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One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
Side-by-side comparison
"Accept" means to receive, agree to, or approve something offered or proposed. You accept an invitation, an apology, or a condition.
She accepted the job offer immediately.
The committee accepted all three proposals.
I accept full responsibility for the error.
"Except" excludes: it means "all but" or "with the exclusion of". It points to what is left out of a group.
Everyone was invited except Maria.
The store is open every day except Sunday.
I like all vegetables except Brussels sprouts.
Common mistake
- •The most common mistake is writing "I except your apology" when you mean you receive the apology: "accept" is the verb for receiving or agreeing.
- •"Except" means to exclude or leave something out.
Trick to remember it
- •"Accept" starts with "A" for adding or admitting something.
- •"Except" starts with "E" for excluding.
Quick rule
- •"Accept" = to receive, admit, or agree.
- •"Except" = to exclude or leave out.
Did you know?
"Except" can actually function as a verb in formal English: "present company excepted" means "excluding the people here". It sounds old-fashioned today and mostly appears in legal texts and classic literature, but it remains an elegant turn of phrase in formal contexts.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Everyone laughed at the joke _____ Tom. He had heard it before.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She was so happy when the university _____ her application.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
'Allowed' is the past tense of 'allow' (to permit); 'aloud' means making an audible sound.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy