141 Synonyms for 'Said'
You are doing everything possible to make your writing better, tighter, and more interesting, but do you know when you can shake it up and use other words for dialogue tags in place of "said"?
It’s not at all wrong to use “said” as a dialogue tag, but if done right, you can show readers exactly how something is communicated between characters (or people if you’re writing nonfiction) in dialogue.
Think: What emotion is behind this dialogue? What picture do I want to paint? This is where other dialogue tags can come in handy. To help you get started, we compiled a list of alternatives to “said.” With this list, you are sure to find a perfect fit for every “said” in your writing.
An Example of Replacing “Said” With “Defend”
Let’s take a basic sentence:
“He wasn’t involved in cheating on the test,” Christy said. She knew Blaine had been absent from class for the test day.
Here’s how we can add some depth to the dialogue:
“He wasn’t involved in cheating on the test,” Christy defended. She knew Blaine had been absent from class for the test day.
Give it a try in the comments. How many creative dialogue tags can you write with the lists of words above?
