You’ve written the story.
You’ve done the research.
You’ve finally got something worth saying.
And then you reach the first sentence.
Suddenly, you’re staring down at an empty page wondering how on Earth you’re going to keep people reading. The story may be the most unique and fascinating in the world, but if your opening falls flat, your audience may never find it.
That’s where the lede comes in.
A lede is the opening section of a journalistic article, designed to introduce the story, establish the focus, and persuade the reader to stick with things. Learning how to write a lede therefore is less to do with unearthing the best first line and more about knowing what your readers need to know – and what’s going to make them want to learn more.
Today at What We Writing, we’re explaining what a lede is, exploring lede vs. lead, discovering 10 types of ledes, looking at examples, explaining how to write a strong lede, and covering some of the most popular pitfalls we writers make.
What Is A Lede?
Lede Definition
A lede is the opening sentence or paragraph of a news story, feature, or any other journalistic piece. Its purpose is to introduce the story, convey the key information, and give your audience something to stick with.
Traditionally, a news lede answers some of the fundamental questions about a story: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Nevertheless, a lede doesn’t need to follow a rigid formula. Depending on the subject and style of the article, it may just be one factual sentence, a short narrative, a vivid description, a tense moment, or just a casual observation.
A hard-news story may opt to use its lede to explain precisely what happened to its audience. A feature article, meanwhile, may start out with a person, place, scene, or intriguing detail, before unveiling a wider story.
To summarise all of this, there isn’t a single “correct” way of writing a lede.
What is the Purpose of a Lede?
A good lede typically has five roles:
- Hook the audience’s attention – Give them a reason to continue.
- Establish the story – Make it clear what your article is about.
- Provide the need-to-know – Present the facts the reader needs to understand the story.
- Establish the tone – Indicate whether the piece will be serious, humorous, dramatic, personal, or analytical.
- Create curiosity – Leave your readers with a question, tension, or unanswered questions that make them want to unearth more.
The best ledes balance information with intrigue. They typically don’t tell the audience everything; rather, they just make the next sentence feel worth their time.
Lede Vs Lead: What’s The Difference
If you’re like me, when you first happened upon the term lede in journalism, you may have wondered if there had been a spelling error. Why isn’t it spelt lead? After all, both these words are pronounced the same.
The quick answer here is that lede is a journalistic spelling of lead. The term became associated with the press partly to distinguish the opening of a story from the strips of lead once used in traditional printing.
However, today, lede and lead typically mean the same thing when referring to the opening of a journalistic article. You’ll see both spellings used by journalists, editors, publications, and even in journalism schools.
| Term | Meaning |
| Lede | The opening of a journalistic story |
| Lead | The standard spelling of the word; also used to describe a story’s opening |
| Bury the lede | To place the most important or interesting information too far into a story |
So, let’s say you’re writing a piece about journalism: either “lede” or “lead” can refer to the story’s beginning. However, lede is handy because it is strictly a journalistic term.
You may also have heard of the phrase “bury the lede.” This means that a writer has hidden the most vital information somewhere further into the piece rather than putting it in the opening.
For example, a company may be talking about a mass redundancy but spend the first five paragraphs talking about its history, economic challenges, wider issues, etc. In this case, the writer has effectively buried the lede.
The distinction might have historical roots, but for modern writers, the important thing is knowing what a lede is – and knowing how to write one effectively.
What Should A Lede Include?
Typically, a solid journalistic lede is constructed around the 5 Ws and H – the fundamental questions that help an audience understand a story:
- Who? Who is involved?
- What? What has happened?
- Where? Where did it happen?
- When? When did it happen?
- Why? Why does this matter?
- How? How did it happen?
You don’t need to answer all six of these in the lede. In fact, attempting to cram in every single detail in your opening can feel predictable, clumsy, and tough to read.
Rather, consider information hierarchy. What does your audience need to know first?
For a breaking news story, “What happened?” is undoubtedly the most important thing to answer. If a big building has burnt down, your audience will want to know that immediately.
For a feature article, however, “Why should I care?” might be more important. You may open with a person, a scene, or an interesting detail before you dive into the broader story.
