all the time gets repetitive. This helped a ton!

I’m writing a book and this really lent a helping hand. Using ‘said’ when writing dialogue is so boring.

This was so useful!

gotta agree w/ @ethan the word said has been overused way too much lately

This article has helped me write a story. It’s hard to find other words besides said. It’s nice to have a source that will help you with personal and professional writing.

Also, this website helped me so much!

One word this didn’t mention was probably ” grinned “

Oh wait, I just realized they did mention “grinned “! Alright, never mind!

I didn’t see “sassed” on the lists; I use that a lot.

Hello, I’d just like to tell you you put ‘screamed’ twice.

Wow! I am writing a story and this is helping a LOT!

I recently participated in a four-week dialogue clinic at the local community college, and we debated this subject. What surprised me was that I went back and re-read Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and the entire novel was nearly entirely written with “said/say/saying” and “ask/asked/asking.” Obviously, we all can’t write like Mary Shelley, but we should ask ourselves what we are compensating for with our need for stronger dialogue tags.

I found this when i was 10, and now im almost 15 and still use it, i love this thing tysmm

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Synonyms of said

• as in aforementioned
• as in expressed
• as in recited
• as in assumed
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Thesaurus Definition of said

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Synonyms & Similar Words

• aforementioned
• preliminary
• introductory

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Thesaurus Definition of said  (Entry 2 of 2)

• articulated
• brought out
• put into words
• promulgated
• broadcasted
• ripped (out)
• piped up (with)
• communicated
• paraphrased
• hypothesized
• presupposed
• took for granted
• hypothecated
• conjectured
• preconceived
• wondered (about)
• disagreed (with)
• discredited
• controverted
• disbelieved

Articles Related to said

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Thesaurus Entries Near said

Cite this entry.

“Said.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/said. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on said

Nglish: Translation of said for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of said for Arabic Speakers

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Words to Use Instead of Said

Said is dead here are 250 powerful words to use instead of said.

Here is a list of words to use instead of “said” in dialogue:

Exclaimed – to say something suddenly and loudly Example: “I can’t believe we won!” she exclaimed.

Shouted – to say something loudly and forcefully Example: “Get out of here!” he shouted.

Whispered – to say something quietly Example: “I have a secret,” she whispered.

Murmured – to say something in a low, quiet voice Example: “I don’t know what to do,” he murmured.

Muttered – to say something in a low voice that is hard to hear Example: “I don’t like this,” he muttered.

Yelled – to say something loudly and angrily Example: “I told you not to do that!” she yelled.

Declared – to say something in a clear and formal way Example: “I declare this meeting open,” the chairman declared.

Asserted – to state something firmly and confidently Example: “I am certain that I am right,” he asserted.

Stated – to express something clearly and explicitly Example: “I stated my opinion in the meeting,” she said.

Answered – to respond to a question or statement Example: “Yes, I will come to the party,” he answered.

Replied – to respond to something that has been said or written Example: “I don’t know the answer,” she replied.

Explained – to make something clear or easy to understand Example: “Let me explain how it works,” he said.

Inquired – to ask for information Example: “Excuse me, may I inquire about the price of this item?” she asked.

Questioned – to ask someone a question Example: “Why did you do that?” he questioned.

Suggested – to propose an idea or a course of action Example: “Why don’t we try a different approach?” she suggested.

Offered – to propose or present something to someone Example: “Would you like some help?” he offered.

Added – to say something additional or extra Example: “The meeting will start at 10 am,” she added.

Admitted – to confess to something Example: “I have to admit, I made a mistake,” he said.

Conceded – to admit that something is true or valid Example: “I concede that you have a point,” she said.

Confirmed – to verify or make certain Example: “Yes, the meeting is scheduled for tomorrow,” he confirmed.

Contended – to argue or assert that something is true Example: “I contend that this proposal is not feasible,” she argued.

Denied – to refuse to admit or acknowledge something Example: “I didn’t do it,” he denied.

Proclaimed – to declare something publicly Example: “I proclaim this day a holiday,” the king announced.

Pleaded – to beg or implore someone to do something Example: “Please, help me,” she pleaded.

Reassured – to provide comfort or solace to someone Example: “Don’t worry, everything will be fine,” he reassured.

250+ Colorful Words to Use in Place of “Said”

Words to Use Instead of Said ! In this blog, you will learn an ultimate list of 250 powerful words you can use instead of “said”. These synonyms for said will help you broaden your writing vocabulary.

These words can add variety and depth to your dialogue, making it more engaging and interesting for the reader.

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272 Words to Use Instead of "Said"

Spice up your dialogue. Below are 272 alternatives for “said” that, used sparingly, can help your characters jump off the page. For more writing support, check out our services for authors , such as editing and proofreading , cover design , and eBook formatting , or simply contact us today  to talk through your biggest writing challenges. Just in: The chart below is also available as an infographic and poster .

