General replacements:
* Spoke
* Stated
* Declared
* Expressed
* Remarked
* Uttered
* Pronounced
* Articulated
* Averred
* Affirmed
More informal replacements:
* Told
* Mentioned
* Noticed
* Added
* Pointed out
* Wrote
* Commented
More formal replacements:
* Asserted
* Proclaimed
* Announced
* Disclosed
* Revealed
To express specific emotions:
* Whispered (softly)
* Shouted (loudly)
* Muttered (unhappily)
* Exclaimed (with surprise or excitement)
* Moaned (sadly)
* Gushed (enthusiastically)
To indicate a specific source:
* Reported (from a source)
* Noted (from a source)
* According to (from a source)
* Cited (from a source)
To indicate a specific style:
* Argued (assertively)
* Joked (humorously)
* Suggested (tentatively)
* Complained (dissatisfied)
* Begged (desperately)
Remember to choose the word that best fits the tone and context of your writing!