The 5 Ws and H are therefore best seen as tools rather than rules. A good lede doesn’t follow a formula just because it can. It identifies the most important or compelling element of the story and puts that information where it will have the most impact.
The goal here isn’t to answer every question.
It’s to make the reader want to discover the answers.
10 Types Of Ledes In Journalism
There isn’t a single formula for writing a great lede. Different stories demand different approaches, and the best decision all depends on the subject, audience, and tone of the piece.
Here are 10 common types of ledes in journalism, from run-of-the-mill news openings to more jazzy approaches we see in feature writing.
1. Summary Lede
A summary lede is your classic news anchor opening. It gives the audience the most important information as soon as possible, often answering several of the 5 Ws and H in a single sentence.
“A London charity has raised more than £100,000 for local animal services after its annual fun run attracted over 2,000 participants.”
There’s no ambiguity over what this story is about. The audience instantly gets who, what, where, and why the story matters.
Summary ledes work especially well for breaking news, announcements, reports, and other stories where getting the facts is more important than generating suspense.
Best for: Hard news, breaking news, announcements, and factual reports.
2. Anecdotal Ledes
An anecdotal lede starts with a small, typically human story before tying it to the larger subject of the article.
“At 6:42 each morning, Laura Jones unlocks the doors of the cafe where she has worked for 49 years. On Tuesday, she didn’t have a key.”
The opening here doesn’t explain why Laura suddenly doesn’t have a key. Rather, it establishes some curiosity before revealing the bigger story.
This approach works well in feature pieces because audiences connect with an individual experience before being introduced to the wider issue.
Best for: Features, profiles, human-interest stories, and longer-form journalism.
3. Descriptive Lede
A descriptive lede employs sensory details to plonk the audience directly into the scene.
“Rain hammered the empty stadium as the last few fans trickled out.”
Rather than immediately explaining the event, this opening allows your readers to see, hear, or feel the moment.
Descriptive ledes can be especially potent when the setting is important to the story. The trick here is selecting details that contribute something meaningful rather than just decorating the prose.
A good descriptive lede should make the reader feel as though they have arrived at the scene themselves.
Best for: Features, travel writing, sports journalism, profiles, and narrative journalism.
4. Narrative Lede
A narrative lede drops the audience into a developing event, usually starting in the middle of the action or moment of tension.
“The door slammed behind him. Adam checked his phone again. Three missed calls from the police.”
Like the opening of a story or novel, the narrative approach makes the reader want to know what happened next.
This doesn’t need to mean inventing drama where there isn’t any. The events and details need to still be as accurate as possible, but the writer can land on an especially compelling moment from the story, and then use that as their launchpad.
Best for: Narrative journalism, investigative features, profiles, and dramatic human-interest stories.
5. Question Lede
A question lede starts by asking the reader a question related to the story.
“What would you do if your home became unaffordable overnight?”
The approach here is straightforward, but that doesn’t necessarily make it effective. Questions can immediately establish curiosity, and encourage your audience to consider how the subject ties back to their own life.
However, rhetorical questions are also extremely easy to overuse. Generic openings like “Have you ever wondered why…?” tend to feel predictable and impersonal.
Use a question when it genuinely adds something to the story, instead of just because you can’t think of another opening.
Best for: Opinion pieces, features, lifestyle journalism, and explanatory articles.
6. Quote Lede
A quote lede begins with something said by a person tied to the story.
“I thought we had lost everything,” Mary explained.
A strong quotation can instantly introduce personality, emotion, conflict, or an unusual perspective.
However, not every interesting quote makes a solid lede. Avoid opening with something that requires several paragraphs to explain before your readers understand what makes it significant. The quote should ideally be powerful enough to stand on its own, and closely connected to the story.
Wherever possible, choose a quote that reveals character or creates a question rather than simply stating an obvious fact.
Best for: Profiles, interviews, human-interest stories, and feature journalism.
7. Contrast Lede
A contrast lede puts two opposing ideas, situations, or details beside one another to create immediate tension.
“The cafe is packed every Thursday morning. Its owner hasn’t made a profit in two years.”
