Use the content of what characters say, their movement, body language, pauses, and silences, to create deeper, more layered exchanges. phoenix college testing > Uncategorized > another word for asked in dialogue. Delivered to your inbox! Given that there are countless verbs that can take the place of said, should you simply find a stronger, more emotive one and use that? Upgrade your dialogue with our list of 270 alternatives to said.. Sometimes you can use "Asking" instead a noun "Dialogue". Nglish: Translation of replied for Spanish Speakers, Britannica English: Translation of replied for Arabic Speakers. A kid protagonist might whisper in a creepy graveyard, a pranked neighbour might bellow in pure outrage. For example, using ellipses, i.e. I would like to ask a question that has been perplexing me for awhile.. After all, it's probably the clearest, least distracting way to indicate who's saying what. The word said is one of the most useful words in the language. Decide if dialogue tags are necessary. Sol laughed out of his whiskers, with a big, loose-rolling sound, and sat on the porch without waiting to be, A little boy of two years and one month was once, Mr. Agnew saw the picture, recognised its merit, and wrote a cheque for the full amount. I have seen your reply just now. Im still in High-School but Im aiming to start young ,my writing is a little wacky but this helped SO much ! Fourteen words that helped define the year. But that would be telling. He implored her. How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference. To save this word, you'll need to log in. Nglish: Translation of asked for Spanish Speakers, Britannica English: Translation of asked for Arabic Speakers. Youll figure it out, lass. .css-1w804bk{font-size:16px;}See how your sentence looks with different synonyms. Enter your email or get started with a social account. head-to-head. Words for said may show or suggest: Volume (e.g. Noun. No I absolutely will not! She banged the pitcher of water down on the counter so hard Sarah was surprised the bottom didnt crack open. more . Thats what this list is for. The infographic below (via The Puppet Show) has some good alternatives. Start quiz To help you find that perfect synonym to inject action and emotion into your dialogue, here are over 270 other Thank you for sharing your feedback. . Whenever you read the author attributing who said what, it reminds us a narrative convention is being used. rap session. yelled, shouted, bellowed, screamed, whispered), Tone or pitch (e.g. The reader gets to fill in the blank spaces, prompted more subtly by the clues you leave (an exclamation mark or a pointed, cross remark). Random semantically related. Not always. 1. shrieked, groaned, squeaked) Emotion (e.g. I went to the ______ store to buy a birthday card. There is some controversy among writers about using other words beside said and ask. channel of communication. To see how master writers assemble their dialogue, head over to our final post in this series for some choice examples of dialogue. - Christine, on 421 ways to say said? Hear a word and type it out. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! Thats not what you said yesterday She hesitated, turned and walked to the window. How many can you get right? Not surprisingly Ive come across grammatical errors a plenty. Synonyms for Asked. conversations Synonyms & Similar Words conversations discussions converses chats discourses exchanges colloquies banters debates repartees railleries babbles prattles symposia chatter Vary the way you show whos speaking in your dialogue. Craved Griped interpreted petitioned demanded Examined interjected Disputed Complained Incited Pumped protested doubted commanded solicited Deliberated petition supplicated proposed pry prompted Queried Requested investigated encouraged Provoked Entreated grilled invited appealed Plead studied revised dubious beseech Scrutinize disputed doubted undecided Urged Begged meddled Pushed compelled snooped Suspected Dug jabbed pressed Quizzed searched explored pried meddled Surveyed prodded delved Interfered studied explored implored needled Considered Inspected analyzed probed Deliberated clarified debrief wished Question inquire query seek search objected checked reviewed pop the question. To help you find that perfect synonym to inject action and emotion into your dialogue, here are over 270 other words for said: Master the art of dialogue in 10 five-minute lessons. Hello Jordon, Im writing a novel, or trying to at least. Im just wondering if, after weve dealt with the two dunces, youll want to stay.. Compare these examples: Thats not what you said yesterday, she said, her voice implying she was retreating, withdrawing. Will you stay? When each letter can be seen but not heard. Ask is a common word used when writing dialog. Use colourful dialogue tags occasionally, for emphasis. antonyms. 1. Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. JANUARY, 1844. Use emotive other words for said to season characters conversations. Read More Our Adventure in Writing NovelsContinue, FREE writing tools from the internet. If you've read our previous post on writing dialogue, you'll know that you shouldn't be afraid to default to he said, she said, or they saidwhen you're tagging your dialogue. Show how people speak using action and gesture, Volume (e.g. PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI, VOLUME 107, NOVEMBER 3, 1894. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 'There is a blog for every aspect of the writing journey.' Synonyms for DIALOGUE: conference, discussion, debate, consultation, symposium, council, meeting, forum, argumentation, consult Merriam-Webster Logo Menu Toggle atmosphere. Thank you for your clarification. an exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue, talking or a talk between two or more people, Post more words for dialogues to Facebook, Share more words for dialogues on Twitter, Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. I think what needs to happen in this country is a. Nglish: Translation of dialogue for Spanish Speakers, Britannica English: Translation of dialogue for Arabic Speakers, Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dialogue. The truth is now that Ive had time I see that maybe its not going to work out. Thank you very much for this blog! As you can see from the above, there are many ways to show who is speaking in dialogue. This can be used to indicate a thought, but is maybe best used for thoughts that are spoken aloud as the speech marks make it easy to confuse with spoken/voiced material. Youll be fine. I lifted my head, looking at the chron on the wall. Hear a word and type it out. Another thinks it is not. It was hard for us to remember when to put a comma, and when to put a period. Hear a word and type it out. Can we use thought also as a dialogue verb/word? It will make it a lot easier to not sound repetitive. This is really helpful. With practice, you can learn to write meaningful dialog. We can infer the character is still mad. exchange of ideas. Another way to say Asked? He asked her. Writing effective, compelling dialogue has multiple elements. He interrogated her. Although Toni Morrisons advice above is good (creating quietness using the spaces around characters lines), the occasional she whispered has its place, too. susan@desertskyone.com conversation talk, speech discourse conversation, talk chat talk, speech discussion talk, conversation talk conversation, speech colloquy conversation, The advantages of showing who said what via movement and gesture are: Using gestures and actions such as the following, as outlined above, helps to lend character and emotion to dialogue: Also think about ways to say said that convey volume and tone, i.e. Just because its a writing device commonly used in dialogue doesnt mean you have to use it. We believe by using strong verbs to replace ask our dialog will be strengthened. 1 as in requested to make a request for don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance requested sought pled (for) spoke (for) plead (for) called (for) Delivered to your inbox! 1 as in responded to act or behave in response (as to a stimulus or influence) replied to the news that she had won the scholarship by jumping around the room and cheering Synonyms & Required fields are marked *. Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright 2013 by the Philip Lief Group. An old-fashioned rule we can no longer put up with. It didnt seem too challenging writing the first two words. Im glad you enjoyed this article. Asking and Dialogue are synonymous, and they have mutual synonyms. For example: Speak slower. The speech therapists eyes were stern.The w-wascal wabbit wan- he enunciated, wishing each R could be clearer. I Often, this is preferable, letting the characters emotion or tone show in their precise choice of words, phrasing, movement (more on this below) or gestures. Learn a new word every day. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 'There is a blog for every aspect of the writing journey.' Join Kickstart your Novel and get professional feedback on your first three chapters and story synopsis, plus workbooks and videos. 2023 NOW NOVEL CC. Synonyms for said that show volume include: The above words remind us that tags that indicate volume and tone are typically reserved for extremes of tension, emotion or environment. Its a pleasure, Lkennedy, thank you for reading our blog. Other ways to say said can avoid dialogue tags entirely. As a bonus today you can download this cheat sheet for yourselves. Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright 2013 by the Philip Lief Group. Because its clear the glaring first-person I is the character speaking at first, we dont need to add I said. The word said, like asked, does not tell you anything about the emotion behind a characters words. We have all heard the adage show dont, Read More Write Anxiety for Your Character With Easy To Use PhrasesContinue, Yes, there really are 50 words writers use all the time instead of said. Good luck with it. synonyms for dialogue Compare Synonyms communication conference conversation dialog discourse discussion exchange chat colloquy confab confabulation converse duologue flap Back to the first said page. An old-fashioned rule we can no longer put up with. Show all Definitions . For example, read the following brief dialogue: You wouldnt believe what happened next. It is my earnest desire that the Administration engage in a productive dialogue on the merits of these issues.. A speech tag should provide valuable clues, not only about which character is speaking but how they are saying it. to act or behave in response (as to a stimulus or influence), to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction, Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. He said and she said are often preferable because they do not draw the readers attention to the fact they are reading written dialogue. Since you are here, you must agree with our philosophy about dialog tags. Thank you for this great article! An old-fashioned rule we can no longer put up with. synonyms. I will admit that the words your character says are immensely more important than the dialog tag. asked given marked named price-marked priced published stated tagged ticketed requested adjectivewanted appealed asked demanded desired hunted needed petitioned requisitioned Learn more about Now Novels editing services for novels. If I were to err on one side of the debate, Id fall in with the just use said folks, not with the avoiders. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! Saying, what are you smoking? Reedsy is more than just a blog. Nearby Words: dialog , dialogued , dialoguing, dialogic Learn a new word every day. When each letter can be seen but not heard. - Christine, on Dialogue words: Other words for said (and what to avoid), Adjectives for description: 60 precise words, Plot hole pitfalls: 7 tips to avoid and fix, Dialogue 101: Using dialogue tags vs action tags, How to make dialogue in writing carry your story, Writing dialogue: Complete guide to storied speech, Novel characters: 15 top character creation tips, Writing descriptive sentences: 6 simple rules. But lets not be hasty. He placed his hand on the small of her back. However, you could achieve a similar effect other ways, too. Its clear from the narration, description and actions who is saying what in the scene. Practice creating a realistic dialogue for every character with these prompts. Characters who never move or gesture in dialogue may read a little like talking heads in jars (like the satirical preserved famous figures in the sci-fi comedy Futurama). CCCXXXIX. So here is our list of strong, descriptive verbs to replace ask. Chapter One. Thank you so much! Yet seasoning shouldnt overpower substance. Delivered to your inbox! The stranger the tag, the more colourful and quirky, the more it will stick out in your dialogue. phoenix college testing > Uncategorized > another word for asked in dialogue. Your email address will not be published. Asking and dialogue are semantically related. He wondered whether he was boring her. Synonyms for dialogue chat colloquy communication confab confabulation conference conversation converse dialog discourse discussion duologue exchange flap interlocution lines parlance parley powwow rap rap session remarks repartee script sides small talk Its not only what characters say but how they say it that matters. Wacky writing is the best, just look at how popular writers such as Douglas Adams, Roald Dahl or Lemony Snicket are. VOL. Words for said may show or suggest: The connotations of tags are important. Hear a word and type it out. Now of course it is the unenviable task (read chore) of proofing it. Accessed 18 Jan. 2023. Yet it suggests words such as enunciated as a synonym for said. skull session. Synonyms for Asked (other words and phrases for Asked). Because dialogue is relational, an exchange between two or more characters, it also works to switch to another characters reaction instead of focusing on the character whos just finished speaking. Novel writing coach Romy Sommer says of dialogue: Keep it as tight as possible, and move as quickly as possible into the purpose of the conversation. See how your sentence looks with different synonyms. We developed this list because we were looking for strong verbs that would eliminate the use of adverbs. Yet these