Occasionally replacing “said” with words from the list above (also available as an infographic or poster ) can deepen your writing, heightening emotion for readers and helping you flesh out your characters. For guidance on a work in progress or for help publishing a manuscript, explore our services for authors , which include  book marketing , query letter writing , and more. You can also  contact us  with any questions.

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100+ better words for "Said"

• Enrich your book by substituting the word “said” with other verbs. Depending on the context, these can be positive, negative, neutral, inquisitive or responsive.
• Positive words include “joked,” “proclaimed,” and “remarked.” You can also use “laughed,” “vowed,” or “chortled.”
• Negative words include “groaned,” “scoffed,” and “complained.” Other options include “grumbled” and “apologised”.

Writing dialogues can get stagnant. Words like 'said' can probably find their way many times in a single paragraph. Plus, that word itself isn't the most creative per se. It doesn't convey much emotion.

There are so many better words for 'said' that can enrich your vocabulary and make your writing that much more colourful .

Positive words for "said

Negative words for "said, neutral words for "said", words that ask a question, words that give an answer, crafting great dialogues.

Using more different words for "said" would ultimately improve the way your story reads, and would add more depth to it. Here you have more than a hundred new words you can use to improve how the characters engage with the setting of a scene and reveal their emotions.

Your richer vocabulary will paint a better picture and give readers and a clearer sense of proximity and distance of characters, and what their thoughts and feelings are.

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Words to Use Instead of "Said"

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• B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music

It's common to use the verb "say" over and over again when writing dialogue . Not only is he said she said repetitive, but it's also not very descriptive. To better describe the feelings behind the reported speech and other statements in narrative writing , it's important to use vocal verbs and adverbs.

Vocal verbs and adverbs help provide motivation behind statements, questions, and replies and convey important information to readers. Each vocal verb and vocal adverb has a short description of typical usage, as well as an example statement illustrating how to replace he said she said with something much more descriptive.

Vocal Verbs

Vocal verbs provide information on the tone of the statement. For example, the vocal verb "moan" indicates that something is said in a complaining fashion in a low voice. These vocal verbs are grouped by a general indication of the type of statement made.

Speaking Suddenly

• Alison blurted out the answer.
• Jack gasped in reaction to the scene.
• I snapped a quick response to his question.

Providing Advice or an Opinion

• Pete cautioned the children to be careful.
• The teacher observed that the exercise was difficult.
• The driver warned his passengers about the noise.
• She shouted out the answer.
• The boys screamed as they dived into the cold water.
• The mother cried out in disdain when her son was accused of the crime.

Complaining

The following four vocal verbs are often used to describe someone complaining: 

• Jack mumbled his responses to the questions.
• He muttered so badly that they couldn't understand him.
• I moaned that I was hurt.

Speaking with Authority or Command

• The teacher announced the exam at the end of the week.
• Jane asserted her rights as a voter.
• The police ordered the protesters away from the area.

Vocal Adverbs

Vocal verbs provide information on the manner in which the statement is made. Vocal adverbs are often used to provide additional information on the feeling that the speaker has when making a statement. For example, the vocal adverb "joyfully" indicates that something is said with great joy. For example, He joyfully exclaimed the news! indicates that the speaker is happy when making the statement. Compare this to He arrogantly exclaimed the news,  which conveys very different information about the speaker.

Common Vocal Adverbs

• admiringly: indicates respect for someone Example: Alice admiringly noticed his clothes.
• angrily: indicates anger Example: She angrily denounced his crimes.
• casually: without much importance Example: She casually conceded her mistake.
• cautiously: in a careful manner Example: She cautiously mentioned the extra homework.
• cheerfully:  indicates joy, happiness Example: Frank cheerfully agreed to do the job.
• decisively:  indicates a belief in the statement made Example: Ken decisively replied to the question.
• defiantly: indicates a challenge to something Example: Peter defiantly taunted his classmates.
• formally: proper, through official channels Example: Josh formally complained to the personnel department.
• harshly: indicates critical judgment Example: The teacher harshly scolded the children.
• meekly: indicates quietness, shyness Example: Jennifer meekly mumbled her apology.
• offensively:  indicates rudeness Example: Alan offensively argued his point about schooling.
• sternly: indicates authority Example: The teacher sternly stated that all reports were due on Friday.
• thankfully: indicates gratitude Example: Jane thankfully accepted the job offer.
• wisely: indicates experience or intelligence Example: Angela wisely commented on the situation.
• Indirect Speech in the English Language
• The Five Main Types of Adverbs in English
• The Use of More in English
• Adjectives and Adverbs: A Guide to Usage
• Adjective Preposition Combinations
• Expanding Descriptive Verb Use
• Using Reported Speech: ESL Lesson Plan
• Adverb Placement in English
• How to Use Just in English
• The Use of Most in English
• Adverbs of Frequency Sentence Placement
• Modifying Words and Phrases to Express Opinions
• Negative Structures
• Essential Basic English Lessons
• Teaching Question Tags
• Proper Usage of "That" in English

Do you wonder how long it takes to deliver your speech?

