well better than

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "well better than" is not correct in standard written English.
It is a redundancy because "well" and "better" both imply improvement, making the phrase unnecessary. Example: "This solution is well better than the previous one."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

52 human-written examples

Well, better than that.

The New York Times

Because Babbage is, well, better than average.

The Economist

"Well, better than Wall Street".

The New York Times

Oh well, better than nothing.

The Guardian - Film

Oh well, better than an ankle.

The Guardian - Travel

"My body held up reasonably well, better than expected".

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

8 human-written examples

Good luck!" Surprisingly, the kid did pretty well - better than Jay Cutler was doing, at any rate.

Huffington Post

'The competition needs us to play well - better than we did against Papua New Guinea last week,' acknowledged the imposing Leeds forward.

The Guardian - Sport

Cape Verde coach Lucio Antunes was philosophical after his side's defeat, telling BBC Sport: "Sierra Leone played well - better than us.

BBC

Ruper Goodwins from ZDNet said: "For all the things that are on the web browser, this works really well - better than anything else.

BBC

"As a musician, I love all types of music but I love Ethio-jazz music most because it describes me very well - better than other jazz music," said the band's 20-year-old bassist, Robera Mekonnen.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "well better than" in formal writing. Instead, opt for clearer and grammatically correct alternatives such as "much better than" or "far better than".

Common error

The most common error is using "well" as an intensifier with "better", creating a redundant phrase. To avoid this, simply remove "well" or replace it with a more suitable adverb like "much" or "far".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "well better than" functions as a comparative, attempting to express a higher degree of quality or suitability. However, Ludwig AI indicates that it is grammatically incorrect due to redundancy. The intended function is to emphasize superiority, but the construction is flawed.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Science

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "well better than" is relatively common in spoken language and appears in various sources, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect due to the redundant use of "well" with "better". For formal writing, it's advisable to use clearer, more concise alternatives like "much better than" or "far better than". The phrase aims to express superiority but falls short due to its non-standard construction. Although it appears across diverse contexts such as News & Media and Science, its informal register makes it unsuitable for professional or academic writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

much better than

Replaces "well" with "much" to emphasize the degree of superiority without grammatical redundancy.

far better than

Substitutes "well" with "far" to strengthen the comparison, indicating a significant difference in quality or condition.

significantly better than

Adds emphasis to the difference, highlighting that the improvement is considerable.

considerably better than

Similar to "significantly better than", this emphasizes that the difference is noteworthy and substantial.

markedly better than

Indicates that the improvement is easily noticeable or distinct.

distinctly better than

Emphasizes the clarity and obviousness of the improvement or superiority.

noticeably better than

Highlights that the improvement is easily observed.

appreciably better than

Suggests that the improvement is significant enough to be valued or recognized.

vastly superior to

Replaces the entire phrase to indicate a large difference in quality, favoring a more formal tone.

substantially superior to

Implies a significant difference in quality or performance, suitable for formal contexts.

FAQs

What's wrong with using "well better than"?

The phrase "well better than" is grammatically incorrect because "well" is redundant when used with "better". Both words indicate improvement, so using them together is unnecessary. It's "much better than" to choose one or the other.

What can I say instead of "well better than"?

You can use alternatives like ""much better than"", "far better than", or "significantly better than" depending on the context.

Is "well better than" ever correct?

No, "well better than" is not considered correct in standard English. It's a redundancy. Opt for clearer, more concise alternatives like "considerably better than" or "distinctly better than".

How can I improve my writing to avoid phrases like "well better than"?

Focus on conciseness and avoid using multiple adverbs with similar meanings. Before using "well" with "better", consider if "better" alone is sufficient or if a stronger adverb like "much" or "far" would be "vastly superior to" the original.