Accept vs Except: Difference between Them and How to correctly use them

The word “Accept” is defined as consent to receive or acquire something. It is a common word that is often interchangeably used with the word “except”. The word “except”, on the other hand, means not including or other than. These words sound alike, but they have a slight difference in their spelling. “Accept and Except” is commonly misused in English. “Accept and Except” are confusing words to use in a sentence. It has something to do with their spelling and the way they pronounce them. One has encountered getting confused using these words, “Accept vs. Except”, which word to use in a particular sentence? The answer is that it depends. “Accept or Except”, are both common English terms used every day. The word “Accept” is used when conveying a message that demonstrates receiving or gaining something. The word “Except” is used when a sentence is conveying to exclude something in a specific category or group. It is important to note the difference between the two words. Accept and Except are just a few of the numerous English words that are usually misused 

Listed below are the differences between the words “Accept” and “Except”.

  • “Accept” means to receive or gain something.
  • “Accept” is commonly used as a verb.
  • “Except” means to exclude or leave out.
  • “Except” is commonly used as a preposition. It is used as a conjunction that is followed by “that”.

“Accept” and ‘Except” sound alike, but when used in a particular sentence conveys a totally different meaning. Always remember their proper spelling when using these two words. These words have almost the same spelling, they only differ in their first two letters. These words present a different message to the reader when used interchangeably. Here are sample sentences to differentiate the proper usage of the words “Accept” and ‘Except”. Sample sentence of the word “Accept” is “Christine is allowed to accept suitors”. “ The boy accepts the gift from his godmother”. Sample sentence of the word “Except” is “Everything is perfect except for that tiny red spot on my dress”. “There was no one else in the park, except myself”. The sample sentences demonstrate the proper usage of the words ‘Accept’ and “Except”. The first two sentences show that there is something gained or acquired. The sentences that contain the word “except” conveys excluding something from a particular group or category. It is common to misuse several English words, especially if one is not familiar with their true meaning and spelling. The word “alot” is commonly used, however, it is grammatically incorrect. The proper term must be “a lot”, having space between the words “a” and “lot.” “A lot” means “a large number or quantity. These grammatical errors must be avoided because it alters the true meaning of a sentence.

It is essential to remember that a message or information must be right or correct when writing something. Using misused words or incorrect spelling indicates poor writing skills. Authors or content writers must use the proper words and spelling to create quality content in Content writing. No one buys products from a website that contains poor grammar and wrong spelling in their advertising. The words must be chosen correctly and written properly to be able to convey a message. “How can one sell in Marketing if the advertisements are poorly written and with grammatical errors?” Using the appropriate words when writing is essential because it delivers the right information or message one would like to convey.  

What does “Accept” Mean?

The word “Accept” means to receive or take willingly. The origin of the word “Accept” came from the Old French accepter or directly from the Latin acceptare “take or receive willingly, “frequentative or accipere “receive, get without effort, “from ad “to”, from PIE root kap meaning “to grasp”. The etymology of the word “accept” was first established in about 1380 from Middle English accepter, or from the Latin accepto, acceptare (“receive”), frequentative of accipio, formed from ad-+capio (‘to take”). The Oxford Dictionary defines the word “accept” as to take willingly something that is offered. People started to use the word “Accept” in the 14th century. The word “Accept” is a verb commonly used in the English language. It is an important word used in daily life because its meaning means to agree or to take something that is given. The word “Accept” is a verb that is mostly used on a daily basis, especially when a person is agreeing to something, or accepting something that is offered. The word “accept” is usually used when someone is gaining or receiving something. 

What are the sentence examples with “Accept”?

Listed below are the sentence examples with “Accept”.

  • Please accept my sincerest gratitude.
  • She could not accept the fact that her beloved dog was gone.
  • Robert should accept full accountability for his actions.
  • Lady Patricia was kind enough to accept our invitation.

When to use the word “Accept” in a sentence?

The word “Accept” is used in a sentence as a verb. It is often used in situations in which something is acquired. The word “accept” is used when receiving something. One synonym for the word “accept” is “receive”. It is often times mistaken for the word “except.” “Accept” and “except” are two misused words. However, both words are used in one sentence, to differentiate their meaning. For example “Luis told me that he’ll accept all the gifts except Lady’s gift.” From that sentence example, “accept” was used as a verb to indicate acceptance of the gifts, while “except” was used as a conjunction that meant to “exclude” the gift of Mary. The two words have the same sound and almost the same spelling, however, their meanings are the exact opposite.  