This website helps you convert the number of words into the time it takes to deliver your speech, online and for free. This tool is useful when preparing a speech or a presentation. The number of minutes you will take is dependent on the number of words and your speed of speech, or reading speed.

Note: This calculator provides an indication only.

Enter details below

The overview below provides an indication of the minutes for a speech (based on an average reading speed of 130 words per minute):

• Words in a 1 minute speech 130 words
• Words in a 2 minute speech 260 words
• Words in a 3 minute speech 390 words
• Words in a 4 minute speech 520 words
• Words in a 5 minute speech 650 words
• Words in a 10 minute speech 1300 words
• Words in a 15 minute speech 1950 words
• Words in a 20 minute speech 2600 words
• How long does a 500 word speech take? 3.8 minutes
• How long does a 1000 word speech take? 7.7 minutes
• How long does a 1250 word speech take? 9.6 minutes
• How long does a 1500 word speech take? 11.5 minutes
• How long does a 1750 word speech take? 13.5 minutes
• How long does a 2000 word speech take? 15.4 minutes
• How long does a 2500 word speech take? 19.2 minutes
• How long does a 5000 word speech take? 38.5 minutes

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• Pennsylvania

At Trump’s last campaign stop before his hush money trial, immigration is a top issue

On saturday, the former president told rally-goers in schnecksville, pa., near allentown, that biden is behind the "communist show trials" in which he has been indicted..

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Donald Trump speaks at his first general election campaign event in Pennsylvania on Saturday. (Carmen Russell-Sluchansky/WHYY News)

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Natural gas

Trump argued that Biden’s proposed regulations for gas and oil production are impacting the effort to make the country energy-independent and also negatively impacting the economy.

“Biden has imposed a savage natural gas export ban that’s putting countless Pennsylvania jobs at risk,” he said. “He’s risking your lives, he’s risking your jobs, but he doesn’t care because all he cares about is the green new scam.”

Pennsylvania is the second top natural gas–producing state in the U.S. So important is the industry to Pennsylvania Senators John Fetterman and Bob Casey that, in a rare move, they broke from the administration and advised President Biden to reconsider a proposed pause on approvals for additional liquefied natural gas plant exports.

“Pennsylvania is an energy state. As the second largest natural gas-producing state, this industry has created good-paying energy jobs in towns and communities across the Commonwealth and has played a critical role in promoting U.S. energy independence,” Fetterman and Casey wrote in a letter.

It wasn’t me

On Monday, jury selection begins in Manhattan, where Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to prevent news of a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to keep their extramarital affair from becoming public.

Trump called the trial a “communist show trial” orchestrated by the president.

“Two days from now, the entire world will witness the commencement of the very first Biden trial,” Trump said in his speech. “They’re all Biden trials. You know that, right?”

Trump also accused the district attorney in that case, Alvin Bragg, and Judge Juan Merchan of colluding with the president to keep him from winning the election, adding that he is “gagged.”

“I’m not allowed to talk,” he said. “They want to take away my constitutional right to talk.”

The former president is prohibited from publicly discussing potential witnesses and jurors in the unprecedented criminal trial of a former president but not barred from speaking to defend himself.

Trump likened the prosecutions to the investigations into his connections with Russia in 2016, saying they amounted to nothing.

“With all of the things they did with millions of pages of study, they found nothing, which makes me perhaps the most honest guy, almost, in the world,” he said.

However, the former president continued his narrative that the last election was stolen from him.

“2020 was rigged,” he said. “It was a disgrace. We can never let it happen again.”

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Pennsylvania’s primary election is Tuesday, April 23. Here’s what you should know beforehand, from election deadlines to who’s on the ballot.

2 months ago

Immigration was the top issue for all the attendees WHYY News talked to.

“Because my tax dollars pay for everything that they get for free — all their food, their housing, their medical, their phones, all that stuff that they get for free,” Laurie, who didn’t give her last name, said. “Our tax dollars are paying for that.”

Laurie, who works as a house cleaner in Bensalem, said that inflation also made it difficult for her to “survive.”

“Groceries are up,” she said. “What you would’ve spent for $40 three years ago is now costing you a hundred dollars. So you go grocery shopping every week. You’re spending $200 a week just to feed your family.”

Laurie said this chilly event was her first rally. Kimberly Crowley, who lives close by, also cited the immigration issue as her primary concern.

“They’re coming in here, they’re stealing our jobs, they’re stealing our money,” she said. “I work hard for my tax money. I don’t want it to go to these illegals.”

She also cited food prices.

“All Biden does is lie to us and tell us that things are not the way that they actually are,” she said. “So we need somebody that’s going to be honest and work for America and not for himself and just political reasons.”

Twenty-year-old Drew Barry, from Pen Argyl, also agreed on the immigration issue.

“We should send them back to where they came from,” he said. “We don’t need to be paying for other people. We already got enough problems.”

Senate endorsement

Near the end of his speech, Donald Trump gave his endorsement to David McCormick, a Republican candidate running against Bob Casey for his Senate seat .

“He’s a smart guy,” Trump said. “He was a very successful guy. He’s given up a lot to do this.”

McCormick was not at the rally but in Connecticut, where he also has a home. It wasn’t a totally expected endorsement, as Trump supported Mehmet Oz when both were vying for the Republican nomination for the seat that eventually went to Fetterman.

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About Carmen Russell-Sluchansky

Carmen Munir Russell-Sluchansky is WHYY News' multiplatform reporter, politics.

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Kari Lake tells supporters 'maybe strap on a Glock' to prepare for upcoming elections

U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake urged her supporters on Sunday to “maybe strap on a Glock” ahead of an election she predicted will be “intense.”

“The next six months is going to be intense,” Lake said at a rally in Lake Havasu City. “We’re going to strap on our seatbelt. We’re going to put on our helmet, or your Kari Lake ball cap. We are going to put on the armor of God. And maybe strap on a Glock on the side of us just in case.”

NBC News recorded the comments on video.

Her gun imagery mixed with combat rhetoric quickly caught the eye of national media watching the race and happened in a state where many still recall the 2011 massacre near Tucson that killed six people and wounded 13 others, including then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.

She went on to suggest she would carry multiple firearms to avert crime before implying her political opponents were taking away freedoms of speech and gun rights.

Opinion: An ever more desperate Kari Lake urges Arizona supporters to 'strap on a Glock'

“We’re not going to be the victims of crime. We’re not going to have our Second Amendment taken away,” Lake said. “We’re certainly not going to have our First Amendment taken away by these tyrants.”

Alex Nicoll, a Lake campaign spokesman, said Lake’s words should not be misconstrued.

“Kari Lake is clearly talking about the Second Amendment right for Arizonans to defend themselves,” he said in a statement.

Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., an Iraq War veteran who is also running for the seat being vacated by the retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., said Lake’s words cannot be justified.

“As someone who served his country and had to use his weapon to defend his fellow Marines, I find Kari Lake’s threats of armed violence abhorrent and un-American,” he said in a written statement. “This is exactly who Kari is — dangerous and willing to do or say anything to get power, even if it could hurt Arizonans.”

Lake’s comments happened on the eve of former President Donald Trump’s trial on criminal charges in New York stemming from payments made during his 2016 campaign to Stormy Daniels, who is known for her roles in pornographic videos and who has said she had sexual relations with Trump.

Trump’s historic trial has led New York authorities to gird for the risk of violence.

Since the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by a pro-Trump mob at the U.S. Capitol, the specter of politically inspired violence has loomed especially large in a deeply divided country.

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‘Lost for words’: Joe Biden’s tale about cannibals bemuses Papua New Guinea residents

President’s suggestion that his ‘Uncle Bosie’ was eaten by cannibals harms US efforts to build Pacific ties, say local experts

Joe Biden’s suggestion that his uncle may have been eaten by cannibals in Papua New Guinea during world war two has been met with a mixture of bemusement and criticism in the country.

Biden spoke about his uncle, 2nd Lt Ambrose J Finnegan Jr, while campaigning in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, describing how “Uncle Bosie” had flown single engine planes as reconnaissance flights during the war. Biden said he “got shot down in New Guinea”, adding “they never found the body because there used to be a lot of cannibals, for real, in that part of New Guinea.”

Official war records say Finnegan was killed when a plane on which he was a passenger experienced engine failure and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. The records do not mention cannibalism or state that the plane was shot down.

Analysts in Papua New Guinea who were shown his comments described the claims as unsubstantiated and poorly judged, pointing out that they come at a time when US has been seeking to strengthen its ties with the country, and counter Chinese influence in the Pacific region.

“The Melanesian group of people, who Papua New Guinea is part of, are a very proud people,” said Michael Kabuni, a lecturer in political science at the University of Papua New Guinea. “And they would find this kind of categorisation very offensive. Not because someone says ‘oh there used to be cannibalism in PNG’ – yes, we know that, that’s a fact.

