Accept vs Except: How to use them properly in English

“Accept” and “except” are another pair of words that often cause confusion. They sound similar but have very different meanings and uses and knowing when to use each comes down to their roles in a sentence. Keep on reading to learn more.

Accept (verb):

This means to receive something willingly, to agree to something, or to admit something is true.

• Examples:
  • “I accept your apology.” (I receive it willingly.)
  • “She accepted the job offer.” (She agreed to it.)
  • “The company accepted responsibility for the accident.” (They admitted it was true.)

Except (preposition or conjunction)

This means excluding someone or something, or not including something. It introduces an exception.

• Examples:
  • “Everyone except John went to the party.” (John was not included.)
  • “I like all fruits except bananas.” (Bananas are the exception.)
  • “The store is open every day except Sunday.” (Sunday is the day it’s not open.)

Here’s a simple way to remember:

• Accept: Think of it as taking something in.
• Except: Think of it as taking something out.

Again, “accept” is about taking in (think “agreement” or “approval”), while “except” is about leaving out (think “exclude”). Mix them up, and you could accidentally say you’re rejecting something when you mean it’s just not included!

Let’s look at some more examples to illustrate the difference:

• “Please accept this gift as a token of my appreciation.” (Accept = receive)
• “All of the students passed the test except for one.” (Except = excluding)
• “He accepted the challenge despite the risks.” (Accept = agreed to)
• “The museum is open to the public every day except Mondays.” (Except = not including)

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