: Re: Describing laughter in dialogue? I'm having a problem that is not addressed by The Chicago Manual of Style or the AP Style Guide I have access to: How does a writer express laughter in fiction?

@Shanna875

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Write "ha ha" if you want those words spoken, but not for laughter.

Vera rolled her eyes. "Ha ha. Very funny."

Actual laughter is a nonverbal sound and is better described.

Vera's eyes widened. "You mean you—"

A roar of laughter escaped her mouth. Tears streamed down her cheeks,
and her body shook.

I wouldn't normally spell it out, just as I wouldn't normally spell out the sound of a cough or a sneeze. Of course, there may be rare cases where you want to describe the unusual sound of certain person's sneeze or laugh (often for comic effect), and then you can go to town:

His laugh sounded like a mixture of a masonry drill and a guinea pig
squeal: "Hweaww-HEEE-hee-heghgh!"

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