“But taking it out of context, and implying that your [uncle] jumps out of the plane and somehow we think it’s a good meal is unacceptable.”

Cannibalism was practised by some communities in the past in specific contexts, said Kabuni, such as eating a deceased relative out of respect, to prevent their body from decomposing. “There was context. They wouldn’t just eat any white men that fell from the sky,” said Kabuni.

The practice was not due to people lacking food, he added, pointing out that archaeological evidence illustrates that agriculture was practised in Papua New Guinea more than 10,000 years ago.

About 79,000 US soldiers remain unaccounted following the second world war, Kabuni added. “They’re spread from south-east Asia to the Korean peninsula and Europe. What is [Biden] implying? All 79,000 that were never found were eaten?”

Others were simply bemused by the remarks. “I am lost for words actually,” said Allan Bird, governor of the province of East Sepik, who was recently selected as the alternate prime minister for the opposition. “I don’t feel offended. It’s hilarious really. I am sure when Biden was a child, those are the things he heard his parents say. And it probably stuck with him all his life.”

Maholopa Laveil, economics lecturer at the University of Papua New Guinea, said the claims were unhelpful, and pointed out that it comes after Biden cancelled a brief trip to the country last year. “It paints PNG in a bad light. PNG has already had a lot of negative press around riots and tribal fighting and this doesn’t help, and [the claims are] unsubstantiated,” he said. “For a US president to say that – particularly after a lot of deals have been struck with PNG and the work they’ve been doing in the Pacific – even off the cuff, I don’t think that should have been said at all,” said Maholopa.

According to the Pentagon’s Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Biden’s uncle died on 14 May 1944, while a passenger on an A-20 havoc aircraft that departed Momote Airfield, Los Negros Island, bound for Nadzab airfield, New Guinea.

“For unknown reasons, this plane was forced to ditch in the ocean off the north coast of New Guinea,” the agency says. “Both engines failed at low altitude, and the aircraft’s nose hit the water hard. Three men failed to emerge from the sinking wreck and were lost in the crash. One crew member survived and was rescued by a passing barge. An aerial search the next day found no trace of the missing aircraft or the lost crew members.”

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Why USC canceled its pro-Palestinian valedictorian

As the school year winds down, colleges are still grappling with student speech.

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Share All sharing options for: Why USC canceled its pro-Palestinian valedictorian

Campus tensions over Israel ’s war on Gaza have flared up again, this time at the University of Southern California, which this week barred its valedictorian from speaking at next month’s commencement ceremony. The school cited potential campus safety risks if Asna Tabassum delivered a speech.

Provost Andrew T. Guzman said in an email to students and staff on Monday that public discussion had “taken on an alarming tenor” after the school announced its choice for valedictorian. “The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement,” he wrote.

Tabassum, a South Asian American biomedical engineering major who is Muslim and wears a hijab, says that she, along with other critics of the decision, believes the school canceled her speech because of her public support for the human rights of Palestinians .

Pro-Israel USC student groups, including Trojans for Israel and the Chabad Jewish Student Center, had complained online about Tabassum’s views, calling them antisemitic. The provost explained in the email that the decision “has nothing to do with freedom of speech” and made no mention of Tabassum’s political views. His email did not state whether USC had already received specific threats of violence or disruption.

Since Hamas ’s October 7 attack on Israel, campuses have been embroiled in controversy as student protests test the boundaries of freedom of expression. Many college and university leaders have struggled to make satisfactory public statements about the conflict and balance safety with speech protections. In the attack, Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and took more than 200 hostage. Since then, Israel has killed 33,899 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Though schools have vowed to keep their students safe, some have reported facing violence and harassment . After failing to adequately condemn antisemitism in congressional testimony late last year, the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard resigned . A congressional hearing on Wednesday also brought Columbia University’s president before lawmakers to answer questions about the school’s response to antisemitism, showing that the quandary is far from over.

The USC provost referenced the broader turmoil on US campuses in his email: “We cannot ignore the fact that similar risks have led to harassment and even violence at other campuses.”

Pro-Israel groups are celebrating USC’s decision, claiming that Tabassum’s speech, which she said she had not yet written, could have made Jewish students feel uncomfortable. Tabassum told Inside Edition that she hoped to share a message of hope in her speech.

Meanwhile, critics say that it undermines free speech and is a signal that universities are caving to pro-Israel pressures. “USC cannot hide its cowardly decision behind a disingenuous concern for ‘security,” said Hussam Ayloush, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Los Angeles. “The university can, should and must ensure a safe environment for graduation rather than taking the unprecedented step of canceling a valedictorian’s speech.” Student groups and outlets including the LA Times and the Guardian have defended Tabassum and condemned USC.

