You're bored. Your readers are bored. Even your characters, if you're writing fiction, seem a little tired of just "saying" things over and over again. It’s a repetitive cycle that kills the vibe of a good story or a sharp piece of journalism. Honestly, the word "says" is the beige paint of the English language. It’s functional. It works. But if your entire house is beige, people are going to stop visiting. We need to talk about words other than says because, frankly, the way we attribute speech defines how people perceive the emotion behind the information.
Most writing advice tells you to stick to "said" because it’s invisible. That’s the old-school Hemingway approach. The theory is that the dialogue should do the heavy lifting, and the attribution should just get out of the way. But let’s be real—sometimes you need a scalpel, not a sledgehammer. Using a more descriptive verb can change the entire temperature of a sentence. It’s the difference between someone "saying" they’re fine and "muttering" it while staring at the floor. Huge difference, right?
The Problem With Being Too Generic
If you look at the data on readability and engagement, flat writing loses people. Fast. When every quote in an article or every line in a book is followed by "he said" or "she said," the brain starts to skim. It's a physiological response to repetition. We stop seeing the words.
Using words other than says isn't just about being fancy or showing off your vocabulary. It’s about precision. Think about the word "insinuated." You can't just "say" an insinuation; the word itself carries a weight of mystery and subtext that "said" completely misses. When you swap them out, you’re providing a shortcut for the reader’s imagination.
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There's a famous bit of advice from Elmore Leonard where he says to never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue. He was a genius, but he was also writing a specific kind of gritty, stripped-down noir. If you’re writing a technical white paper, a lifestyle blog, or a high-fantasy novel, Leonard’s rules might actually be holding you back. You have to know when to break the rules to keep the reader's pulse moving.
How to Categorize Your Dialogue Verbs
Stop thinking about these words as a giant, messy list. It's easier if you group them by the "energy" they bring to the page.
The Quiet Ones
Sometimes the power is in the silence. Words like whispered, murmured, muttered, or breathed change the proximity of the speaker. They make the reader lean in. If a CEO "whispers" about a merger, it feels like a conspiracy. If they "say" it, it’s just a press release.
The Loud Ones
Then you’ve got the high-volume options. Bellowed, shouted, exclaimed, thundered. Use these sparingly. If everyone is thundering, the room gets noisy and the impact is lost. But in a moment of true conflict? A well-placed "roared" can make a scene pop.
The Emotional Ones
This is where words other than says really earn their keep. Pleaded, sobbed, gasped, sneered, laughed. These words carry a dual purpose: they attribute the speech and describe the action simultaneously. It’s efficient writing. Instead of saying "‘I can't believe you did that,’ he said with a sneer," you just write "‘I can't believe you did that,’ he sneered." It’s tighter. It’s faster.
Why the "Said is Invisible" Rule is Kinda Dying
In the age of digital content, we have about three seconds to grab someone's attention. That’s it. If your prose feels like a textbook, they’re clicking away. Modern audiences, especially those scrolling through Google Discover, want flavor. They want voice.
Refining your choice of verbs is a way to inject personality without adding fluff. It’s about the "show, don’t tell" mantra. If I tell you a character "conceded" a point, I’m showing you their defeat without having to describe their slumped shoulders or their sigh of resignation. The verb does the heavy lifting for you.
However, there is a trap. You've probably seen it in bad fanfiction or over-written thrillers. It’s called "Swiftie" syndrome (named after the Tom Swift book series, not Taylor). This is when every single line of dialogue has a wacky, over-the-top verb.
- "I'm hungry," he ejaculated.
- "Pass the salt," she implored.
- "The weather is nice," he ruminated.
Don't do that. It’s exhausting. The goal is to find the middle ground. You want "said" to be your home base, but you want to take frequent, meaningful trips to more interesting neighborhoods.
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Real-World Examples from Master Writers
Let's look at how the pros handle words other than says. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald doesn't just rely on "said." He uses words like cried, remarked, and demanded. He uses them to establish the social hierarchy of the characters. When Tom Buchanan "demands" something, it reinforces his bullying nature.
In non-fiction, look at long-form journalism in places like The New Yorker or The Atlantic. Writers there will often use verbs like argued, contended, or observed. These aren't just synonyms; they are functional tools that tell the reader how much weight to give the quote. An "observation" feels more neutral than a "contention."
The Nuance of Inquiry
We also have to talk about questions. "Asked" is the default, and it's fine. But what if the character queried? What if they interrogated? What if they probed?