are suitable tags for climactic moments. The brevity, the fact its only two words, conveys his tone. Fourteen words that helped define the year. Its just a few clicks. We are all striving to be better writers. I dont know about you, but I am always looking for things to help my writing. Ive been trying to make it sound like two characters have a great deal of trust in one another in their conversations. Consoled, comforted, reassured, admired, soothed. An example: Then, we have to get some solid proof somehow, thought John. The more we read he said and she said, the more were aware of the author creating the dialogue. I went to the ______ store to buy a birthday card. Actually, we created this list because we disagree with that philosophy. You seem distracted.Hmm? How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference. Even so, its hard to argue that the first version is better than the second. For some authors, its a matter of stylistic preference. How the characters engage with the setting (the woman turning to face the window, for example) reveals their emotions mid-dialogue. To save this word, you'll need to log in. I leaned into his embrace, relaxing slightly. To save this word, you'll need to log in. Get help with everything from formatting to context. grumbled, Words that should never be used to replace said. Nearby Words: ask, asked. It would be strange, for example, for a character to sneer the words I love you, since the word sneer connotes contempt rather than affection. Fourteen words that helped define the year. So the more common approach for thoughts is to italicize the thought. Its a pleasure, ES. You will be helping others to find and use this information. inquire question beg request seek request demand request, question interrogate question call for request request question questioned participle bid invite requested plead request claim quiz question summon invite begged demanded inquired pray invite question require take query solicit crave urged To save this word, you'll need to log in. Used in a sentence: We asked the teacher which chapters would be on the test. Ask can also mean to make a request for something. In this sense, it is often used in the phase to ask for. Real-life examples: Children ask Santa Claus for presents at Christmas. Your mom asks you to clean your room. How many can you get right? Other ways to say she said avoid dialogue tags entirely. It is appropriate too, to the situation (the end of an intimate relationship). In conversation between characters, alternatives for said can tell the reader: Here are dialogue words you can use instead of said, categorised by the kind of emotion or scenario they convey: Shouted, bellowed, yelled, snapped, cautioned, rebuked. 2012 - Killer speech tags are created with strong, descriptive verbs. Use physical gesture and motion instead of said, 4. Use ways to say said that add atmosphere, 5. Whats your story about? Malinger More With This Word Of The Day Quiz! How many can you get right? Hi Kenneth, Im glad to hear that. Similarly, in the first speakers retort, we dont need a tag telling us his tone (that its curt, sarcastic, or hostile). I went to the ______ store to buy a birthday card. Thank you for your kind feedback, Joan. definitions. Lists. Thanks for this wonderful tool! Compare these two versions of the same conversation: Well I wasnt listening, was I! he said. Because of their interruption, as well as their shock that John is still speaking when they return, we also get a sense of how John speaks. If a character screams or declares every line, your reader may become irritated by the constant visibility of the authors hand. Accessed 18 Jan. 2023. Using alternate words to replace ask gives you the opportunity to add emotion to your dialog. Im just anxious to get those morons out of command and into a brig, I nuzzled my head into Montys reddish hair and sighed before continuing, Monty, Im honestly not quite sure what Ill do afterwards, though. Here are 5 simple ways to avoid clunky overuse of he said/she said: Sometimes we say she said, he said or they said when we dont need to. So, we created a cheat sheet. To us, using strong verbs instead of ask creates more powerful dialog. There are only two characters in the scene and the first to speak is clear). That sounds a fun genre mix, good luck with your novel! If youre thinking of getting an editors insights, we offer a range of editing services. Thats fantastic, Estefan youre never too young to start! This shows the effort the character is putting in, thus you dont need a dialogue tag necessarily. Dialogue noun - An exchange of views for the purpose of exploring a subject or deciding an issue. 1. to put a question to; inquire of: I asked her but she didn't answer. 