What are the synonyms of “Accept”?

“Accept” is a word that has several synonyms. Some of these synonyms include receive, obtain, acquire, take, gain, welcome, and others. These words mean to acquire or receive something. The word “accept” is commonly used in the English language, however, it has various synonyms that can be used as an alternative. For example “Samuel welcome (accepts) donations from other people to fund his studies.” Another example is “The server gladly (take) accepts tips from customers.” These words from the sample sentences are used as an alternative for the word “accept”. 

What are the antonyms of “Accept”?

Listed below are the antonyms of “Accept”.

  • Disapprove: Express an unfavorable opinion about something.
  • Disfavor: Regard something with dislike.
  • Frown: A facial expression of disapproval.
  • Discountenance: Refuse to approve. 
  • Dislike: A feeling of distaste.
  • Hate: An intense feeling of dislike.
  • Detest: To feel intense and often violent antipathy toward.
  • Object: To express one’s disapproval of something.
  • Dissent: To hold or express opinions that are at variance with those previously, commonly, or officially expressed.
  • Oppose: Actively resist or refuse to comply with (a person or a system).
  • Dispute: Argue about or discuss heatedly.
  • Question: A sentence to draw out information.
  • Distrust: Regard with suspicion.
  • Doubt: To feel uncertain about someone or something.
  • Suspect: Doubt the genuineness or truth of.
  • Challenge: An objection or query as to the truth of something.
  • Renounce: Reject and stop using or consuming.
  • Refuse: Indicates that one is not willing to do something.
  • Decline: Politely refuse.
  • Fight: A violent confrontation or struggle.
  • Dismiss: Treat as unworthy of serious consideration.
  • Reject: Dismiss as inadequate, or not to one’s taste.
  • Resist: Withstand the action or effect.
  • Turn down: Reject something offered or proposed.
  • Evade: Escape or avoid, especially by cleverness or trickery.
  • Combat: Take action to reduce or prevent something undesirable.
  • Abstain: Restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something.
  • Back down: Withdraw a claim or assertion in the face of opposition.
  • Forgo: Omit or decline to take (something pleasant or valuable).
  • Refrain: Stop oneself from doing something.

How to spell “Accept”?

The correct spelling of the word “Accept” is A-C-C-E-P-T. The word “Accept”  is a verb that means “to take or receive something.” It is commonly misspelled as “Except.” The word “Except” means “to exclude or leave out.”

Is “Accept” a preposition?

No, the word ‘Accept” is not a preposition. “Accept” is a verb that means “to gain something willingly.” ‘Accept” is usually used to indicate agreement. The adverb version of “Accept” is “Acceptably.” The adjective version of “Accept” is “Acceptable.” The noun version of “Accept” is “Acceptance.” 

What does “Except” Mean?

The definition of “Except” is to exclude or leave out. The word “Except” comes from Latin except-” taken out”, from the verb excipere, from ex-” out of” + capere “take.” The first known use of the word ‘except” was in the 14th century. Often, the word “except” is used as a preposition meaning but excluding, and is a common English word. It is an essential word for daily life because the word “except” is used as a preposition, a verb, and as a conjunction. 

What are the sentence examples with “Except”?

Listed below are the sentence examples with “Except”.

  • The barbershop is open daily, except on weekends.
  • Everything was in good order except the boots.
  • Nothing was left in the pantry except some milk.
  • All the students left except for Alex.

When to use the word “Except” in a sentence?

“Except” is typically used as a preposition followed by a noun. It means “not including,” “other than,” or “but” in this function. The word “except” when used in a sentence, is usually followed by the word “for”. It is used before a conjunction such as “when” and “if.” The word “except” would mean “but” when used as a preposition. “Except” typically follows the words “that”, meaning “only” or “except for” when used in conjunction. To use the word “except”, note that it means one is taking out something in a particular category. “Except” is a common English word that is used widely every day. “Except” is oftentimes misused and interchangeably used with the word “accept.” “Except” delivers a different message as opposed to its original meaning when used incorrectly. Knowing when to use the correct word is essential when writing. Identifying the correct spelling and true meaning is the key to using a word properly.

What are the synonyms of “Except”?