As the academic year comes to a close, the country is watching how similar situations might unfold on other campuses. It’s customary for students to make political statements during commencement speeches, but this year’s campus controversies could lead schools to keep buckling under pressure, raising concerns about students’ freedom of expression in the process.

USC chose its valedictorian — then silenced her

USC announced that Tabassum would be the university’s valedictorian on April 2, based on her grade point average, which topped 3.98, contributions to the campus community, essay submission, and performance in interviews. Tabassum, who also minors in resistance to genocide — studies about conflicts including the war in Ukraine , genocide in Darfur, and the Holocaust — was selected from more than 200 students who qualified for the award, and was slated to deliver the customary valedictory speech at the May 10 commencement. Then, Tabassum was notified that she wouldn’t deliver the address at commencement after all because of safety concerns. Critics began to speculate that USC was kowtowing to pro-Israel groups and people who complained about Tabassum being selected as valedictorian.

The right-wing pro-Israel organization organization End Jew Hatred welcomed USC’s decision, stating, “Ms. Tabassum’s speech as valedictorian was anticipated to be harmful to Jewish students and even potentially agitate anti-Jewish activists.” The USC campus group Trojans for Israel wrote that Tabassum “openly traffics in antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric.”

Tabassum told CNN that she received “hate and vitriol” for including a link to the website “ Free-Palestine.Carrd.Co ” on her Instagram profile. The homepage of the website contains the image of a woman holding up a Palestinian flag and a peace sign rising above flames and smoke, and links to help visitors “learn about what’s happening in Palestine.”

USC’s Chabad argued that the linked website called for the “abolishment of the state of Israel” and called the words on the website, which Tabassum did not create, “antisemitic and hate speech.”

Tabassum said in a statement that she believes there was a “campaign” of “racist hatred” on the part of “anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices” to prevent her from addressing her peers at commencement due to her “uncompromising belief in human rights for all.”

“I am not surprised by those who attempt to propagate hatred. I am surprised that my own university — my home for four years — has abandoned me,” Tabassum said, adding that the school denied her request for more information about their threat assessment.

Pro-Palestinian students and groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace have faced discipline, sanctions, and campus suspensions and bans over protest activity since October 7 — part of a long history silencing student activism for Palestine . Meanwhile, students advocating for Palestine have been labeled antisemitic for chanting phrases such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “globalize the intifada.” Student protesters say the phrases don’t advocate for harm to Israelis, while critics say the phrases are threatening and call for violence.

School leadership has often said the groups were reprimanded for violating school policies amid a rise in antisemitism and anti-Muslim sentiment on campus. On Thursday, police in riot gear arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian Columbia students at President Minouche Shafik’s direction, while administrators suspended three Barnard students , including Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar (D), for setting up “unauthorized” protest encampments on campus.

USC has not responded to requests for further information about any specific threats to Tabassum or anyone else in the USC community. USC has not yet responded to Vox’s request for comment.

“If anti-Palestinian groups are threatening violence, then USC needs to say what they’ve threatened and why it is so dangerous that it has led to such a drastic action, instead of disingenuously claiming that it isn’t engaging in censorship,” said Radhika Sainath, an attorney at Palestine Legal, an organization that defends people who speak out in support of Palestine.

“The fact that Palestinians and their allies are being punished and canceled in this way — while Israel is committing an ongoing genocide in Gaza — speaks to the McCarthyite moment we’re in.”

USC’s decision raises questions about free speech on campus

USC is a private school that makes First Amendment-like free speech promises , Alex Morey, an attorney at Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, an organization that advocates for free speech, told Vox. The school is also required to provide students First Amendment rights in certain situations under California’s Leonard Law , a 1992 statute that extended free speech protections to students at private colleges and universities in the state. The school’s decision to cancel Tabassum's speech, Morey said, “does implicate campus expression in an important way.”

“For those of us watching the campus speech space on the regular, canceling controversial speeches or events due to vague, unspecified ‘safety concerns’ is one of the oldest tricks in the book,” Morey said. “USC appears to have made a calculated move that this was the way to avoid the most criticism. Yanking the student’s valedictorian status or canceling the speech for viewpoint-based reasons would have pleased the students’ critics but angered her supporters. By citing ‘safety,’ however, USC’s doing their best to look like the good guy and suggest this isn’t about viewpoint at all.”

Morey told Vox the school should have done everything in its power to ensure that the event would go on, and that if threats remained, it should have been transparent about what those threats are.

If USC did in fact cancel the speech due to pressure from pro-Israel critics, now they know “that with the right amount of pressure, they can silence certain views at USC,” Morey said.

The USC decision has also introduced bigger questions about whether students who have publicly expressed any views on Palestine or Israel will be passed over for honors in the future. These decisions might lead students to self-censor.

