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Good is an adjective — it describes nouns. Well is primarily an adverb — it describes verbs, telling you how something is done. The key difference: use good to describe a thing or person (“a good book”) and well to describe an action (“she writes well”). The confusion between these two words is one of the most widespread grammar debates in English, fueled by decades of informal usage blurring the line.

What Does “Good” Mean?

Good is an adjective, one of the most versatile and frequently used words in English. It comes from Old English “god” (virtuous, desirable, valid), with roots in Proto-Germanic. As an adjective, it describes the quality of a noun: a good meal, a good idea, a good teacher, a good decision.

Good follows linking verbs — verbs that describe a state of being rather than an action. “The soup tastes good.” “You look good.” “That sounds good.” In each case, “good” describes the noun (soup, you, that), not the verb. This is where the confusion begins, because linking verbs look like action verbs, tempting writers to use an adverb instead.

Examples in context:

“He is a good listener.” (adjective modifying “listener”)
“The results look good.” (adjective after linking verb “look,” describing results)
“She has a good understanding of the subject.” (adjective modifying “understanding”)

Important: “I feel good” is grammatically correct. “Feel” is a linking verb here, and “good” describes the subject “I” — it means you feel positive, happy, or satisfied. This is not a mistake, despite what some overcorrecting grammarians claim.

What Does “Well” Mean?

Well is primarily an adverb meaning “in a satisfactory, skillful, or effective manner.” It comes from Old English “wel” (abundantly, very, satisfactorily). As an adverb, it modifies verbs: she sings well, the team performed well, the plan worked well.

However, well also functions as an adjective — but only when it means “in good health.” “I feel well” means “I feel healthy” (not sick). This dual role as both adverb and adjective adds a layer of complexity. When describing health, “well” is an adjective. When describing how an action is performed, “well” is an adverb.

Examples in context:

“She speaks French well.” (adverb modifying the verb “speaks”)
“The project is going well.” (adverb describing how the project is proceeding)
“I don’t feel well today.” (adjective meaning “healthy”)

The adverbial use of “well” answers the question “how?” How does she speak French? Well. How is the project going? Well. If you can replace the word with “in a good manner” or “effectively,” then “well” is the right choice.

Key Differences Between Well and Good

The core grammatical distinction: good is an adjective that modifies nouns. Well is an adverb that modifies verbs. Adjectives describe things. Adverbs describe actions. This is the rule that governs 90% of the good/well choice.

The tricky 10% involves linking verbs. Linking verbs (be, seem, feel, look, taste, sound, appear, become) connect the subject to a description of that subject. After a linking verb, you need an adjective, not an adverb. That is why “the cake tastes good” is correct (“good” describes the cake) and “the cake tastes well” is wrong (unless the cake has taste buds and is using them effectively, which seems unlikely).

The one exception: when “well” means “healthy,” it functions as an adjective and can follow linking verbs. “She looks well” means she looks healthy. “She looks good” means she looks attractive or put-together. Same verb, different adjectives, different meanings.

People confuse good and well because informal English has been using “good” as an adverb for generations. “She sings good” is understood by every English speaker, even though formal grammar calls for “She sings well.” The AP Stylebook, the Chicago Manual of Style, and Merriam-Webster all maintain the distinction in formal writing.

For non-native English speakers, the confusion is compounded by the fact that many languages use a single word where English splits into an adjective and an adverb. In German, “gut” serves as both. In French, “bien” (well) and “bon” (good) exist as separate words, which actually makes the French distinction closer to the English one. If your language separates these concepts, use that as your guide.

When to Use Well vs Good — Examples in Context

“The team played well in the second half.” (correct — adverb modifying “played”)
“The team played good in the second half.” (incorrect in formal writing — “good” cannot modify the verb “played”)

“That was a good game.” (correct — adjective modifying “game”)
“That was a well game.” (incorrect — “well” is not an adjective meaning “of high quality”)

“She communicates well with clients.” (correct — adverb modifying “communicates”)
“She communicates good with clients.” (incorrect in formal writing)

“The food smells good.” (correct — adjective after linking verb, describing the food)

“He doesn’t feel well today.” (correct — adjective meaning “healthy”)

“He doesn’t feel good about the decision.” (correct — adjective meaning “positive” or “comfortable”)

“The engine runs well after the tune-up.” (correct — adverb modifying “runs”)
“The engine runs good after the tune-up.” (incorrect in formal writing)

“You did a good job on the report.” (correct — adjective modifying “job”)

“You did well on the exam.” (correct — adverb modifying “did”)

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The most pervasive mistake is using “good” as an adverb in formal writing: “She did good on the test” instead of “She did well on the test.” This is so common in spoken American English that many people do not recognize it as an error. But in professional emails, academic papers, and published writing, “well” is the expected form when modifying a verb.

The overcorrection is equally common: using “well” after a linking verb when “good” is the right adjective. “I feel well” specifically means “I feel healthy.” “I feel good” means “I feel positive or happy.” If someone asks how you are feeling emotionally, “I feel good” is the correct answer, not “I feel well” — unless you are specifically reporting on your physical health.

Quick self-check: Identify the word being modified. Is it a noun? Use good. Is it a verb (and not a linking verb)? Use well. Is it a linking verb? Use good for quality or well for health.

Edge case: “Good” appears after “do” in the phrase “do good,” where “good” is a noun meaning charitable or moral acts: “She wants to do good in the world.” This is not “good” as an adverb — it is “good” as a noun object. This usage is always correct and distinct from the adjective/adverb question.

Quick Memory Trick

Ask yourself: am I describing a thing or an action? Things are good (a good book, a good person). Actions are done well (reads well, performs well). Thing = good. Action = well. Two words, two jobs, no overlap.

Related Confused Word Pairs

Excepted vs Accepted — One letter changes the meaning of these commonly confused words.

Cite vs Site — Homophones with entirely different uses and meanings.

Emigration vs Immigration — Direction determines the correct word in this often-confused pair.

Best Free Grammarly Alternative for Students — Tools that catch good/well errors in essays and assignments.

FAQ

Is “I’m good” grammatically correct?
Yes. When someone asks “How are you?” responding “I’m good” is grammatically correct. “Good” is an adjective describing “I” after the linking verb “am.” It means you are in a positive state. “I’m well” is also correct and specifically means you are in good health. Both responses are standard English, but they convey slightly different things.

Can “well” ever be an adjective?
Yes, but only when it means “in good health” or “not sick.” “She is well” means she is healthy. “The patient looks well” means the patient appears to be in good health. Outside of this health-related meaning, “well” functions as an adverb. This dual role is one reason the good/well distinction is so confusing.

Is “She sings good” ever acceptable?
In informal American English, “She sings good” is widely used and understood. Descriptive linguists document it as a common feature of casual speech. However, prescriptive grammar — the standard for professional, academic, and published writing — calls for “She sings well” because “well” is the adverb that should modify the verb “sings.” For formal contexts, always use “well.”

What about “good” in “do good”?
In “do good,” the word “good” is a noun, not an adjective or adverb. It refers to charitable or positive acts: “She wants to do good in the world.” This is a different grammatical structure from “She did well on the exam,” where “well” is an adverb modifying “did.” “Do good” (noun) and “do well” (adverb) coexist without conflict because they mean different things.

Do British and American English differ on this rule?
The grammatical rule is the same in both varieties: “good” is an adjective, “well” is an adverb (or a health-related adjective). However, British English tends to enforce the distinction more strictly in everyday speech. American English has been more permissive with using “good” as an informal adverb for decades. In formal writing, both dialects expect the traditional distinction to be maintained.