You are most likely familiar with the word “said”. It is a common word use to “express one’s opinion”, or to “state or declare something”, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary. We will always use this word whenever we write or converse; we use it so many times we might get fed up of it.

            In order to avoid the use of that word, we can try many ways to say “said” in English.

First thing we need to do is analyze how we are going to use the word “said”. Are we conveying actions or emotions? Then, we will know words that can replace “said”. The following is a list of words to substitute the word based on category actions and emotions.

Actions:

• Acceptance:
  • Accepted
  • Acknowledged
  • Admitted
  • Agreed
  • Alleged
  • Confirmed
  • Nodded
  • Revealed
  • Understood
• Argue:
  • Appealed
  • Argued
  • Challenged
  • Claimed
  • Countered
  • Declared
  • Emphasized
  • Insisted
  • Proposed
• Asking for information:
  • Asked
  • Begged
  • Demanded
  • Explored
  • Inquired
  • Pondered
  • Questioned
  • Requested
  • Researched
  • Scrutinized
• Explaining information:
  • Added
  • Advised
  • Answered
  • Clarified
  • Defined
  • Depicted
  • Explained
  • Illustrated
  • Portrayed
  • Remarked
  • Replied

Emotions:

• Anger:
  • Accused
  • Condemned
  • Criticized
  • Denied
  • Dismissed
  • Growled
  • Grumbled
  • Snapped
  • Threatened
  • Told off
• Fear:
  • Agonized
  • Begged
  • Cringed
  • Gasped
  • Hesitated
  • Mumbled
  • Panted
  • Pleaded
  • Quivered
  • Shuddered
  • Trembled
  • Yelped
• Joy:
  • Beamed
  • Cheered
  • Cried out
  • Exclaimed
  • Giggled
  • Laughed
  • Praised
  • Preached
  • Proclaimed
  • Shouted
  • Thrilled
  • Yelled
• Sadness:
  • Agonized
  • Bawled
  • Choked
  • Cried
  • Grieved
  • Groaned
  • Sobbed
  • Wailed
  • Whimpered
  • Whined

         Those lists of words can be useful in your writing, or simply in your daily conversation. Keep in mind that a single word can be interpreted into more than one meaning, so always consider the context before you used the word.

Sources:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/say

https://owlcation.com/humanities/400-Alternative-words-for-said

https://blog.prepscholar.com/other-words-for-said

Picture source:

https://img.freepik.com/free-vector/blank-empty-speech-bubbles-vector-illustration_1284-42894.jpg?size=338&ext=jpg&ga=GA1.2.2039525430.1630022400