The word “except” has numerous synonyms. Some of these synonyms are excluding, besides, but, exclude, other than, and many others. “Except” can be used in a sentence as a verb that demonstrates acceptance or receiving of something. One sentence example of the proper usage of the word “except” in a sentence:“ The Church is open daily except for Mondays.” The word “except” is used as a preposition. There are other terms for “except” that can be used in a sentence. For example, “The students in our school attended the Christmas ball, besides (except) Katie.” The word “besides” was used as an alternative for “except”. Another alternative sentence where a synonym of “except” is used. Sample sentence, “The students in our school attended the Christmas ball, other than (except) Katie.”  

What are the antonyms of “Except”?

Listed below are the antonyms of ‘Except”.

  • Approve: Officially agree to or accept as satisfactory.
  • Accept: Consent to receive (a thing offered).
  • Agree: Consent to do something suggested by another person.
  • Comply: Act in accordance with a wish or command.
  • Conform: Comply with rules, standards, or laws.
  • Follow: Come after in time or order.
  • Obey: Behave in accordance with (a general principle, natural law, etc.)
  • Observe: Notice or perceive (something) and register it as being significant.
  • Advocate: Publicly recommend or support.
  • Maintain: Cause or enable (a condition or state of affairs) to continue.
  • Support: Give assistance to, enable to function or act.
  • Sustain: Strengthen or support physically or mentally.
  • Uphold: Confirm or support (something which has been questioned).
  • Commend: Praise formally.
  • Welcome: Used to greet someone in a friendly way.
  • Receive: Be given, or presented with.
  • Take in: Include or encompass something.
  • Admit: Confess to be true.
  • Include: Comprise or contain as part of a whole.
  • Embrace: Accept or support willingly.

How to spell “Except”?

The correct spelling of the word “Except” is E-X-C-E-P-T. “Except” means excluding or with the exception of. Most of the time, “except” is misused in a sentence, especially with the word “Accept”. These two words sound alike, but they differ in meaning. “Except” has a spelling that begins with the letter “E.” The second word is the letter “X,” and it ends with the word “cept.” Knowing the correct spelling of a particular word helps a lot in delivering a proper message in a sentence.

Is “Except” a preposition?

Yes, the word “Except” is a preposition that means “But”. The word “Except” is used as a preposition followed by a noun. A preposition is a word preceding a noun or pronoun. It expresses a relation to another word in the clause. The adverb version of “Except” is “Exceptionally.” The adjective version of “Except” is “Exceptable.” The noun version of “Except” is “Exception.” “Except” is a common English word that is widely used every day. 

Comparison between “Accept” and “Except”

Below are the comparisons between “Accept” and “Except”.

AcceptExcept
Definition

 A verb to agree or receive something offered.
Definition

A preposition that means “but”.
Context

 “Accept” functions as a verb solely. It has the meaning “to receive or take something willingly”. The word “except” indicates that someone has come to think of something as normal, true, or proper. 
Context

 “Except” is often used as a preposition. In this function, it can mean “other than”, “not including”, and “but”. “Except” is a conjunction that is more or less identical to “unless”. It is used as a verb also. It has the meaning of “to leave out” or “exclude something”.
Example Sentence

I would like to accept your business proposal.

Most Café nearby accepts credit card payments.

Give her more time to accept the idea.
Example Sentence  

All senior students attended the program except for William.

We’d go, except that we already had plans for the evening.

I like all vegetables except carrots.

Why are “Accept” and “Except” misused and interchangeably in English?

The reason “Accept” and “Except” is misused and interchanged in English is because of the similarity in sound. “Accept” and “Except” are essentially pronounced with an initial \ik-\ followed by a stressed \-sept\.  Another reason is a similarity in spelling. They only differ with their first two words, “Ac” and Ex”, and both words end with “cept.” It is not unusual that these two words are misused all the time because some people are not good at remembering the correct spelling of a particular word. Others rely, mostly, on the sound of the word. Identifying the difference between “accept’ and “except” is important to deliver the proper message or information. 

Are “Accept” and “Except” the most commonly misused English words?

Yes, “accept” and “except” are two of the most frequently misused English words. There are various misused words in the English language. The English language is a tricky one. Oftentimes, there are words that are used interchangeably. These words are often mistaken for spelling and usage. These repeatedly misused words have similar pronunciations, but they have distinct meanings. Other people are finding it hard to identify which is the right one in a given context. Some of the most commonly misused English words, affect and effect, complement and compliment, defence and defense, farther and further, inquiry and enquiry, a lot and allot, your and you’re, principal and principle, and so many more.          

