a somewhat well

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a somewhat well" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used incorrectly as it combines an adjective "somewhat" with an adverb "well," which does not fit grammatically. Example: "He performed a somewhat well in the competition." (should be "somewhat well").

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Lion King sported a somewhat well known cast of voice actors, but they did not make the film, rather the old Disney formula of heart and magic was at work.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

As a result, his narrative consists for the most part of a somewhat well-rehearsed catalogue of conquest, Vita's béguins – this is his preferred term for the many women with whom she falls into bed – lined up one after the other in what quickly comes to resemble a kind of sapphic beauty pageant.

The Guardian - Books

Upon becoming a tropical cyclone, the depression contained a somewhat well-defined low-level center of circulation, as well as convective banding.

Wikipedia

Chronically short of money, he turned to full-time fiction writing to support himself and his new wife; six of his pieces were published commercially during 1932 to 1933 as he embarked on a literary career that made him a somewhat well-known figure in the world of pulp magazine fiction.

Wikipedia

Not to sound ungrateful but I kinda thought the whole "20 free downloadable tracks" for Rock Band 2 owners might have included at least a few somewhat well-known tracks.

TechCrunch

I became somewhat well known in the puppet business for designing a creature that was a full-fledged cast member, and not just a prop".

The New York Times

Just under one-third of Americans believe President Donald Trump has done even somewhat well at fulfilling his promise to "drain the swamp," a new HuffPost/YouGov survey finds.

Huffington Post

It goes back to his reputation, which even he admits was somewhat well deserved.

The New York Times - Sports

The clue "Secretive body part" might seem somewhat, well, puzzling even to experienced solvers.

The New York Times

The ingredients will be familiar to anyone even somewhat well versed in contemporary art.

The New York Times

Two years ago, it seemed Chromebooks were only doing somewhat well in schools.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When intending to convey a moderate level of success or quality, consider restructuring the phrase. Instead of using the grammatically awkward phrase, opt for alternatives like "somewhat proficient" or "fairly good".

Common error

Avoid directly combining "somewhat" with "well" as it creates a grammatically unsound structure. "Somewhat" functions as an adjective modifying another adjective, not an adverb like "well".

Linguistic Context

The phrase is intended to function as an adverbial modifier, aiming to describe the degree to which something is done or performed. However, based on Ludwig AI and its analysis, the combination of "a somewhat" and the adverb "well" is grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

31%

Science

31%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "a somewhat well" appears in various sources, including news and media, Ludwig AI indicates that it is grammatically incorrect. The intended purpose is to convey a moderate level of quality or performance. Given the grammatical issues, it's best to opt for alternatives like "fairly well", "somewhat proficient", or restructure sentences to use adjectives instead of adverbs for better clarity and correctness. Therefore, when aiming for precision in writing, it's recommended to avoid this specific phrasing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat good

Replaces the adverb "well" with the adjective "good", maintaining a similar level of meaning.

fairly good

Uses "fairly" instead of "somewhat" to modify "good", providing a slightly different nuance of approximation.

reasonably good

Substitutes "somewhat" with "reasonably", implying a satisfactory but not exceptional quality.

moderately good

Employs "moderately" for "somewhat", suggesting a balanced or average level of goodness.

somewhat skilled

Replaces "well" with "skilled" to describe someone's level of expertise.

reasonably proficient

Uses "reasonably" to indicate an adequate level of ability or skill.

moderately competent

Uses "moderately" with "competent" to convey a moderate level of capability.

passably good

Substitutes with "passably", suggesting just enough quality to be acceptable.

acceptably good

Uses "acceptably" to modify "good", indicating a standard that meets requirements without excelling.

somewhat adequate

Replaces "well" with "adequate", denoting a satisfactory but not outstanding quality.

FAQs

How can I correctly use "a somewhat" in a sentence?

Use "a somewhat" before an adjective + noun combination, like "a somewhat difficult task" or "a somewhat surprising result". Avoid placing it directly before an adverb.

Is it correct to say "a somewhat well done job"?

No, it is not grammatically correct. It's better to say "a reasonably well done job" or "a somewhat proficient job".

What's the difference between "a somewhat good" and "a somewhat well"?

"A somewhat good" is grammatically correct, where "good" is an adjective. "A somewhat well" is incorrect as "well" is an adverb. Use "a somewhat good" to describe something of decent quality.

What can I say instead of "a somewhat well"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "fairly well", "somewhat proficiently", or restructure the sentence to use adjectives instead of adverbs.