She said. He said. They said. We said. I said.

"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.

You should certainly only substitute other words for said if the story needs you to accentuate the way of speaking. Please remember, gorging your story with alternatives makes your work amateurish - be meagre with its use.

Look at published books and you'll find most authors steer clear of them. My suggestion is - stop thinking about other words for said. Wherever you can, don't use anything.

For all that, if you need other words for said and you’re struggling to catch that elusive substitute, here’s a list of words you might be interested in trying.

▨ 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.

▨ Other words for said in alphabetic order

• Accepted, Accused, Acknowledged, Admitted, Advertised, Affirm, Agonized, Agreed, Alleged, Announced, Answered, Appealed, Apply for, Arranged, Articulated, Asked, Asserted, Asseverate, Assumed, Assured, Attract, Aver, Avow,
• Barked, Bawl, Bawled, Beamed, Beckoned, Begged, Bellowed, Beseeched, Blubbered, Blurted, Bossed, Breathed, Broadcast,
• Cajole, Called, Carped, Cautioned, Censured, Chimed in, Choked, Chortled, Chuckled, Circulate, Claim, Comforted, Conceded, Concurred, Condemned, Confer, Confessed, Confided, Confirm, Consoled, Contend, Continued, Crave, Cried out, Criticized, Croaked, Crooned, Crowed,
• Declared, Defend, Demanded, Denote, Dictated, Disclosed, Disposed, Disseminate, Distribute, Divulged, Drawled,
• Emitted, Empathized, Encourage, Encouraged, Entreated, Exact, Exclaimed, Explained, Exposed,
• Faltered, Finished, Fumed,
• Gawped, Get out, Giggled, Given, Glowered, Grieved, Grinned, Groan, Groaned, Growled, Grumbled,
• Handed on, Held, Hesitated, Hinted, Hissed, Hollered, Howled,
• Impart, Implied, Implored, Importune, Inclined, Indicate, Informed, Inquired, Insisted, Interjected, Invited,
• Jabbered, Joked, Justified,
• Keened,
• Lamented, Laughed, Leered, Lilted,
• Maintained, Make known, Make public, Marked, Mewled, Mimicked, Moaned, Mocked, Mourned, Murmured, Mused
• Necessitated, Needed, Noted,
• Observed, Offered, Ordered,
• Passed on, Pleaded, Postulated, Preached, Premised, Presented, Presupposed, Proclaimed, Prodded, Professed, Proffered, Promised, Promulgated, Proposed, Protested, Provoked, Publicized, Published, Puled, Put forth, Put out,
• Quaked, Queried, Quipped, Quivered, Quizzed,
• Raged, Ranted, Reckoned that, Rejoiced, Rejoined, Released, Remarked, Remonstrated, Repeated, Replied, Reprimanded, Requested, Required, Requisition, Retorted, Revealed, Roared,
• Said, Sang, Scoffed, Scolded, Seethed, Sent on, Settled, Shared, Shed tears, Shouted, Shrieked, Shrugged, Shuddered, Snarled, Snivelled, Sobbed, Solicited, Sought, Specified, Spluttered, Spread, Stammered, Stated, Stuttered, Stressed, Suggested, Supposed, Swore,
• Taunted, Teased, Testified, Thundered, Ticked off, Told, Told off, Tore a strip off, Touted, Trailed off, Transferred, Transmitted, Trembled, Trumpeted,
• Understood, Undertook, Upbraided, Uttered,
• Verified, Vociferated, Voiced, Vouched for, Vouchsafe,
• Wailed, Wanted, Warned, Weep, Went on. Wept, Wheedle, Whimpered, Whined, Whispered,
• Yawped, Yelled, Yelped,Yowled

Note:  It's all right to use "said" sometimes too.

Word sources:  ajbarnett, suite101

Special quote:

"You get ideas from daydreaming.

You get ideas from being bored.

You get ideas all the time.

The only difference between writers and other people is we notice when we're doing it.

– Neil Gaiman

credit: write to done