Synonyms for said that show volume include:


I agree! It’s better to use other words to substitute because readers can often find themselves getting bored when reading your work if you only use ‘Said’.


Regarding dialogue tags: This is exactly the opposite of the advice most editors will give you when you're publishing your novel. In fact, when I published my first novel, my editors made me go back through my entire manuscript and weed out all of these kinds of words and replace them with "said" and "asked" in almost every instance. Said and asked are the words you should use most of the time. Alternate words like the ones you listed above should be used sparingly, unless there is a good reason (i.e. whispering, etc). However, I do agree with your points about action and gesture, generally.

Also think about ways to say said that convey volume and tone, i.e. atmosphere. Although Toni Morrison's advice above is good (creating quietness using the spaces around characters' lines), the occasional 'she whispered' has its place, too.

"Words to Use Instead of "Said"." ThoughtCo, Apr.



Having said that, and as someone who has trouble sticking to herself, let's go over a few basic guidelines for good—and bad—synonyms for that humblest of dialogue tags.

1.

Another example is the word 'stated': think how this conveys a formal tone in your writing, and see if introducing a formal tones works in your story.

I’ve seen this come up in writers’ groups on various social media platforms. Some claim, “Said is dead” and post an image of synonyms, like , , , and . The implication is that you should be more inventive with all your dialogue tags.

Table of contents * Good morning in English * Is it goodmorning or good morning? * Other ways to say good morningGood morning in EnglishGood morning is an English expression used when greeting someone first thing in the morning. It’s light and casual but appropriate to use in virtually all


"Words to Use Instead of "Said"." ThoughtCo.

None of these would be a synonym for “said” per se, but all could be used in it’s place given the correct context.
Retorted, responded, replied, shot back, countered.
Mentioned, noted, suggested.
Warned, cautioned, advised, admonished, corrected.
Reported.

Another word for decorating (from the song Deck the Halls)

This is great and I totally agree. I have always found it hard when reading to know who is saying what until after they have said it, which just takes you away from the moment.

Another word for Christmas, usually seen in the US

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Do you have other words to use in your writing instead of thought?

I want to be a writer, but one of my cons is definitely finding proper words to use instead of “says” or “said”. This has helped me a lot, so thank you very much!

What are good synonyms for said? : r/writers - Reddit

Since adverbs can make a writer look amateurish, many people use actions instead of adverbs to express emotion. For example, take the scenario below, where a man feels frustrated and angry upon learning that his girlfriend has been unfaithful. In the first example, adverbs were used. In the second, actions.

200+ Other Words For Said: Synonyms to Spice up Your Writing

Thank you for this feedback! It's not that the 'said' tag should be used more sparingly than others necessarily but rather that you don't have to attribute every line. For example:Cara saw her mother was limping up the driveway.'What the heck happened, mom?''Fell down the stairs at gym... don't laugh!'Here you don't need 'Cara said' or 'her mom said' because the first line of narration sets up the context for each character's words. So 'said' should be used more where there's possible ambiguity regarding who spoke. I hope that clarifies a little :)