Confusable words

good vs well: what's the difference?

good
adjective
vs
well
adverb
? ?

Good and well get mixed up because they're both used to say something is nice or right, but one describes a thing and the other describes an action.

Good

adjective

Good is an adjective. It describes a noun, a person, place, or thing.

  • She is a good singer.
  • This is a good restaurant.

Well

adverb

Well is usually an adverb. It describes how an action is done.

  • She sings well.
  • He did well on the test.

Side by side

good well
Part of speech Adjective Adverb, usually
Describes A noun A verb, an action
Simple test "a good cook" describes the cook "cooks well" describes how they cook

Quick rule

Good describes a person or thing. Well describes how something is done. She is a good dancer, but she dances well.

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