well
/ˈwɛl/adverb, adjective, interjection, noun, verb
well is spelled W-E-L-L: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 1,072 times per million words in written English, the 100th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, well means “Accurately, competently, satisfactorily” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in well?
| Letters | 4: W-E-L-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 1,072 times per million words; the 100th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is well?
Well appears 1,072 times per million words in written English, the 100th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce well?
- US /ˈwɛl/
- /ˈwɛʊ̯/
- Australia /ˈwel/
Well has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-well.ogg, En-us-well.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with well
Also written: wall, well I never.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with well?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as well from its last stressed vowel (/ɛl/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of well
- better comparative
- best superlative
- weel
- weil
- welp US
- weller comparative
- wellest superlative
- val
- vell
- wells plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- welling participle, present
- welled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does well mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
Accurately, competently, satisfactorily.
He does his job well.
- 2
Completely, fully.
I prefer a well done steak.
- 3
To a significant degree.
That author is well known.
- 4
CommonwealthIrelandUKslangVery (as a general-purpose intensifier).
- 5
In a desirable manner; so as one could wish; satisfactorily; favourably; advantageously.
I'm glad Joe got fired last week. I think we're well rid of him.
adjective
- 1
In good health.
I've been sick, but now I'm well.
- 2
Highly satisfactory
Everything well with you?
- 3
Good, content.
“How are you?” – “I'm well, thank you!”
- 4
Prudent; good; well-advised.
- 5
archaicGood to eat; tasty, delicious.
interjection
- 1
Used as a discourse marker.
“So, what have you been doing?” “Well, we went for a picnic; and then it started raining, so we came home early.”
- 2
Used as a hedge.
“The car is broken.” “Well, we could walk to the movies instead.”
- 3
Expressing reluctance to say something.
It was a bit... well, too loud.
- 4
An exclamation of sarcastic surprise (often doubled or tripled and in a lowering intonation).
Well, well, well, what do we have here?
- 5
An exclamation of indignance.
Well! There was no need to say that in front of my mother!
- 6
IrelandUsed as a greeting, short for "Are you well?"
Well, lads? How's things?
- 7
Used as a question to demand an answer from someone.
And what do you think you're doing? ... Well?
noun
- 1
A hole sunk into the ground as a source of water, oil, natural gas or other fluids.
- 2
A place where a liquid such as water surfaces naturally; a spring.
- 3
A small depression, e.g. suitable for holding liquid or other objects.
Make a well in the dough mixture and pour in the milk.
- 4
A source of supply.
- 5
A vertical, cylindrical trunk in a ship, reaching down to the lowest part of the hull, through which the bilge pumps operate.
- 6
The cockpit of a sailboat.
- 7
A compartment in the middle of the hold of a fishing vessel, made tight at the sides, but having holes perforated in the bottom to let in water to keep fish alive while they are transported to market.
- 8
A vertical passage in the stern into which an auxiliary screw propeller may be drawn up out of the water.
verb
- 1
To issue forth, as water from the earth; to flow; to spring.
- 2
To have something seep out of the surface.
Her eyes welled with tears.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Well in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bien , vachement, drôlement , eh bien , tiens! , écoutez |
| German | gut , na, na ja , naja , ganz , gesund |
| Portuguese | bem, apuradamente , bom , ora, muito bem , completamente |
| Spanish | bien , bueno, pues bien , vaya, anda , pues |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does well come from?
From Middle English wel, wal, wol, wele, from Old English wel (“well, abundantly, very, very easily, very much, fully, quite, nearly”), from Proto-Germanic *wela, *wala (“well”, literally “as wished, as desired”), from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“wish, desire”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).