Filter words
Filter words are verbs of perception and thought (saw, heard, felt, noticed, realised, wondered) that place the character between the reader and the thing being perceived, adding a layer the sentence usually does not need.
She saw the door swing open. Compare: The door swung open. The second is shorter, and it is closer, because we are watching the door instead of watching her watch the door. The narration is already inside her head, so the reader never doubted whose eyes these were.
List of filter words
- Senses: saw, heard, felt, smelled, tasted, watched, noticed, observed, looked, could see, could hear
- Thought: thought, realised, wondered, knew, decided, remembered, believed, considered, understood
- Seeming: seemed, appeared, looked like, sounded like, felt like, found herself
Searching for these words is a standard self-editing pass. It is also one of the first things a line edit catches.
Filter word examples, before and after
He heard the floorboards creak upstairs. → Upstairs, a floorboard creaked. Why it works: the sound arrives the way it would arrive to him, without an announcement.
She felt the cold water close over her head. → The cold water closed over her head. Why it works: the reader is in the water, not reading a report about it.
He realised he had left the gun in the car. → The gun. He had left it in the car. Why it works: the realisation happens on the page instead of being described. This is free indirect discourse doing the job the filter word was doing.
She wondered whether he would call. → Would he call? Why it works: the question is hers, asked in her voice.
When to keep a filter word
It is not a ban. A filter earns its place when:
- The perceiving is the point. She heard it before she saw it depends entirely on that order.
- The perception might be wrong. He thought she was smiling does work that she was smiling cannot do.
- You are pulling back on purpose. A little distance at a moment of shock can be the right narrative distance.
The rule is that every filter should be a choice rather than a habit. A line edit will usually remove most of them and leave the few that are load-bearing.
Frequently asked questions
What are filter words?
Filter words are verbs that report a character perceiving or thinking something, such as saw, heard, felt, noticed and realised. They make the reader watch the character experience the moment instead of experiencing it directly.
Are filter words always bad?
No. Keep one when the act of perceiving is the point, when the order of the senses matters, or when the perception might be wrong. 'He thought she was smiling' says something that 'she was smiling' cannot.
How do I find filter words in my draft?
Search your manuscript for the words on the list, one at a time, and look at each hit. Most can be cut by deleting the filter and letting the thing perceived become the subject of the sentence.