What is the Difference Between Accept and Except?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The difference between "accept" and "except" lies in their meanings, uses, and pronunciations. Here's a breakdown of the differences:
- Meaning:
- Accept: A verb meaning "to receive something willingly," "to allow something," "to endure something," or "to approve of something".
- Except: A preposition meaning "not including" or "apart from" and a conjunction meaning "with the omission of" or "only".
- Use:
- Accept: Always used as a verb in sentences like "I accepted the gift" or "They were accepted into the class".
- Except: Primarily used as a preposition or conjunction, as in "all except one" or "he does nothing except complain". In rare cases, it can also be used as a verb meaning "to exclude" or "to object".
- Pronunciation:
- Accept: Pronounced as [ak-sept] or [ak-sept].
- Except: Pronounced as [ek-sept].
To remember the difference, you can focus on the "ex-" spelling in "except," which implies "excluding". Alternatively, you can associate the "a" in "accept" with the word "agree". Despite their similar spellings and pronunciations, the words have distinct meanings and uses, so it's essential to practice using them correctly.
Comparative Table: Accept vs Except
Here is a table highlighting the differences between "accept" and "except":
Feature | Accept | Except |
---|---|---|
Meaning | To willingly receive, allow, or approve | To exclude or use as a preposition |
Usage | Verb | Preposition, sometimes Conjunction |
Direct Object | Always followed by a direct object | Not necessarily followed by a direct object |
Exceptions | Does not introduce exceptions | Introduces exceptions |
Examples | - I accept your gift. | - You can visit the zoo except on Sundays. |
"Accept" is a verb that means to willingly receive, allow, or approve of something or someone. It is always followed by a direct object. On the other hand, "except" is mainly used as a preposition, sometimes as a conjunction, meaning "excluding" or "apart from". It introduces exceptions and is not always followed by a direct object.
- Accept vs Admit
- Acceptance vs Tolerance
- Reject vs Refuse
- Expect vs Wait
- Exemption vs Exception
- Interrupt vs Exception
- Exception vs Error
- Exclusive vs Inclusive
- Tolerance vs Allowance
- Take vs Get
- Refuse vs Deny
- Just vs Only
- Preclude vs Exclude
- Until vs Unless
- Let vs Allow
- Difference vs Different
- Allow vs Permit
- Mean vs Expectation
- Does vs Is