Abstract: A simple and convenient method known as the discounted well-diameter method to think of the effect of drain well resistance on the rate of consolidation of soft clays for free strain is presented by the writer of this paper. The method makes it possible that a drain well having some resistance to flow of the expelled water can be considered as an equivalent ideal well for which the effect of the well resistance is ignored. The difference between the vertical and horizontal permeabilities can be considered by means of the method proposed. Results obtained by the discounted well-diameter method are compared with the solution proposed by Yoshikuni et al, 1974, which is restricted to that the radial consolidation coefficient equals to the vertical one.