The English words good and well are often confused by native and non-native speakers of English – this is a good lesson that will put you well on your way to understanding the difference.

Good:

Good is an adjective, which means that it modifies nouns.

- This is a good movie.

- What a good idea!

- You speak good English.

Good can be used with copular verbs (that is, verbs which express a state of being, such as to be, to seem, and to look), but it is still an adjective modifying a noun, not a verb.

- This movie looks good.

- His ideas are good.

- Your English is good.

Well:

Well is an adverb, which means that it modifies verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

- Did the movie do well at the box office?

- It was a well-defined idea.

- You speak English well.

Well can be used as an adjective to mean "in good health."

- You look well.

- I don’t feel well.

The Bottom Line:

The confusion between good and well comes from their similar meanings, and a general confusion between adjectives and adverbs. Take a moment to think about what the word is modifying: if it’s a verb, you’d do well to use well; otherwise, the good choice is good.