What are the other similar Misused Word Pairs like “Except” and “Accept” in English?

The English language has various words that are frequently misused. These words differ in their spelling and meaning. However, they have the same sound when spoken. It is one reason why, mostly, they are misused by many. Some English words have almost the same spelling, which makes them more confusing. 

Listed below are other similar Misused Word Pairs like “Except” and “Accept”.

  • Elicit and Illicit: The words “elicit” and “illicit” are misused word pairs like “except” and “accept” because these words are part of homophones. Homophones are sound-alike words with different meanings. Moreover, aside from their having almost the same pronunciation, the words “elicit,” “illicit,” “except,” and “accept” has slight differences in their spelling. The word “elicit” begins with the letter “e”, while the “illicit” starts with the letter “i.” On the other hand, the word “except” starts with the letter “e”, while “accept” starts with the letter “a.” The words “elicit” and “illicit” are far different when it comes to their meanings. “Elicit” is commonly used to describe getting something, while “illicit” is used to describe an illegal event or action.
  • Affect” and Effect:  “Affect” and “effect” are two of the most commonly misused words in English. The terms “affect” and “effect” are misused word pairs like “except” and “accept” because these words have almost similar dictions and slight differences in how they are spelled. However, although “affect,” “effect,” “accept,” and “except” are almost the same, these words are far different when it comes to their meanings. The term “affect” means change, while “effect” is used to indicate results.
  • Emigrate and Immigrate: The words “emigrate” and “immigrate” are two of the most confusing English words similar to the words “affect” and “effect.” These terms are misused word pairs because of their spellings and how these words are being delivered. The terms “emigrate,” “immigrate,” “affect,” and “effect” are words that have almost the same diction but has different meanings when it is being used in a sentence. The word “emigrate” is being used to mean leaving the country, the term “immigrate” on the other hand, is used to mean going to one’s country and permanently live there.
  • They’re and Their: “They’re” and “their” are both misused word pairs similar to the terms “affect” and “effect.” Content writers are often confused with words like “they’re,” “their,” “affect,” and “effect,” because they have similar pronunciations. The two words are frequently misused in a sentence because aside from their accent, they have almost identical spellings. The term “they’re” is a contraction word, meaning two separate words combine in it, “they” and “are.” Meanwhile, the term “their” is a possessive pronoun, meaning it is being used to mean belonging to.

How do Content Writers use “Accept” and “Except” in their articles?

Content writers use the words “accept” and “except” in a sentence when writing an article. The word “accept” is a verb, that means to receive something being offered while the word “except” means except for something or excluding. Content writers use the word “accept” when they want to convey a sentence that expresses something is being accepted or received. They use the word “except” when they want something to exclude something in a sentence. The word “except” would mean “but” when used as a preposition. “Except” often follows the words “that”, to mean “only” or “other than” when used in conjunction. The word “except” is commonly used in content writing, because it is one of the most common English words.

Do Content Writers use “Accept” and “Except” in the wrong way?

No, content writers do not use “Accept” and “Except” in the wrong way. These words are interchangeably used in a sentence most of the time. However, content writers are skilled writers who practice grammatically correct English. Content writers do have the proper knowledge when it comes to writing. They are skilled writers who know how to use proper words in their sentences. One is not able to convey a proper message if one always commits grammatical errors. The English language is full of confusing words that sound the same but are spelled differently. Others commit the mistake of misusing these words because they sound alike. One way of ensuring that there are no grammatical errors in an article is by reading it several times. 

Do Misused Words such as “Except” and “Accept” affect SEO and UX?

Yes, misused words such as “Except” and “Accept” affect SEO and UX. Grammatical errors in writing unintentionally change what authors want to convey. It delivers a different meaning to the reader when a word is misused in a sentence. The same thing to misspelled words, a word with the wrong spelling conveys unprofessionalism. It gives the impression that the Author is not knowledgeable enough or doesn’t have the credibility to write quality content. Quality content matters in SEO. Most websites that rank top contain quality written articles or content. Poorly written articles actually hurt a website’s ranking, misspelled and misused words are common grammatical errors by authors. According to polls conducted by some agencies, on average, 59% of consumers would not buy from an online shopping site that had bad spelling and poor grammar. Bad grammar disturbs the flow of one’s writing. It affects the user experience of a reader and causes misinformation. 

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 Accept vs Except: Difference between Them and How to correctly use them

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