Which "said" words do you use?

These are the "said" words that I use.

Nearly all the time:
- Said
- Shouted
- Asked

Less often:
- Laughed
- Chuckled
- Exclaimed
- Sighed

Sometimes:
- Added
- Roared
- Barked
- Hissed
- Demanded
- Commanded

Almost Never:
- Declared
- Announced

Never:
- EJACULATED D:

I use basically the same stuff, except I use "muttered" and "murmured", too.

Whispered, and blurted out, are two I use sometimes. Other than that all of the above.

It's such a pity about "ejaculated". It has such a good sound to it. And it must be in all the Sherlock Holmes stories.

I use said and asked, but never laughed or chuckled. Using an actual verb like "laughed" as a dialogue tag almost never feels right.

I almost always use 'said'.

When I write, my teacher always told us to use 'said' as little a possible and to try to find other words to replace it with. And I would do that. It wasn't until recently, that I was told by a fellow YWSer that the word 'said' goes unnoticed by the reader. It doesn't really matter how much you use it. xD

That took away alot of my turmoils and torture when writing because I didn't have to think about trying to get a different word each time.
~Incognito

Said's mah idol. I love it.

If the reader can't tell how something is said in said said, then the writer needs to reconsider what it is that is said, once said by Stephen King.

I agree. Well, since my novel is in present tense, I use:

Says
Asks

More rarely:
Replies
Answers

Very rarely:
Adds
Shouts

Since it is also in first person, at one point the narrator says:

"Don't yell!" she yells. (Which is ironic in more ways than one; let's just say this character [s]does not always[/s] rarely practises what she preaches.)

I'm with Kibble: Said and Asked are usually the only two I'll need. Answer/reply is second. And then maybe one or two whispered/hissed/screamed/muttered in rare occasions when said seems to belie the emotion behind the statement.

But yes, said phobia is one of the most telling aspects of amateur style. Also, overuse of tags altogether, but I think we all have trouble with that.

And Incognito, that makes me cringe. It's unfortunate that we can't always trust our English teachers.

~Annie

Inquired, buzz are some of my usual "said" words.

*huggles "said"*

I actually use more of your "sometimes" category more often than your "less often" category... Interesting...

When I write, my teacher always told us to use 'said' as little a possible and to try to find other words to replace it with. And I would do that. It wasn't until recently, that I was told by a fellow YWSer that the word 'said' goes unnoticed by the reader. It doesn't really matter how much you use it. xD

Yeah, I remember reading books that say to avoid using "said", but really, it just sort of slips under the radar. And sometimes people just say things.

~GryphonFledgling

I use said and asked.

Rarely I use shouted, but that's as far as it goes.

I using just use "said" and "asked." Maybe the occasional "mutter" if it seems appropriate, but that's about it. No, wait, "snapped." I use the work "snapped" way too much.

I never use the word "exclaimed." It's just such a weird word. When's the last time you've actually heard that word used out loud? Never. It's one of those words that looks good on the page but would never actually be used in a conversation.

Stephenie Meyer has saidophobia and it's really annoying- so I think it's best to use said usually, unless someone is shouting, murmuring, whispering, shrieking, squealing, crying, stammering or muttering.