[BEST LESSONS] - 40 words to use instead of "said"

Introduction

0:00Hi, students! This month, we're re-releasing some of our all-time, most popular podcast episodes, which have been loved by thousands of English learners just like you. Want to download the text from this lesson? Click on the link in the podcast description and enter your email address to get your free lesson guide. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy listening to one of our best lessons. Do you ever notice that we use the word said a lot?

0:30He said this, she said that, then I said something else. Now there's nothing wrong with the word said, it's perfectly fine, but the English language has tons of other options.

Alternatives to Said

0:41Today we're going to learn 40 alternatives to said, and as you will see, each one adds some extra meaning describing the way the person said something or the reason they spoke. If you want to expand your vocabulary beyond basic English words, then you'll love my Advanced Vocabulary and Collocations course. The lessons inside teach you more than a thousand high-level words to help take your English vocabulary from simple to sophisticated. One student described it as like a gold mine for my vocabulary.

1:14You can click on the link in the video description for more information and to join the Advanced Vocabulary and Collocations course.

Describing Speech

1:22Okay, now let's look at some different words we can use to describe people talking or saying something. We'll start with some simple ones and then move on to verbs that have additional meaning. First, we have mention, comment, remark, and state. So instead of saying, he said that he used to be a piano teacher, you could say, he mentioned, commented, remarked, or stated that he used to be a piano teacher. All of these words are basically alternatives to he said. Mention is often used when someone just talks briefly about something.

1:56They don't talk in detail about the topic. And state is often used for somewhat more official things, like when a person on trial states that they are innocent of a crime or a politician states his or her position on an issue.

2:11Add, answer, reply, respond, and reiterate. These verbs all provide some information about context of a conversation. If we answer, reply, or respond, then we are saying something in reaction to another person's question or statement. For example, I asked her if she'd ever been to Mexico. She replied that she hadn't. To add means to provide additional information, either to your own previously mentioned point or to someone else's point.

2:42For example, Brian described the environmental benefits of the new law, and Melissa added that it would also reduce costs. I told the interviewer about my experience as a writer, and then added that I'd also received several awards for my stories.

2:59To reiterate is similar to the verb repeat. It means to say something again, sometimes using the same words and sometimes using different phrasing. For example, The supervisor of the factory reiterated that safety was the primary concern. It means he said it before, and now he said it again. He reiterated. Ramble, rant, and go on and on. These verbs mean that someone is talking excessively about a topic. For example, My son spent the whole car ride rambling about his favorite superheroes.

3:33Our boss went on and on about the importance of customer satisfaction.

3:39Recite and rattle off. These are used when someone says something or a list of things that they have memorized. For example, The lawyer recited the text of the law without needing to check her notes. He's a big fan of Star Wars and can rattle off the names of all the movies.

3:59Claim, swear, maintain, insist, stress, and emphasize. To claim something means to say it is true, sometimes in situations where someone is doubting that. And to swear that something is true is adding extra force to your claim. If other people question you or doubt you, then you might maintain or insist that it's true, keeping to your position over time or repeatedly. You might stress or emphasize, meaning give extra importance to, some of the best evidence.

4:32Insinuate, imply, and hint. These words are used for saying things indirectly. For example, if someone is talking about how unhappy he is with his current girlfriend, he might insinuate, imply, or hint that he's planning to break up with her soon. He doesn't say it specifically, but you can read between the lines and understand it indirectly.

4:54Blurt, reveal, confess, and point out. These verbs all have to do with giving information. To blurt or blurt out means to say something spontaneously without really thinking about it beforehand. To reveal means to say some information that was previously hidden or secret. For example, she revealed that the company knew about the defective products, but didn't do anything. To confess means to reveal that you did something wrong or say something to which other people might react negatively.

5:25For example, she confessed that she'd stolen the money. He confessed that he didn't really like his mother's cooking. And to point out simply means to say an observation. I pointed out that the paint we bought was a slightly different color than the paint already on the walls. Next, we have some words that have to do with the tone or way of talking as well as the emotion when speaking. Rant, gripe, hiss, snap, and retort.

5:56To gripe means to complain. And to rant means to talk a lot in an angry way. These verbs are usually followed by about. For example, she ranted about how unfair it was that she had to work overtime without extra pay. Stop griping about all the work you have to do and just get started.

6:17To hiss means to say something angrily in a soft voice like an aggressive snake. For example, the people sitting in front of us in the movie theater turned around and hissed, shut up.

6:29Snap and retort both mean to say something in a quick and angry way, usually when we're in a bad mood or in response to someone else's insult. For example, I asked my wife what time dinner would be ready, and she snapped that she hadn't had time to prepare anything. He was making fun of his sister's job as a house cleaner, and she retorted that his job as an administrative assistant wasn't exactly glamorous either.

6:56Next, we have gush, joke, and exclaim. To gush about something means to say lots of extremely good things about it because you really love it or you think it's great. When we joke about a topic, we say things about it that are supposed to be funny, not taking it too seriously. To exclaim means to say something in surprise. This could be a good or a bad surprise. For example, my boss exclaimed that this was the best work he'd ever seen. Ugh, this hotel room is filthy,

7:27we exclaimed when we arrived. Let's look at advise, caution, warn, beg, implore, press, and urge. These words are used for saying things to try to influence someone else's behavior. Advise is a good or bad surprise. is used for giving general advice, and caution and warn are used for alerting someone to danger. For example, I advised him to send a cover letter with his resume. They cautioned or warned me not to go into that bad neighborhood at night.

8:00To beg or implore someone to do something means to ask persistently with a lot of emotion. For example, he begged her to forgive him after he cheated on her. We implored the teacher to give us more time to finish the project.

8:17To press or urge someone refers to applying strong pressure. For example, we need to make a decision. The other company has been pressing us for a response all week. I urged her not to give up on her musical career because she has real talent. Now you know a great variety of words to describe different ways of talking and reasons for saying something. And if you'd really like to take your vocabulary up to the next level, I'd encourage you to join my Advanced Vocabulary and Collocations course.

8:50For now, why don't you try using a few of the words from today's lesson in your own sentences. That's a great way to establish them better in your memory. Thanks for watching, and I'll talk to you next time. If you want more great English lessons, visit EspressoEnglish.net, where you can sign up by email to receive a free e-book with 500 plus real English phrases. You'll also find online courses to help you improve your English fit.

9:20even if you don't have much time to study. Keep practicing your English, and I hope you have a wonderful day.

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