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According to www.myenglishteacher.net, "You see that by just changing the word "said" into something more expressive and descriptive,
the reader understands exactly how the speakers (or characters in a story) feel."
Here are a lot of ways to convey Emotions in Dialog by using other words than SAID:
Breathed, mumbled, murmured, persuaded, purred, sighed, slurred, stammered, squeaked, whispered
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
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
Asked, answered, agreed, disagreed, explained, implored, inquired, interrogated, posed, pressed, pried, proposed, queried,
questioned, replied, requested, responded, retorted, suggested
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
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
In Conclusion
When writing dialog, try using a variety of words to describe what and how a character is speaking. It’s all right to
use “said” sometimes too… just not to the point of them snoring.
If this advice is not heeded and readers begin to yawn while browsing your writing, then don’t come after me...
Remember, after all, I SAID so.
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