Other Words You Could Use Instead of “Said”
- Knowing other words you can use in place of said can improve your writing because it adds variety and removes repetitiveness.
- Five formal alternatives of said are: announced, commente, explained, replied, and stated.
- Five creative alternatives of said are: whispered/exclaimed, rambled, chimed, bemoaned, and scolded.
Why You Should Know Other Ways To Say “Said”
Whether you’re writing a formal text or creative text, you may notice that said is a frequently used verb. After all, it denotes information that someone has spoken. Said can be found in essays such as explanatory essays, where the writer has to explain what a source has, well, said.
It’s also found in creative writing to commence a dialogue. Below, you’ll find five alternatives that are perfect for formal settings and five alternatives that are great for creative writing.
Five Other Ways To Say “Said” In Formal Writing
1. Announced
As you might have guessed, this alternative is perfect when you are quoting an announcement.
↓
On Thursday, the Coca-Cola Company announced they would be changing the color of their Sprite bottles to allow for easier recycling.2. Commented
Use this said alternative when you are quoting someone's opinion or response to something.
↓
“It was long overdue,” the principal commented after the school was finally remodeled.3. Explained
Use explained when referring to an explanation someone gave.
↓
The lead scientist explained that the results were not at all unusual.4. Replied
Replied is used when someone is answering a question or replying to something.
↓
“The animals are all fine,” replied the shelter director when asked about the incident.5. Stated
Stated is used exactly as said, but carries a more formal tone.
↓
She stated that all airline issues should be resolved in a few months.Five Other Ways To Say “Said” in Creative Writing
These other words for said are perfect within dialogue, to advance a storyline, or for many other creative uses.
1. Whispered/Exclaimed
Whispered and exclaimed are ideal synonyms when you want your readers to visualize the volume of what the speaker is saying.
↓
“I hope he doesn’t find us,” whispered Frank.or
“Aw, man! We always lose at hide-n-seek,” said Frank.↓
“Aw, man! We always lose at hide-n-seek,” exclaimed Frank.2. Rambled
Rambled implies that the speaker is talking a lot.
↓
“I couldn’t finish my homework because I was sick, hungry and because my little brother was bugging me,” the little girl rambled.3. Chimed
As a verb, the literal definition of chimed is “to make a musical ringing sound.” This is a good word to use to help your readers visualize a happy or excited speaker.
↓
“It’s the last day of school,” he chimed happily.4. Bemoaned
Bemoaned means “to complain or regard something with displeasure,” so use it when you want to display that someone is sad or upset.
↓
“I can’t believe Rufus ran away,” she bemoaned.5. Scolded
Use scolded when the speaker is angry and/or wants to influence someone’s behavior.
↓
“You’re grounded for arriving late,” my mom scolded.He Said, She Said, They Said
💡 Keep in mind that all these examples also work in the present tense.
There are hundreds upon hundreds of different words you can use in place of said. Remember to keep the context in mind when choosing an alternative. Another tip to keep in mind that will help strengthen your writing is to make sure your text is free from spelling and grammar errors. Not only can LanguageTool provide accurate synonyms, but it can check for all types of mistakes in more than twenty languages.
