that sounds well

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "that sounds well" is not correct in standard English; the correct form is "that sounds good." You can use it when expressing approval or agreement with something that has been said or proposed.
Example: "After hearing your plan for the project, I must say that sounds good."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Without veterans like Sassoon remembering halcyon days from the shell-socked vantage point of the 1920s, you wouldn't have John Major's enduring false memory of "long shadows on cricket grounds", and its toxic counterpart – a Daily Mail vision of Britain without immigrants … That sounds well worth pursuing.

The Guardian - Books

It was kind of like Groupon!" Startup Fever is part of an entertainment genre with a name that sounds, well, less than entertaining, so-called resource-management games.

The New York Times

Beach House Take Care The song at the centre of the band's dispute with Volkswagen, 'Take Care' is a hushed, lo-fi, lullaby that sounds, well, a lot like the track in that VW ad.

Independent

If you're thinking that sounds, well, strange and unappetizing, we are here to prove you wrong.

HuffPost

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

In early interviews, Oakes distinguished the company's scientific approach from plain old political advertising in language that sounded, well, a lot like advertising.

The New Yorker

Arnold Mong and Josephine Yu, 17-year-old seniors in Blair's math-science-computer science magnet program, are vying for the competition's top honors with research projects that sound well beyond their years.

The Washington Post

But I thought that sounded, well, a bit weird.

Vice

At a House Financial Services Committee hearing last week on new rules intended to rein in abusive forms of payday lending, Scott couldn't seem to stop praising the industry, using language that sounded, well, bizarre.

Huffington Post

Well, that sounded good.

The New York Times

I think that had a lot to do with why people like my music, the fact that it hits hard and that it sounds well mixed.

Vice

Despite such, he compliments the album for featuring "lovely ballads that sound, well, Coldplay-ish".

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "good" instead of "well" after verbs of sense like "sounds", "looks", "feels", etc. "Well" is an adverb and should typically be used to describe how an action is performed, not a state of being.

Common error

Avoid using the adverb "well" in place of the adjective "good" after sensory verbs. Instead of saying "that sounds well", say "that sounds good" to correctly describe the quality of the sound.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "that sounds well" attempts to express a positive assessment based on auditory information. However, it's grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI identifies that the correct form should use an adjective (good) after the linking verb "sounds" rather than the adverb "well".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "that sounds well" might seem intuitively correct, it's grammatically flawed. Ludwig AI points out that the correct phrasing is "that sounds good", as "sounds" requires an adjective, not an adverb, to describe the quality of the sound. Though examples exist in news and academic contexts, the frequency is low, indicating its rarity and potential for misinterpretation. Prioritize using alternatives like "that sounds good", "that sounds great", or "that sounds fine" for clarity and grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

that sounds good

Replaces "well" with the grammatically correct adjective "good".

that sounds great

Substitutes "well" with "great" to indicate strong approval.

that sounds fine

Uses "fine" instead of "well" to suggest adequacy or acceptance.

that seems good

Replaces "sounds" with "seems" to focus on appearance rather than auditory impression.

that appears good

Emphasizes the visual or observable aspect of something being positive.

that rings true

Implies that something sounds or seems authentic and believable.

that's a good idea

Shifts focus to the merit of the idea itself, rather than the way it sounds.

that makes sense

Expresses understanding and agreement with a logical proposition.

that checks out

Indicates that something aligns with expectations or confirms information.

that resonates with me

Expresses personal agreement or emotional connection to something.

FAQs

Why is "that sounds well" grammatically incorrect?

The phrase "that sounds well" is incorrect because "well" is an adverb, and after a linking verb like "sounds", you need an adjective. The correct phrase is "that sounds good", where "good" is an adjective describing the quality of the sound.

What's a more common and correct alternative to "that sounds well"?

A common and correct alternative is "that sounds good". This phrase uses the adjective "good" to describe the quality of the sound, making it grammatically sound.

In what contexts might someone mistakenly use "that sounds well"?

Someone might mistakenly use "that sounds well" if they're confused about the difference between adjectives and adverbs, or if they're trying to emphasize the manner in which something sounds, rather than the quality of the sound itself. However, even in such cases, "that sounds good" remains the grammatically correct choice.

Are there situations where "well" can be used after "sounds"?

Yes, but not in the same way. You could say something like, "He sounds well-informed," where "well-informed" is a compound adjective describing the person. In this case, "well" is part of a compound adjective and not directly modifying "sounds".