# well

> English word · Adverb · IPA /ˈwɛl/ · frequency rank #99

## Definitions
1. Accurately, competently, satisfactorily.
2. Completely, fully.
3. To a significant degree.
4. Very (as a general-purpose intensifier).
5. In a desirable manner; so as one could wish; satisfactorily; favourably; advantageously.

## Etymology
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”).
Cognates
Cognate with Yola vella, waal, wel, well, wull (“well”), Cimbrian boll, bóol (“well”), Dutch wel (“well”), German wohl, wol, woll (“well”), Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk vel (“well”), Faroese væl (“well”), Swedish väl, waͤl (“well”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌰 (waila, “well”). Related to will.

## Easily confused with
- **WL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wl)
- **wet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wet)
- **Wes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wes)
- **wen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wen)
- **wer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wer)
- **will** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-will)
- **were** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-were)
- **went** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-went)
- **west** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-west)
- **wild** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wild)
- **wolf** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wolf)
- **wool** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wool)
- **welp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-welp)
- **wept** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wept)
- **wilt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wilt)
- **Welt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-welt)
- **wily** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wily)
- **wold** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wold)
- **wile** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-wile)
- **werk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/well-vs-werk)

## Common misspellings (4)
`ewll`, `wel`, `wlel`, `wwell`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/well