say vs so

say

intj
  • Used to gain someone's attention before making an inquiry or suggestion 

noun
  • Tried quality; temper; proof. 

  • A chance to speak; the right or power to influence or make a decision. 

  • Essay; trial; attempt. 

  • Trial by sample; assay; specimen. 

  • A strainer for milk. 

verb
  • Suppose, assume; used to mark an example, supposition or hypothesis. 

  • To tell, either verbally or in writing. 

  • To indicate in a written form. 

  • To have a common expression; used in singular passive voice or plural active voice to indicate a rumor or well-known fact. 

  • To recite. 

  • To pronounce. 

  • To try; to assay. 

  • To bet as a wager on an outcome; by extension, used to express belief in an outcome by the speaker. 

  • To speak; to express an opinion; to make answer; to reply. 

adv
  • Pick a color you think they'd like, say, peach. 

  • For example; let us assume. 

so

intj
  • Used as a question to ask for further explanation of something said, often rhetorically or in a dismissive or impolite manner. 

  • Used as a meaningless filler word to begin a response to a question. 

  • Used after a pause for thought to introduce a new topic, question or story, or a new thought or question in continuation of an existing topic. 

noun
  • A type of dairy product, made especially in Japan between the seventh and 10th centuries, by reducing milk by boiling it. 

  • A syllable used in solfège to represent the fifth note of a major scale. 

adv
  • To the (explicitly stated) extent that. 

  • To such an extent or degree; as. 

  • Very much. 

  • Very (negative clause). 

  • In the same manner or to the same extent as aforementioned; also. 

  • Very (positive clause). 

  • To the (implied) extent. 

  • In a particular manner. 

adj
  • In that state or manner; with that attribute. A proadjective that replaces the aforementioned adjective phrase. 

  • True, accurate. 

conj
  • Used to introduce a rhetorical question. 

  • Used to connect previous conversation or events to the following question. 

  • With the result that; for that reason; therefore. 

How often have the words say and so occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )