Accept vs Except
Accept is a verb meaning to receive or agree to something. Except is most often a preposition meaning to exclude or other than. They look and sound similar but they're completely different parts of speech and have nearly opposite meanings — one is about including, the other about leaving out.
Last reviewed on 2026-04-27.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Accept | Except |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | Verb | Preposition (mostly); also a verb meaning to exclude |
| Core meaning | Receive, agree to, take in | Other than, leaving out |
| Sentence position | Acts on an object | Introduces an exclusion |
| Example | I accept the offer. | Everyone except me went home. |
| Sound | "ak-SEPT" | "ek-SEPT" |
| Memory aid | "Accept" starts with "a" like "agree" | "Except" starts with "ex" like "exclude" |
Key Differences
1. Different parts of speech
Accept is a verb. Like other verbs, it conjugates: I accept, she accepts, they accepted, we are accepting.
Except is most often a preposition. It introduces an exclusion: "everyone except him," "all the books except the last one." It can also be a verb meaning to exclude ("present company excepted"), but that use is rare in everyday writing.
2. Different meanings
Accept means to receive or agree to something. "She accepted the package." "He accepted the apology." "They accepted the new terms of the contract."
Except means "other than" or "leaving out." "Everyone except Tom came to the party." "The shop is open every day except Sunday." "I like all fruit except mangoes."
3. Memory aids
"Accept" starts with "a," like "agree" or "allow." Both are about taking something in.
"Except" starts with "ex," like "exclude" or "excluding." Both are about leaving something out.
4. Worked examples
"I am happy to accept your invitation." "The university accepts 2,000 students each year." "We need to accept the situation and move on."
"I work every day except Sundays." "Everyone passed the test except me." "I love all the songs on the album except the last one."
5. Common confusion patterns
"I except your apology" — wrong; should be "accept."
"Everyone accept Sarah came" — wrong; should be "except."
6. Pronunciation difference
Accept starts with a slightly different vowel — "ak-SEPT."
Except starts with "ek-SEPT." The difference is small but real, and saying the word aloud sometimes helps you spell it correctly.
When to Choose Each
Choose Accept if:
- Receiving things: gifts, deliveries, prizes.
- Agreeing to things: offers, terms, apologies, conditions.
- Acknowledging things: criticism, reality, consequences.
Choose Except if:
- Excluding items from a group: "all of them except one."
- Identifying exceptions to rules: "open every day except Monday."
- Listing what isn't included: "I read everything except the appendix."
Worked example
"The team will accept any reasonable proposal — except ones that involve cutting the budget further." Both words in one sentence: "accept" as the verb (agree to), "except" as the preposition (leaving out).
Common Mistakes
- "I except your apology." Almost always wrong — you accept apologies, you don't except them.
- "Everyone accept Sarah." Should be "except." Sarah is being excluded.
- "They're different forms of the same word." They're different words with different roots and different meanings.