350 Other Words For Said For Your Dialogue Writing

350 different words for said

Do you need more synonyms to find other words for said? While it might seem like a good idea to vary your vocabulary, it’s important to remember that you should use dialogue tags sparingly.

The best way to improve your dialogue is to focus on your characters’ words and the emotions they are conveying.

Stephen King wrote in On Writing, regarding dialogue tags: “The best form of dialogue attribution is said, as in he said, she said, Bill said, Monica said.” King goes on to say that too many dialogue tags can distract the reader from the story.

However, there are times that you need to use a dialogue tag other than said. Here are 350 for you to choose from.

Avoid using adverbs

There are times when you can use said synonyms to avoid adding an adverb to a dialogue tag.

They help you to convey an extra element of emotion or tone of voice.

When you use a descriptive dialogue reporting verb, you can almost always avoid the use of adverbs.

I am sure every writer has read this quote about adverbs by Stephen King.

“I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops.”

When you are writing dialogue, you need to be aware that dialogue tags are the tones of voice of the author and not the characters.

You should keep your dialogue tags to a minimum.

When only two characters are speaking, it is often possible to avoid using them almost completely in a conversation between the characters.

But when dialogue tag verbs are necessary, think about your choice of vocabulary.

However, go very easy on your use of adverbs.

 

Other words for said

350 other words for said
There are times when you might want to make a line of dialogue a little more expressive.

Perhaps in a novel or short story, selecting alternatives for said can help you.

The infographic at the end of this article gives you a full list of 350 words you can use in place of said.

There is also a full-text listing with words for said categorized by emotion or association.

Using a one-word reporting verb is a much better alternative than adding an adverb to a dialogue tag.

They are quick and to the point. But they still give a sense of an understandable emotive description.

Here are a few simple examples.

 

Bad: “I want to go home,” she said sadly.

Better: “I want to go home,” she cried.

Bad: “Where did they find it?” he asked curiously.

Better: “Where did they find it?” he wondered.

Bad: “Why did you do that?” he asked angrily.

Better: “Why did you do that?” he snarled.

 

Finding synonyms quickly

An easy way to find a new synonym is to use an online grammar checker.

If you are a Grammarly user, you are only one right-click away from a long list of suggested replacements for words to use instead of said.

Find said synonyms with Grammarly

 

If you use ProWritingAid, you can get even more help with both simple or contextural choices for said synonyms.

Find said synonyms by emotion with Prowritingaid

 

Words for said by emotion

Before we get to the full list of 350 verbs to replace said, here is a quick, concise selection.

They are listed by emotions and situations that you might want to use as a quick reference for your characters’ conversations.

 

Answering or responding

answered, conceded, concurred, explained, replied, responded

 

Confusion or uncertainty

doubtfully, guessed, hesitated, vacillated

 

Questioning or curiosity

asked, inquired, puzzled, queried, questioned, quizzed, wondered

 

Surprise

bleated, blurted, exclaimed, gasped, sputtered

 

Sadness or sorrow

bawled, bewailed, blubbered, cried, lamented, sniffled, sobbed, wailed, wept

 

Provocation or incitement

bragged, gibed, jeered, lied, nagged, provoked

 

Romance and love

breathed, promised, purred, sighed

 

Persuasion and inducing

advised, appealed, asserted, begged, beseeched, cajoled, entreated, implored, urged

 

Happiness and joy

beamed, bubbled, cheered, chirped, chuckled, giggled, grinned, joked, sang, smiled, trilled

 

Anger and rage

barked, cursed, exploded, fumed, growled, hissed, raged, ranted, roared, scowled, snarled, swore, yelled

 

Disgust or loathing

cringed, grimaced, groused, grunted, rasped, sniffed, snorted

 

Fear or anxiety

gulped, prayed, quavered, shrieked, squealed, stuttered, whimpered, whined

 

Embarrassment

admitted, confessed, hesitated, mumbled

 

350 Synonyms for said infographic

Now for the full list of verbs you can use instead of said.

You can use the infographic below for your writing reference. Or you can share it on your blog with your readers.

If you prefer, you can also view and download the infographic in pdf.

 

350 other words for said you can use - infographic

 

The full-text listing of 350 words for said by emotion and association

Feel free to copy and paste these words to replace said for your own use.

