I mean a verb(word?) to describe the action of intentionally coughing as you speaking. (Shown as 'ahem' or 'cough' in dialogue.)
For example:
I cannot forget what she said, mixing in coughs with her words:
"There used to be before … [cough] but not [cough] anymore."
(I've used [cough] to only show what I mean. I won't actually be writing it in the dialogue.)
EDIT: Can I say "I cannot forget what she said, interspersing her words with coughs." instead?
Best Answer
Aside from just sticking with "cough," I think I might use the expression "to hem and haw" in this context. As defined by thefreedictionary.com, to hem and haw is "to pause a lot and avoid saying something directly." Even "hem" alone might work. A hem is "A short cough or clearing of the throat made especially to gain attention, warn another, hide embarrassment, or fill a pause in speech." To hem is to utter a hem.
Examples:
"He hemmed and hawed and would not come to the point."
"He took forever to tell me what he wanted, hemming and hawing and refusing to make eye contact the whole time."