The contradiction here instantly raises a question: How can a cafe so successful not be making any money?
That’s the power of this type of lede opening. Instead of explaining the story outright, it presents an apparent contradiction and invites the audience to unearth how the two sides come together.
Contrast ledes can be particularly effective when a story houses an unexpected disparity between reality and appearance.
Best for: Investigations, profiles, business journalism, opinion pieces, and features.
8. Staccato Lede
A staccato lede uses short sentences, fragments, or deliberately abrupt phrasing to create pace and rhythm.
“The alarm sounded. Nobody moved. Then the building shook.”
The clipped sentences make the opening feel immediate and dramatic. Every sentence produces another beat, encouraging the reader to move quickly through the paragraph.
The style here isn’t appropriate for every story under the sun. Used constantly, short sentences can become distracting or overly theatrical. But when the subject involves urgency, danger, excitement, or rapid movement, a staccato lede can match the experience being described.
Best for: Breaking news, action-heavy features, sports journalism, and dramatic narrative pieces.
9. Direct-Address Lede
A direct-address lede speaks directly to your readers, using words like “you” or “your” to make the subject feel personal.
“You probably can’t remember a day when you didn’t check your phone.”
The technique immediately establishes a relationship between the author and reader. Rather than just reporting information, the writer invites the audience to consider their own experience.
This can be especially effective for lifestyle and service journalism, although it needs to feel authentic. If the reader obviously isn’t part of the situation being described, direct address often just feels forced.
Best for: Lifestyle journalism, service articles, opinion pieces, and personal-interest features.
10. Wordplay Lede
A wordplay lede uses a pun, clever phrase, double meaning, or unexpected turn of language to attract attention.
“For one struggling restaurant, business really is cooking.”
The right choice of words can make an opening memorable and give the article an entertaining tone before the story even begins.
The danger is trying too hard to be clever. A pun that obscures the subject of the article is hardly ever worth using, especially in serious journalism. Clarity should always come before cleverness.
If the wordplay feels natural and adds something to the story, go for it. If it exists solely to show off how clever your creativity is, go for another opening.
Best for: Light-hearted pieces, lifestyle journalism, entertainment, and humorous articles.
How To Write A Good Lede
Knowing what a lede is is one thing. Knowing how to write a lede that makes someone want to keep reading is something altogether different.
The good news is that you don’t need to produce a perfect opening sentence on your first go. Rather, work through the story, identify what matters most, and refine the opening once you know what you want it to do.
1. Find the Real Story
Before you begin writing your lede, ask yourself:
What is this really about?
That’s an entirely different question from “What information do I have?”
You may have interviews, statistics, quotes, background information and dozens of interesting details. But, somewhere underneath it all, is the real reason the story matters.
Find that first.
If you’re writing about a new local running group, the story may not actually be about another club meeting up to run. Maybe it’s about how the club has helped dozens of lonely people make some new connections.
Find the story before you try to write the sentence.
2. Choose What the Reader Needs First
Once you have what your story is actually about locked down, choose which information belongs at the beginning.
Think about the reader’s most immediate questions:
- What happened?
- Who is involved?
- Why does it matter?
- What’s surprising about it?
- Why should I care?
You don’t have to answer everything all in one swoop. You just need to give the reader enough information to understand the premise while leaving them with a good reason to stick with you.
3. Decide on Your Approach
Now consider which type of lede best suits your story.
A breaking news story might need a summary lede. A profile may work better with an anecdote or scene. A dramatic investigation could benefit from a narrative or contrast lede.
Don’t choose a style because it sounds impressive. Choose the approach that makes your particular story most interesting.
4. Write the Ugly Version
Here’s a secret that can make writing ledes much, much easier:
Your first version doesn’t need to be good.
Write the functional version first.
Explain what happened. Get the facts down. Say what the story is about in the most bland, straightforward way possible.
Then improve it.
Trying to produce a brilliant opening sentence while you’re still working out the story puts unnecessary pressure on your first draft. You can fluff things up later on.
5. Cut Everything Unnecessary
Once you’ve written your opening, look for anything that doesn’t need to be there.