The emotion of ANGER

accused, argued, badgered, barked, bellowed, bickered, chastised, chided, clipped, clucked, commanded, complained, corrected, countered, cursed, dared, demanded, disagreed, exploded, fumed, goaded, growled, grumbled, harshed, hissed, hollered, howled, huffed, insulted, interrupted, muttered, objected, ordered, raged, ranted, retaliated, retorted, roared, scoffed, scolded, scowled, screamed, screeched, seethed, shot, shouted, shrilled, snapped, snarled, sneered, spluttered, stormed, swore, taunted, threatened, warned, yelled

The action of ANSWERING

answered, clarified, conceded, concurred, deflected, disputed, explained, interjected, protested, reassured, remarked, replied, responded, stated

The emotion of DISGUST

cringed, grimaced, groused, grunted, mocked, rasped, refused, smirked, sniffed, snorted

The emotion of EMBARRASSMENT

admitted, confessed, hesitated, mumbled

The emotion of FEAR

babbled, croaked, denied, doubted, fretted, groaned, gulped, moaned, panted, prayed, quavered, shrieked, slurred, squeaked, squealed, stammered, stuttered, whimpered, whined, whispered

The emotion of HAPPINESS

approved, beamed, bubbled, burst, cackled, chatted, chattered, cheered, chirped, chortled, chorused, chuckled, complimented, congratulated, cooed, crowed, effused, exulted, forgave, giggled, grinned, gurgled, gushed, hummed, joked, praised, resounded, sang, simpered, smiled, thanked, trilled

The emotion of LOVE or ROMANCE

breathed, expressed, proclaimed, promised, purred, sighed

Words associated with PERSUASION

advised, appealed, asserted, assured, avowed, begged, beseeched, cajoled, claimed, convinced, encouraged, entreated, implored, needled, pleaded, stressed, suggested, urged

Words associated with PROVOCATION

bragged, exasperated, gibed, jested, jeered, joked, lied, mimicked, nagged, provoked, quipped, sassed

The emotion of SADNESS

apologized, bawled, bewailed, blubbered, comforted, consoled, cried, lamented, mumbled, murmured, sighed, sniffled, sobbed, spilled, wailed, wept

The emotion of SURPRISE

bleated, blurted, exclaimed, gasped, marveled, perplexed, sputtered, yelped

Words associated with QUESTIONS or CURIOSITY

asked, challenged, coaxed, hinted, inquired, pleaded, puzzled, queried, questioned, quizzed, wondered

Words associated with UNCERTAINTY or CONFUSION

cautioned, doubtfully, guessed, hesitated, vacillated

NON-EMOTIVE

acknowledged, acquiesced, added, addressed, affirmed, agreed, alliterated, announced, articulated, began, bet, boasted, boomed, broke in, called, chimed in, coached, commented, concluded, confided, confirmed, considered, continued, contributed, conversed, deadpanned, decided, declared, defended, demurred, described, disclosed, divulged, drawled, echoed, emphasized, ended, finished, gloated, greeted, hypothesized, imitated, implied, informed, insinuated, insisted, intoned, instructed, jabbered, lectured, lisped, maintained, mentioned, monotoned, mouthed, mused, motioned, nodded, noted, notified, observed, offered, opined, pestered, piped, pointed out, pondered, prattled, pressed, pronounced, proposed, put in, quoted, rambled, rattled on, read, reasoned, recalled, reckoned, recited, recounted, reiterated, related, remembered, reminded, repeated, reported, requested, restated, revealed, rhymed, ridiculed, sibilated, sneezed, snickered, speculated, spoke, started, surmised, sympathized, teased, tempted, tested, testified, theorized, thought aloud, told, uttered, ventured, verified, volunteered, vowed, went on, wheezed, wished, yakked, yapped, yawned

 

Summary

Synonyms can always improve your writing by avoiding repetition.

Finding new words and new ways to say things is one of the pleasures of being a writer.

It doesn’t mean that you need to use long, uncommon, or complex vocabulary.

There are usually very simple alternatives for most words.

Considering other words instead of said is always a good idea. That’s even if said is a word that most people are blind to when reading.

By replacing said with a more active reporting verb, you can quickly add much more descriptive value to your novel or short story.

 

Related reading: How To Check Dialogue Writing Consistency In Your Manuscript

5 thoughts on “350 Other Words For Said For Your Dialogue Writing”

  1. Thank you so much for this! I’m currently writing a book right now and finding synonyms for said is so hard! I really do appreciate this!

  2. Thank you so very much for your generosity, time and shared talent in making this information possible. It will be an invaluable resource in my own writing efforts. I’m glad there are people like you around. Again. Thanks.

  3. Avatar for Marie Antionette
    Marie Antionette

    This article has helped me soooo very much! I use this article everytime I go to write more of my stories and (sort of) book. The organization into categories has been a life saver. Thank you!

  4. Avatar for Shortstory Woman
    Shortstory Woman

    I am so glad to have found u (here & on Twitter) All your articles and tips are like Gold to me!!!
    Thank you so much for your work and Keep it up like this!!!!!
    I adore your work and love your tips, it is like having a really great and wise Online Coach!
    Everytime I take a visit here, I get a better writer / Blogger / Promoter too!!!
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