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Last updated on Dec 02, 2021
270+ Other Words For "Said" To Supercharge Your Writing
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About Martin Cavannagh
Head of Content at Reedsy, Martin has spent over eight years helping writers turn their ambitions into reality. As a voice in the indie publishing space, he has written for a number of outlets and spoken at conferences, including the 2024 Writers Summit at the London Book Fair.
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
| Acknowledged Added Agreed Announced Articulated Asserted Backtracked Began Blurted Called Commented Communicated Conferred Considered Contended Declared Denoted | Drawled Elaborated Emitted Ended Enunciated Expounded Expressed Greeted Interjected Mentioned Noted Observed Orated Persisted Predicted Pronounced Quipped | Recited Reckoned Related Remarked Repeated Replied Responded Shared Slurred Stated Suggested Told Urged Uttered Vocalized Voiced
|
Happy/excited words
| Approved Babbled Beamed Bubbled Chattered Cheered Chimed in Chortled Chuckled Congratulated | Complimented Crooned Effused Exclaimed Giggled Grinned Gushed Jabbered Joked
| Laughed Praised Rejoiced Sang Smiled Thanked Tittered Trilled Yammered
|
Sad/upset words
| Agonized Apologized Bawled Blubbered Cried Fretted | Grieved Groaned Lamented Mewled Moaned Mumbled | Sobbed Sighed Sniffled Sniveled Wailed Wept |
Angry words
| Accused Choked Badgered Barked Bellowed Chastised Cursed Demanded Exploded Fumed | Glowered Growled Hissed Insulted Raged Ranted Reprimanded Roared Scolded
| Screamed Screeched Snarled Spat Shouted Swore Thundered Vociferated Yelled
|
Annoyed words
| Bleated Complained Condemned Criticized Exhaled Groused | Grumbled Grunted Heaved Insisted Mocked Rasped | Rejoined Retorted Scoffed Smirked Snapped Whined |
Frightened/pained words
| Coughed Cautioned Gulped Howled Keened Panted Prayed | Quavered Screamed Shrieked Shuddered Squalled Squealed Trembled | Wailed Warbled Whimpered Yelped Yowled Warned
|
Prideful words
| Advertised Bloviated Boasted Boomed Bossed Bragged Broadcasted | Crowed Exhorted Dictated Gloated Moralized Ordered
| Prattled Preached Sermonized Snorted Swaggered Trumpeted
|
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Words to express uncertainty
| Breathed Doubted Faltered Hesitated Lilted Mumbled | Murmured Muttered Shrugged Squeaked Stammered
| Stuttered Swallowed Trailed off Vacillated Whispered
|
Words that make fun
| Derided Jeered Heckled Lampooned Mocked | Mimicked Parodied Ridiculed Satirized Scorned | Spoofed Sneered Snickered Taunted Teased |
Words that ask a question
| Asked Begged Challenged Contemplated Guessed Hinted Hypothesized Implied Inquired | Interrogated Invited Mouthed Mused Pleaded Pondered Probed Proposed Puzzled | Repeated Requested Requisitioned Queried Questioned Quizzed Solicited Speculated Wondered |
Words that give an answer
| Accepted Advised Affirmed Alleged Answered Assured Avowed Claimed Conceded Concluded Confided Confirmed | Explained Disclosed Disseminated Divulged Imparted Informed Indicated Maintained Notified Offered Passed on Proffered | Promised Promulgated Released Reported Revealed Shared Specified Speculated Supposed Testified Transmitted Verified |
Download this 'greatest hits' list
For this infographic, we've narrowed down the 270 most essential dialogue words for you to know! Simply enter your email below to get it in your inbox within minutes.
FREE RESOURCE
Get our Dialogue Tag Cheatsheet
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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