Writing dialogues can get stagnant. Words like 'said' can probably find their way many times in a single paragraph. Plus, that word itself isn't the most creative per se. It doesn't convey much emotion.
There are so many better words for 'said' that can enrich your vocabulary and make your writing that much more colourful.
Positive words for "said
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Applauded
Approved
Assured
Babbled
Bantered
Beamed
Blathered
Blithered
Boasted
Bragged
Bubbled
Cheered
Chortled
Chorused
Chuckled
Comforted
Confided
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Congratulated
Consoled
Cooed
Crowed
Encouraged
Giggled
Greeted
Hooted
Jabbered
Jested
Joked
Laughed
Marvelled
Nodded
Offered
Piped
Praised
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Prattled
Preened
Proclaimed
Professed
Promised
Quipped
Reassured
Reckoned
Remarked
Remembered
Sang
Smiled
Soothed
Spoke
Teased
Vowed
Yakked
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Negative words for "said
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Agonised
Apologised
Bawled
Bleated
Blubbered
Complained
Condemned
Cried
Criticised
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Fretted
Grieved
Groaned
Groused
Grumbled
Grunted
Lamented
Mewled
Moaned
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Mocked
Mumbled
Rasped
Rejoined
Retorted
Scoffed
Smirked
Snapped
Whined
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Neutral words for "said"
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Acknowledged
Added
Agreed
Announced
Articulated
Asserted
Began
Blurted
Called
Commented
Communicated
Conferred
Considered
Contended
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Declared
Denoted
Drawled
Emitted
Ended
Enunciated
Expressed
Interjected
Mentioned
Noted
Observed
Orated
Predicted
Pronounced
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Quipped
Recited
Reckoned
Related
Remarked
Repeated
Replied
Responded
Shared
Stated
Told
Uttered
Vocalised
Voiced
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Words that ask a question
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Asked
Begged
Challenged
Contemplated
Guessed
Hinted
Hypothesised
Implied
Inquired
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Interrogated
Invited
Mouthed
Mused
Pleaded
Pondered
Probed
Proposed
Puzzled
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Repeated
Requested
Requisitioned
Queried
Questioned
Quizzed
Solicited
Speculated
Wondered
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Words that give an answer
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Accepted
Advised
Affirmed
Alleged
Answered
Assured
Avowed
Claimed
Conceded
Concluded
Confided
Confirmed
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Explained
Disclosed
Disseminated
Divulged
Imparted
Informed
Indicated
Maintained
Notified
Offered
Passed on
Proffered
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Promised
Promulgated
Released
Reported
Revealed
Shared
Specified
Speculated
Supposed
Testified
Transmitted
Verified
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Crafting great dialogues
Using more different words for "said" would ultimately improve the way your story reads, and would add more depth to it. Here you have more than a hundred new words you can use to improve how the characters engage with the setting of a scene and reveal their emotions.
Your richer vocabulary will paint a better picture and give readers and a clearer sense of proximity and distance of characters, and what their thoughts and feelings are.
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