2. to request information about: to ask the way. 3. to put into words so as to gain information, attention, etc.; utter; pose: to ask the right questions. 4. to request: to ask a favor. As I progressed through the proofing, I said / I thought d-tags were cropping up WAYYYY too frequently. Replied. Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/replied. 25 (OF 25). My hat is suitably doffed. One problem we often see in beginners dialogue is that all the emotion is crammed into either spoken words or dialogue tags. Some writers like to add adverbs like: loudly or shyly. There is some controversy among writers about But that doesnt mean a stronger tag does not improve the dialog. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! LV. accused, argued, badgered, barked, bellowed, bickered, chastised, chided, clipped, clucked, commanded, complained, corrected, countered, cursed, dared, demanded, disagreed, exploded, fumed, goaded, growled, grumbled, harshed, hissed, hollered, howled, huffed, insulted, interrupted] Join a community of over 1 millionauthors. However, if you were to use this tag randomly in the middle of dialogue it would seem arbitrary. Another way to say Said? These writers feel that by using other words instead of ask the writer is adding their own comments to the dialog. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! If yes, you dont need a tag, Too many tags make your dialogue start to feel like a compendium of emotive speech-verbs. to act so as to make (something) more likely, Post more words for asked (for) to Facebook, Share more words for asked (for) on Twitter, Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. Lets look at an example: She has every Taylor Swift album on vinyl, and she even had backstage passes to her last concert, he gushed. In particular, look through your soundbars menu for equalizer settings, presets like movie and sports mode, Los Angeles and San Diego school officials started a, Even online, there can be a back-and-forth, His Shop is the Randenvous of spitting, where men, And the difficulty of according the narrative and the, DEEP DIVE: HOW COMPANIES AND THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE FACING THE FUTURE OF WORK, FULL TRANSCRIPT: TOMI LAHREN ON THE CARLOS WATSON SHOW, HOW TO FIX THAT ANNOYING AUDIO DELAY ON YOUR SOUNDBAR, HOW LOS ANGELES AND SAN DIEGO UNIFIED STARTED DRIVING STATE EDUCATION POLICY, LEARNING WILL CHANGE WITH COVID-19S SOCIAL DISTANCING, TOBACCO; ITS HISTORY, VARIETIES, CULTURE, MANUFACTURE AND COMMERCE, CHAUCER'S WORKS, VOLUME 1 (OF 7) -- ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE; MINOR POEMS, THE WORKS OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON - SWANSTON EDITION VOL. My first story is a true one, about a family of beloved animals we have had the pleasure of living with. Delivered to your inbox! After that it all, well went downhill. When you get to the end of a line of dialogue, ask yourself: If you answered yes to either of these, you dont need tags. So, if you want to write more concise, direct, and dramatic, Read More 400 Action Verbs To Energize Your WritingContinue, Settings a Spectacular Way to Show Your Characters, Redundant Words: What They Are And How to Fix Them, Powerful Arguments to Supercharge Your Story. Im glad to hear youve finished your book and that our article was helpful. After all, youve got trouble on your mind and evil at your feet. (E.g. 190 Synonyms for Said related to Dialogue definitions sentences thesaurus words phrases Parts of speech verbs adjectives nouns Tags say dialogue express suggest new spoke v. , n. Your email address will not be published. They even have a name for all those big words other than said: saidisms.. (Eg. Allrightsreserved. he snapped) unnecessary. Thank you. Switch to a narrator or other characters reaction, She gazed out the window (this suggests being lost in thought, or perhaps longing), He turned his away (suggesting withdrawal or retreat), They elbowed each other and jumped up and down (suggesting children vying to be heard above each other), Quietly: Mouthed, whispered, hissed, mumbled, muttered, said, under their breath, Loudly: Yelled, shouted, bellowed, screamed, roared. In the second example, the dialogue is interspersed with setting. One does not laugh dialogue. Hi Little_Cat, thank you for your kind feedback, Im glad you found this article useful. Its a pleasure. I have one question, though. He paused for a moment, considering. Jabbed, sneered, rebuked, hissed, scolded, demanded, threatened, insinuated, spat, glowered. Malinger More With This Word Of The Day Quiz! Your email address will not be published. But lets not be hasty, he said, clearly wanting to control her retreat, too. Teased, joked, laughed, chuckled, chortled, sniggered, tittered, guffawed, giggled, roared. Find the perfect editor for yournextbook. Well I hadnt thought about it yet. It is the silent butler of dialoguediscreetly serving us the voices of our characters. Credit for your thoughts? He murmured as his hands smoothed the front of my shirt. He grilled her. Synonyms for asked about include asked, posed, raised, posited, proffered, put, submitted, presented, proposed and propositioned. Asked. Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asked. Here, because the second character addresses John by name, we know whos been speaking. Thank you for sharing this article with category-wise dialog words. One thing we ran into was figuring out how to punctuate dialog correctly. The narration beforehand makes it clear whos speaking, and the details of the characters speech give away who says what: She picked a bit of fluff off her top, looked out the window. dialogue 1 colloquy, communication, confabulation, conference, conversation, converse, discourse, discussion, duologue, interlocution 2 conversation, lines, script, spoken part English This will help so much ! Instead of letting different ways to say said do heavy lifting, remember this sage advice from Toni Morrison: I never say She says softly. If its not already soft, you know, I have to leave a lot of space around it so a reader can hear its soft. Join a concise, self-study four-week course to learn how to write dialogue that builds character and plot without needing 500 words for said. We believe they will add pizzazz to your speech tags. Need help improving your dialogue? How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference. An old-fashioned rule we can no longer put up with. Synonyms for Dialogue. Using tags sparingly allows your reader the pleasure of inferring and imagining. Hi JJ, Im so glad to hear that. Asked synonyms What is another word for Asked? Ideally, your reader is getting as much clarity fromwhat characters say as they get from how they say it. Dialog is an essential part of storytelling. Accessed 18 Jan. 2023. 1. Cried, mumbled, sobbed, sighed, lamented. The girls actions make it clear shes the addressee of You seem distracted. Her response also gives us a sense ofhowher date says this. to request the presence or participation of, a fixture on the party circuit, that couple is always, Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. Great question. Good luck with the next phase in your project. In this case, if the surrounding narration is in third person, the thought is written in first-person, present-tense (since it occurs in the unfolding moment). 2012 - Your email address will not be published. Sometimes we say she said, he said or they said when we dont need to. Synonyms for ASKED: quizzed, questioned, interrogated, queried, grilled, examined, catechized, surveyed; Antonyms of ASKED: answered, replied, responded, remarked, observed, commented, retorted, rejoined How many can you get right? The detectives would ask Steven about his whereabouts on that fateful evening.. I went to the ______ store to buy a birthday card. takes a look at dialogue tags and how to use them effectively in your writing. The strength of the exclamation mark in the second characters reply makes any dialogue tag showing emotion (e.g. Learn a new word every day. yelled, shouted, bellowed, screamed, whispered) Tone or pitch (e.g. Thanks for reading our blog. When each letter can be seen but not heard. punctuation, to show concentration; pauses: The w-wascal wabbit wan He wished each R could be clearer. Which dialogue tag are YOU? 336 other terms for asked- words and phrases with similar meaning. Obviously, there is a great difference between a speaker who asks and a speaker who demands. This list can help you do just that. For this infographic, we've narrowed down the 270most essential dialogue words for you to know! 72 other terms for open dialogue - words and phrases with similar meaning. Its a one-way street, John holding the floor (and holding his listeners ransom). Your characters likely do have bodies, so dont be afraid to use them. 1. It looks like I missed an email from your website about your reply. I am in Middle school still but Ive started writing a dystopian/fantasy novel and these definitely helped me out with my dialogue! Good luck with it. Use gesture, movement or reaction to show your reader details of character and setting. BLACKWOOD'S EDINBURGH MAGAZINE, NO. What words can I use instead of ask, Quara. That being said, it can be useful to deploy a specific and powerful dialogue tag every now and again. Simplify dialogue instead, Dialogue 101: Using dialogue tags vs action tags, How to make dialogue in writing carry your story, Writing dialogue: Complete guide to storied speech, Amazon for authors: 6 ways to use it better, How to finish a novel: 10 ways to follow through, Writing skills: How to improve yours 10 ways, Writing riveting inciting action: 7 ideas.