Said and replied are common words used when writing dialogue in a story. They’re important to have, but you don’t need to use them every single time a character speaks. If there are two characters having a conversation, you may go without “said” or “replied”, and I have included examples further on.

In the case of using “said” and “replied”, unnecessary adverbs are used to modify them. They can be replaced with one strong verb. However, you need to be careful that you don’t end up with a tautology.

Here is a list of suggested alternative verbs you can use that add tone/mood into a scene:

[NOTE: Past Tense Examples]

Answered                                Argued                                 Agreed
Reacted                                  Whispered                            Grinned
Acknowledged                         Whistled                               Imitated / Mimicked
Murmured                                Sniffed                                 Persuaded
Called out                                Snorted                                Theorised
Yelled                                      Sobbed                                Slurred
Shouted                                   Sighed                                  Interrogated
Hissed                                     Wheezed                             Clarified
Laughed                                  Giggled                                 Interrupted
Bellowed                                  Mocked                                Solved
Hollered                                   Chuckled                              Remarked
Cried                                       Hooted                                 Wailed
Squawked                                Roared                                 Whimpered
Yelped                                     Screamed                             Screeched
Squealed                                 Summoned                            Hailed
Alarmed                                   Warned                                Sung
Shrieked                                  Shrilled                                 Barked
Exclaimed                               Interjected                              Cheered
Commented                            Insulted                                 Dismissed
Insisted                                    Prompted