Alternative Words for Said

If you are a creative writer (or a writer of any type for that mattter), then you’ve probably been faced with this problem time and again. (And if you’re a creative writer and haven’t been faced with the problem, then perhaps you should take another look at your work.)

My primary suggestion is not to worry about this too much during your initial phase of writing. The objective of writing at this point is to just get your words down on paper. Don’t worry about grammar or spelling too much. That can come later and truthfully, is a very different process. Just write!

The time to worry about using “said” too much is during your first edit or even second edit. (And I hope you edit your creations more than just once. It certainly pays off in the long run. My fantasy book for middle graders, The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck, went through about nine re-writes before I felt it was ready. And that didn’t even count changes suggested by my editor and friends!)

There are many ways to use the word “said” and we have listed hundreds of them below. But remember, you don’t always have to even use the word “said” or even a substitute.

Here’s an example:

“You look funny in that clown costume,” Betty said to her husband.

Why not this instead?

Betty giggled hysterically as her husband stumbled into the room in his clown costume.

“Now that’s funny!”

We don’t need to use the word “said” because we can assume that it is Betty talking simply because of the preceding sentence. And, to take it a step further, you really wouldn't even need Betty to say anything as the sentence before describes the situation. It is always better to describe things rather than saying them!

Here's the list of words you can substitute for "said":

accepted

accused

acknowledged

added

admitted

advised

agonized

agreed

announced

answered

appealed

applauded

argued

articulated

asked

bargained

barked

bawled

beamed

beckoned

began

begged

bellowed

beseeched

blubbered

blurted

boasted

bossed

breathed

called

cautioned

chanted

chastised

cheered

chided

chimed in

chirped

choked

chortled

chorused

chuckled

cited

claimed

clucked

comforted

commanded

commented

complained

complimented

concurred

confessed

confided

consoled

consulted

continued

conveyed

cooed

corrected

countered

cried

cried out

criticized

croaked

crooned

crowed

cursed

debated

decided

declared

demanded

denied

described

dictated

directed

disagreed

disclosed

disrupted

divulged

drawled

drawled

dreamed

droned

echoed

elaborated

emitted

empathized

encouraged

entreated

estimated

exaggerated

exclaimed

explained

exposed

expressed

faltered

feared

finished

forced

foretold

fretted

frowned

fumed

fussed

gawped

giggled

gloated

glowered

gossiped

grieved

grinned

griped

groaned

growled

grumbled

grunted

guessed

guffawed

hesitated

hissed

hollered

howled

implied

implored

informed

inquired

insisted

instructed

interjected

interrogated

interrupted

invited

jabbered

joked

judged

lamented

laughed

lectured

leered

lied

lilted

lilted

mentioned

mimicked

mocked

mourned

mouthed

mumbled

murmured

muttered

nagged

narrated

noted

notified

objected

observed

offered

ordered

out

persisted

persuaded

petitioned

pleaded

pointed

pouted

praised

prayed

preached

predicted

prescribed

proclaimed

prodded

professed

promised

prompted

proposed

protested

purred

pushed

quaked

queried

questioned

quipped

quivered

quizzed

quote

raged

rambled

ranted

reassured

reckoned

recounted

rejoiced

related

remarked

remonstrated

repeated

replied

reported

requested

responded

restated

resumed

retorted

returned

roared

ruled

sang

sang out

scoffed

scolded

scowled

screamed

seethed

shouted

shrieked

shrugged

shuddered

sighed

slurred

smiled

smirked

snapped

snarled

sneered

snickered

sniffled

sniveled

snorted

sobbed

spat

speculated

spluttered

spoke

spoke tightly

sputtered

stammered

started

stated

stormed

stressed

struggled

stumbled

stuttered

suggested

sung

swooned

swore

sympathized

taunted

teased

testified

thought

threatened

thundered

told

touted

trailed

trembled

twitted

twittered

urged

uttered

vented

verified

vocalized

voiced

voted

vowed

wailed

wailed

warned

wept

whimpered

whispered

whooped

wondered

yawned

yawped

yelled

yelped

Copyright 2009 by Stan Swanson

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