Writer Synonyms for the Word Said

Write Better with Lots of Ways to Say Said in Fiction & Dialog

© Janienne Jennrich

When writing speech in stories & fictional work, capture emotions in the words chosen to convey how a character is speaking by writing "said" in unique and various ways.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you, too" he said.

"But you have to leave," she said.

"Yeah, bummer," he said.

Have we said enough? Saying "said" over and over in writing can get very boring, uninteresting, blah, and yes, redundant. Here is help and a look at more ways to get the point across.

Is the character feeling shy? Boisterous? Cheerful? Grumpy? Here are many ways to write "said" without actually putting that word down on paper. At the same time, the variety in the dialog descriptions conveys emotions in character speech more clearly.

According to My English Teacher, "You see that by just changing the word "said" into something more expressive and descriptive, the reader understands exactly how the speakers (or characters in a story) feel."

Showing Calm, Quiet, or Shy Emotions in Dialog

For a character speaking in a gentle or shy manner, some of these synonyms for the word "said" might be appropriate:

Breathed, mumbled, murmured, persuaded, purred, sighed, slurred, stammered, squeaked, whispered

Showing Loud, Brash or Angry Feelings in Writing

For an individual speaking in an obnoxious, authoritative, or forceful manner, some of these synonyms for the word "said" might work:

Admonished, argued, asserted, barked, bellowed, chastised, commanded, complained, confessed, countered, crabbed, cried, demanded, disagreed, exclaimed, glowered, growled, grumbled, hissed, howled, huffed, mocked, nagged, oozed, ordered, ranted, raved, retorted, roared, screamed, scolded, screeched, shrieked, snapped, snipped, snarled, sneered, spat, spouted, squawked, trumpeted, yelled.

Showing Fear, Grief, or Hopelessness in a Character

For a meek or fearful-feeling character, try some of these terms:

Bawled, begged, bleated, called, cried, exclaimed, fretted, fussed, gasped, groveled, gurgled, hollered, muttered, peeped, pleaded, pouted, prayed, shrieked, sobbed, sputtered, squeaked, wailed, whispered, whimpered, whined, yowled.

Questions and Answers in Dialog

When using a question mark or responding, "said" doesn't work well at all. Try these other words to convey inquiries and answers:

Asked, answered, agreed, disagreed, explained, implored, inquired, interrogated, posed, pressed, pried, proposed, queried, questioned, replied, requested, responded, retorted, suggested.

Showing Humor and Happiness in Writing

Bringing in comic or cheerful scenes means giving the reader cues in how the characters speak. Using the word "said" won't give the reader the same connection to humor or happy feelings as some of these types of words:

Blabbed, blurted, chirped, cheered, chuckled, croaked, crooned, crowed, gabbed, giggled, gossiped, grinned, gushed, jabbered, jested, joked, laughed, marveled, prattled on, quipped, rambled, recited, sang, smiled, squawked, teased, winked, whooped.

Still More Ways To Say "Said"

Added, admitted, advised, affirmed, agreed, announced, asserted, assumed, avowed, bragged, beckoned, called, caterwauled, claimed, clarified, clucked, coaxed, commented, continued, declared, drawled, droned, explained, expounded, expressed, groaned, insisted, interrupted, lied, mentioned, moaned, mouthed, mused, objected, pestered, preached, predicted, proclaimed, pronounced, protested, reasoned, related, remarked, repeated, reported, stated, suggested, taunted, thought aloud, told, urged, uttered, vocalized, voiced, vowed, warned.

For More Writing Tips:

In Conclusion

When writing dialog, try using a variety of words to describe what and how a character is speaking. It's all right to use "said" sometimes too... just not to the point of annoyance or boredom.


The copyright of the article Writer Synonyms for the Word Said in Writing Fiction is owned by Janienne Jennrich. Permission to republish Writer Synonyms for the Word Said must be granted by the author in writing.


I SAID so..., Illustration by Mark A. Hicks
I SAID so..., Illustration by Mark A. Hicks
     


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