Using "probed" implies a level of discomfort or depth that "asked" just can't touch. If a doctor "probes" about your medical history, it feels clinical. If a nosy neighbor "probes" about your divorce, it feels invasive. That’s the power of word choice. It’s about the "vibe" as much as the definition.
Breaking Down the "Says" Alternatives by Tone
When you're editing your work, try to look at each instance of "said" and ask if it's pulling its weight. If it’s not, look at the context.
- To show authority: Commanded, directed, insisted, decreed, ruled.
- To show uncertainty: Stammered, hesitated, ventured, conjectured, guessed.
- To show conflict: Retorted, countered, argued, spat, hissed.
- To show agreement: Concurred, agreed, echoed, assented, chimed in.
Notice how "chimed in" feels casual and light, while "concurred" feels formal? This is why your "category" matters. If you're writing for a business audience, you'll probably use "stated" or "confirmed." If you're writing a travel blog about a wild night in Tokyo, you're more likely to use "shouted" or "giggled."
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
I see this a lot in amateur writing: the "Adverb Crutch."
People get scared of using words other than says, so they stick with "said" but add a messy adverb at the end.
"‘Stop it,’ he said angrily."
That’s weak. It’s clunky.
"‘Stop it,’ he snapped."
That’s better. It’s sharper. It has teeth.
Another mistake is using verbs that aren't actually speech verbs. You can't "shrug" a sentence.
"‘I don’t know,’ he shrugged."
Physically, that’s impossible. You can shrug while you speak, or you can shrug instead of speaking, but the shrug itself doesn't produce sound. You’d be better off writing:
"He shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’"
Practical Steps for Better Attribution
If you want to master this, you need a system. You can't just keep a thesaurus open and pick words at random. That leads to "purple prose," which is just as bad as boring prose.
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- The First Draft Rule: Just use "said." Don't slow down your creative flow by hunting for the perfect verb. Get the ideas out.
- The Edit Pass: Go back through specifically looking for dialogue tags.
- The 10% Rule: Try to replace maybe 10% to 20% of your "saids" with more descriptive words other than says. If you go higher than that, the writing starts to feel theatrical and distracting.
- Read it Out Loud: This is the ultimate test. If you hit a word like "expostulated" and you stumble over it, your reader will too. Cut it.
The Impact on SEO and User Experience
You might wonder why this matters for Google. It's simple: dwell time. If your writing is engaging, people stay on the page longer. If they stay on the page longer, Google thinks your content is high quality. If Google thinks your content is high quality, you rank higher.
Using diverse language prevents the "wall of text" feel. It keeps the rhythm of the piece unpredictable. Predictable writing is easy to ignore. Unpredictable writing—writing that uses a varied vocabulary to paint a vivid picture—is what gets shared on social media and saved in bookmarks.
Nuance and the "Expert" Voice
As an expert writer, I have to tell you that there is a time and place for everything. There are some contexts where "said" is actually the only right choice. In hard news reporting, for instance, adding too much "color" to a dialogue tag can be seen as editorializing. If a reporter writes that a politician "whined" instead of "said," they are injecting their own opinion into the facts.
In that case, the "neutrality" of "said" is a shield. It protects the integrity of the reporting. But for almost every other type of writing—blogging, fiction, essays, even business storytelling—you have the freedom to be more expressive.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Piece
Ready to level up? Here is what you should do right now:
Go through your last 500 words of writing. Highlight every time you used the word "says" or "said."
Now, look at those highlights. Are any of them carrying an emotion that the word "said" is hiding? If a character is angry, can you change "said" to "snarled"? If they are unsure, can you change it to "mumbled"?
Try to find at least three spots where a more descriptive verb would actually save you words elsewhere. If you use "demanded," you might be able to delete an entire sentence explaining why the person was being bossy.
Finally, check your rhythm. If you have three "saids" in a row, change the middle one. Or, better yet, remove the dialogue tag entirely if it’s clear who is speaking. Sometimes the best "word other than says" is no word at all.
Effective communication is about the economy of language. It’s about choosing the one word that does the job of five. By diversifying your dialogue tags, you aren't just making your writing "prettier"—you're making it more potent. You're giving your readers a clearer window into the minds of the people you're writing about.
Stop settling for beige. Start using the full palette. Your readers—and your engagement metrics—will thank you for it.
Next Steps for Implementation:
- Review your most recent blog post and identify "tag clusters" where the same verb appears three or more times in a single section.
- Create a "cheat sheet" of five verbs for different emotional states (Anger, Joy, Fear, Authority) to keep on your desk during the editing phase.
- Practice "tagless" dialogue by using action beats—describing a physical movement before or after a quote—to indicate the speaker without using a speech verb at all.