Accept Vs. Except
Accept and except are two words that are often confused, but they have very different meanings.
Accept
Accept is a verb that means to receive something willingly or to agree with something. For example:
- I accept your apology.
- The company accepted his job application.
- She accepted the challenge.
Here are the key points to remember about “accept”:
- Agreement or Consent: “Accept” is used when someone agrees to receive or take something that is offered or presented to them:
- She accepted the job offer.
- They accepted the award with gratitude.
- Approval or Acknowledgment: It can also be used to indicate approval, agreement, or acknowledgment:
- He accepted her apology.
- *The team accepted the new rules.
- Pronunciation: “Accept” is pronounced with a /k/ sound at the beginning, rhyming with “except.”
Except
Except is a preposition that means to leave something out or to exclude something. For example:
- Everyone except me was going to the party.
- The restaurant is open every day except Monday.
- I like all vegetables except broccoli.
Here are the key points to remember about “except”:
- Exclusion: “Except” is employed to indicate exclusion or to specify something that is not included in a list or group:
- Everyone attended the meeting except Tom.
- All the ingredients were in the recipe except the sugar.
- Similar to “But” or “Besides”: It can also be used in a way similar to “but” or “besides” to introduce an exception or contrast:
- She works every day except Sunday.
- Pronunciation: “Except” is pronounced without the initial /k/ sound, making it sound like “ik-sept.”
The difference between Accept Vs. Except
- “Accept” is a verb that relates to receiving or agreeing to something.
- “Except” is a preposition or conjunction that signifies exclusion or introduces an exception.
Here is a trick to help you remember the difference between accept and except:
- Accept means to take.
- Except means to leave out.
If you are ever unsure which word to use, just ask yourself if you are talking about something that is being taken or something that is being left out.
