Difference between Accept and Except

Key Difference: Accept is a verb which means to agree to something. It can also mean to receive or take something, to receive it willingly. Except, however is completely different. It denotes that something has been excluded.

Accept The terms ‘accept’ and ‘except’ may sound familiar but they are completely different. The two words are homophones, which means that they sound the same but have different meanings. Homophones, such as ‘accept’ and ‘except’ are often confusing and give stress to English learners.

Accept is a verb which means to agree to something. It can also mean to receive or take something, to receive it willingly. For example, I accept the flowers. This sentence indicates that the speaker willingly receives and takes the flowers that she has been offered.

Except, however is completely different. It denotes that something has been excluded. For example: the whole class except John. Here the phrase indicates that John is separated from the class for some reason; the whole class, but John. Except excludes or separates one thing from the rest.

Except A major difference between the two terms is that accept is a verb, i.e. it is an action, to accept, whereas except is a preposition. It describes a situation in which one thing is excluded. Additionally, one way to note where to use what is that except can be usually replaced with but or other than, while accept is usually used in situation where a person has the ability to say yes or no.

Comparison between Accept and Except:

	Accept	Except
Definition (Merriam-Webster)	To receive willingly To be able or designed to take or hold To give admittance or approval to To endure without protest or reaction To regard as proper, normal, or inevitable To recognize as true To make a favorable response to To agree to undertake To assume an obligation to pay; also : to take in payment To receive (a legislative report) officially	Not including (someone or something) Other than (something or someone) With the exclusion or exception of
Inclination	Positive	Negative, Exclusive
Parts of Speech	Verb	Preposition
Examples	I accept your offer, Harry accepted the job. The teacher refused to accept the explanation. She accepted her station in life. We don't accept personal checks.	The stores will be open daily except Sundays. Everyone except Mary is here. Everyone is ready, except John who forgot his umbrella. The island was inaccessible except by boat.