According to Merriam-Webster, “as well as” is equivalent to and:

as well as conjunction: and in addition, and.

According to The Chicago Manual of Style, however, it is not:

Note that the phrase as well as is not equivalent to and.

WRONG: The team fielded one Mazda, two Corvettes, three Bugattis, as well as a battered Plymouth Belvedere.
RIGHT: The team fielded one Mazda, two Corvettes, and three Bugattis, as well as a battered Plymouth Belvedere.— 6.18

The phrase “as well as” and the single word “and” are not equivalents because and joins two elements of equal importance, but “as well as” places more emphasis on one of the elements. Compare:

My dog and cat bring me things to throw.
My cat and dog bring me things to throw.
My cat, as well as my dog, brings me things to throw.

In the first two sentences, no distinction is made between cat and dog. In the third sentence, an unequal emphasis is placed upon cat, suggesting that there is something notable about the action as it applies to the cat.

This use of “as well as” is similar to the correlative “not only…but also,” but the emphasis falls on the element that precedes “as well as.”

WRONG: The bride, as well as her bridesmaids, were dressed in mauve.
RIGHT: The bride, as well as her bridesmaids, was dressed in mauve.
BETTER: The bride and her bridesmaids were dressed in mauve.

If no contrasting emphasis is intended, “and” is the better choice.


Credit: DWT