40 alternatives to the word “said”
It’s a word used so frequently that it’s become invisible. Read any article in the mainstream media and count how many times the word “said” or “says” is used.
In journalism school, we learned that the only word we could use to attribute speech was “said.” This was presented as an unbreakable rule . . . like refusing to sign an oath of loyalty to a 16th century king. Ignore the rule and it’s off to the tower with you.
The reason for this restriction is the need to maintain impartiality. When it comes to quoting what someone has said, journalists don’t want to inject subjectivity into their reporting. They must stay out of the story and present the facts clearly. “Said” is neutral. “Claimed” is not.
These same style rules carry over to PR, since PR pros use the same language journalists use. For those who want to break free and don’t care if they commit a stylistic heresy, here are a few alternatives to “said” that can spice up your copy but remain impartial.
Neutral substitutions
- Added
- Answered
- Conveyed
- Commented
- Declared
- Delivered
- Disclosed
- Imparted
- Mentioned
- Put forth
- Put into words
- Remarked
- Repeated
- Replied
- Reported
- Responded
- Revealed
- Stated
- Verbalized
- Voiced
And here are a few less neutral alternatives.
Non-neutral substitutions
- Affirmed
- Alleged
- Argued
- Asserted
- Attested
- Claimed
- Conjectured
- Divulged
- Exclaimed
- Guessed
- Implied
- Proclaimed
- Professed
- Pronounced
- Recited
- Rehearsed
- Rejoined
- Retorted
- Suggested
- Uttered
What do you think readers? Do you ever use alternatives to “said”?
This post was first published on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.