Cut:
- Throat-clearing
- Unnecessary background
- Cliches
- Obvious statements
- Excessive adjectives
- Repeated information
If the sentence works without a word, consider removing it.
A strong lede is usually clearer and more focused than the first version you write.
6. Give the Reader a Question
Finally, ask yourself what question your lede creates in the reader’s mind.
It doesn’t necessarily need to be:
“What happens next?”
Curiosity gives the audience a good reason to move from your first sentence to your second. And then from your second to your third.
Ultimately, that’s what good ledes do.
It doesn’t have to tell the reader everything. It needs to make them want to find out mre.
Do All Articles Need A Lede?
Nope, not every article needs a traditional lede.
The term is most strongly associated with journalism, especially news reporting and features writing. However, the underlying principles of a good lede apply to almost any form of writing where you need to convince someone to keep reading.
That includes:
- Blog posts
- Essays
- Feature articles
- Opinion pieces
- Creative nonfiction
- Newsletters
A blog post may open with a surprising statistic. An essay might opt for a personal memory. A feature may drop the reader into the heart of the action. A newsletter may begin with a provocative observation.
None of these openings necessarily follows the traditional structure of a journalistic lede, but they do all serve the same purpose: they provide readers with a reason to continue reading.
That’s the crucial distinction.
You don’t always need a traditional journalistic lede. You do need an opening that makes your reader want to continue on to the next sentence.
Whether you’re reporting breaking news or writing a personal essay, the fundamental question remains the same:
Why should the reader keep going?
FAQs
What is a Lede in Journalism?
A lede is the opening sentence or paragraph of a journalistic piece. It introduces the subject, provides important information, and gives the audience a reason to keep on reading.
What is the Difference Between a Lede and an Introduction?
A lede is specifically the opening of a journalistic story, while an introduction is a wider term for the opening section of a piece of writing. The principles slightly overlap, but the main distinction here is how “lede” is more commonly associated with journalism.
What are the 5 Ws of a Lede?
The traditional 5 W’s are who, what, where, when, and why. How is often added as a sixth question. A lede doesn’t necessarily need to answer all six.
How Long Should a Lede Be?
There isn’t a universal word count to worry about when it comes to writing ledes. A hard-news lede is usually one sentence, while a feature lede may be several sentences long. The important thing is to provide enough information to engage the reader without too many unnecessary details.
What are the Different Types of Ledes?
Common types of ledes include summary, anecdotal, descriptive, narrative, question, quote, contrast, staccato, direct-address, and wordplay ledes.
What does “Bury the Lede” Mean?
To bury the lede means to put the most important or interesting information too far into an article rather than presenting it at the beginning.
Can a Lede be a Question?
Absolutely. A question lede can create curiosity and encourage readers to consider the subject personally. However, generic rhetorical questions can feel predictable, so they should be used when the question genuinely provides something.
Is “Lede” or “Lead” Correct?
Both are used. “Lede” is the traditional journalistic spelling, while “lead” is the standard English spelling. In journalism, both can refer to the opening of a story.
Wrap Up
Learning how to write a lede isn’t about discovering a magical formula for the perfect opening. It’s about understanding why your story matters and finding the most compelling way to introduce it.
Sometimes that means putting the essential facts first with a summary lede. Sometimes it’s better to begin with a person, a scene, a surprising detail, or a question that immediately sparks someone’s interest.
The important thing is to choose an approach that suits the story, rather than forcing every article into the same structure.
And remember: your first attempt probably shouldn’t be brilliant. Write the straightforward version, find the heart of your story, and then cut, sharpen, and reshape your opening.
A great lede doesn’t tell readers everything. It gives them a reason to read the next sentence.
Check Out Our Guide On How To Write The Inverted Pyramid Structure
James has been passionate about storytelling ever since he could hold a pen. Inspired by the epic fantasy and historical dramas he devoured in his youth, his work now centers on dark, psychological tales featuring intense, introspective characters and atmospheric, gothic undertones. In 2025, he founded What We Writing to share his creative journey and the lessons he’s learned along the way with fellow writers and passionate storytellers.