“If USC will only honor students with certain views, are they really living up to their lofty free expression promises?” Morey said.

Ironically, Morey pointed out, Tabassum minored in “resistance to genocide” and is effectively getting dinged for saying “precisely the kind of things you’d imagine one would hear in Resistance to Genocide 101 at a school like USC.”

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Over 100 Arrested at Columbia After Pro-Palestinian Protest

The university called in the police to empty an encampment of demonstrators. But students have vowed to stay, no matter the consequences.

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By Sharon Otterman and Alan Blinder

• April 18, 2024

More than 100 students were arrested on Thursday after Columbia University called in the police to empty an encampment of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, fulfilling a vow to Congress by the school’s president that she was prepared to punish people for unauthorized protests.

“I took this extraordinary step because these are extraordinary circumstances,” the president, Nemat Shafik, wrote in a campuswide email on Thursday afternoon.

The president’s decision swiftly sharpened tensions on campus, which has been battered for months by boisterous pro-Palestinian demonstrations that many Jewish people regarded as antisemitic. And it stood to become a milestone for the country, as campuses have been torn by the Israel-Hamas war and grappled with how to manage protests.

What was far less clear was whether the harsher tactics would form an updated playbook for officials struggling to calm restive campuses, or do little besides infuriate and inflame.

Protesters had already promised that any effort to dismantle the encampment would only embolden them.

Dr. Shafik’s message arrived as swarms of New York City police officers, clad in riot gear and bearing zip ties, marched on the encampment of about 50 tents that had sprung up earlier in the week. On Thursday, protesters clutched Palestinian flags, demonstrators sat huddled on the ground and a thicket of onlookers kept watch as officers bore down on tents in the zone that had styled itself as the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.”

“Since you have refused to disperse, you will now be placed under arrest for trespassing,” a man repeatedly called through a loudspeaker. The protesters responded with their own repeated cry: “Columbia, Columbia, you will see — Palestine will be free!”

Mayor Eric Adams said on Thursday evening that while Columbia has a “proud history of protest,” students did not “have a right to violate university policies and disrupt learning.”

Less than an hour later, at least two buses were filled with arrested protesters, while other demonstrators thundered their displeasure toward officers. Among those arrested, according to police, was Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat from Minnesota. Ms. Hirsi was issued a summons for trespassing.

“They can threaten us all they want with the police, but at the end of the day, it’s only going to lead to more mobilization,” Maryam Alwan, a senior and pro-Palestinian organizer on campus, had said before the arrests.

Barnard College, across the street from Columbia and so closely linked to the university that the two institutions share dining halls, said it had begun issuing interim suspensions against its students who participated in the encampment.

“Now and always, we prioritize our students’ learning and living in an inclusive environment free from harassment,” Barnard said in its own campus message. “Given the evolving circumstances at Columbia and in the area, we are working to ensure the safety and well-being of the entire Barnard community.”

The core of the turmoil, though, was at Columbia.

Etched into Columbia’s history is the brutal police crackdown that its administrators authorized in 1968 against student protesters who were occupying academic buildings. The fallout from the violence tarnished the school’s reputation and led it to adopt reforms in favor of student activism.

Now, the university points proudly to that activism as one of the hallmarks of its culture, and markets it to prospective students. On Thursday, Dr. Shafik insisted that university officials “work hard to balance the rights of students to express political views with the need to protect other students from rhetoric that amounts to harassment and discrimination.”

In recent months, she and administrators across the country have felt that tension acutely, as the federal government opened investigations into the handling of bias claims at dozens of schools, Congress subpoenaed records and court dockets filled with lawsuits.

Columbia, with roughly 5,000 Jewish students and a vibrant strain of support for the Palestinian cause, has drawn particular attention, which led to the appearances by Dr. Shafik and three other Columbia leaders on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

During her testimony, Dr. Shafik said she had been frustrated “that Columbia’s policies and structures were sometimes unable to meet the moment,” and said the university had updated many of them. Some of those changes include limiting protests to certain times of day and to designated spots on campus.

Columbia’s tightened rules were being tested even as Dr. Shafik testified. By 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Columbia said, the university had issued a written warning to students in the encampment: They had 105 minutes to leave or they would face suspension.

Administrators also deployed intermediaries to try to defuse the showdown, only, they said, to have those entreaties rejected.

In a statement before the arrests, Apartheid Divest, a coalition of student groups, said that protesters planned to remain until the university acceded to its demands, including that the university cut its financial ties to Israel. And while Dr. Shafik’s decision drew immediate criticism from the protesters and their allies, others on and around Columbia’s campus had signaled that they would support a crackdown.

“They have guidelines and if they are violating them, I don’t see why this is a special circumstance,” said Ami Nelson, a student.

Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, administrators at Columbia had tried to calibrate their approaches to the demonstrations, balancing free-speech rights with the security of Jewish students.

But before the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Wednesday, Dr. Shafik and other Columbia leaders signaled a tougher approach. The co-chair of the university’s board, Claire Shipman, declared that there was “a moral crisis on our campus.” And Dr. Shafik went so far as to detail some of the disciplinary actions underway, including suspensions and firings.

That conciliatory approach toward House Republicans infuriated many on campus.

In New York, some students and faculty members complained that university leaders had largely kowtowed to a Congress whose insistent questioning helped fuel the recent resignations by the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania.

There has been no indication that Dr. Shafik, who took office last July, has lost the confidence of Columbia’s board. Thursday’s tactics, though, showed how much more aggressive she has become in her campaign to quell protests.

Five days after the attack on Israel, hundreds of protesters gathered on the campus, and the university shut its gates — a step that has now become familiar as protests have flared. Weeks later, Columbia suspended a pair of student groups, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, in connection with an unauthorized student walkout.

The university rolled out a protest policy in February that was designed to curtail demonstrations, and this month, Dr. Shafik announced suspensions of students who had helped organize an event that included open expressions of support for Hamas.

“This is a challenging moment and these are steps that I deeply regret having to take,” Dr. Shafik wrote on Thursday.

Tents were removed later that day. But within hours, another protest had formed on the lawn and new tents were up.

Reporting was contributed by Olivia Bensimon , Anna Betts , Karla Marie Sanford, Stephanie Saul and Chelsia Rose Marcius

Sharon Otterman is a Times reporter covering higher education, public health and other issues facing New York City. More about Sharon Otterman

Alan Blinder is a national correspondent for The Times, covering education. More about Alan Blinder

Musk’s Dispute With Australian Prime Minister Over Sydney Stabbing Posts Explained

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Billionaire X owner Elon Musk criticized Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a tweet Monday, suggesting Albanese was perpetuating censorship on X after the prime minister and regulators asked the platform to pull certain videos depicting graphic violence from a stabbing at a Sydney church last week.

The order to remove certain posts related to the stabbing was made last week. (Photo by Alain JOCARD ... [+] / AFP) (Photo by ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images)

The tweet from Musk on Monday depicts X as a platform for free speech and truth while other rival social media platforms are painted as pushing propaganda and censorship, with Musk captioning the post, “Don’t take my word for it, just ask the Australian PM!”

Musk’s post continues a back and forth between him and Australian regulators, which began last week after X was ordered by Australian eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant to remove posts about the stabbing that contained “gratuitous or offensive violence with a high degree of impact or detail,” or face potential fines.

X said Friday it complied with the order but took issue with the request to remove the posts on a global scale, as opposed to just in Australia, claiming it was asked to pull the posts from all users’ feeds or face a $500,000 daily fine.

X’s global affairs page said global takedown orders go against the principles of a free and open internet and added it would be challenging Australia’s order in court.

As of Monday, X geo-blocked the posts so Australians cannot see them, still allowing the posts to be seen globally, The Guardian reported, citing Australian barrister for eSafety, Christopher Tran, who said during a hearing Monday that the limited geo-blocking meant X wasn’t complying with the order.

The order from Australia’s eSafety agency requested certain posts about the stabbing be removed alongside an interim measure for the posts to be blocked globally, according to The Guardian.

Crucial Quote

Albanese said at a press conference Monday the conflict with X “isn’t about freedom of expression,” but rather, “the dangerous implications that can occur when” falsities are spread.

Forbes Valuation

We estimate Musk’s net worth at $176.4 billion , making him the third-wealthiest person in the world behind Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ($195.9 billion) and LVMH chief Bernard Arnault ($214.4 billion)

Key Background

Musk also faced criticism from other members of the Australian government over X’s non-compliance with the order, with Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek calling Musk “an egotistical billionaire” who thinks it’s more “important for him to show whatever he wants on X…than to respect the victims of the crimes” in an interview Monday. Australian Agriculture Minister Murray Watt told Sky News on Sunday “the public has had a gutful of these narcissistic billionaires who think they are above the law.” Musk, who has characterized himself as a “free speech absolutist,” has had a mixed record with free speech on X after he acquired the platform in 2022, when it was known as Twitter. Months after the acquisition, X suspended accounts belonging to rival social media platform Mastodon, as well as accounts of journalists who reported on the platform’s management. X suspended the accounts of more journalists early this year, prompting criticism that Musk was silencing critics who conducted reporting on his dealings at X.

Further Reading

At Least 6 Dead After Mass Stabbing In Sydney—Here’s What We Know (Forbes)

Australian court orders Elon Musk’s X to hide Sydney church stabbing posts from users globally (The Guardian)

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