English learners often confuse accept and except because they sound similar and both relate to inclusion, but they serve different functions.
Accept
Accept is a verb that means to receive willingly, to agree to something, or to take something offered.
Examples
| English Sentence | English Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| ☕ I gladly accept your offer for coffee. | I agree to your kind offer. | |
| 📚 She accepted the invitation to the book club. | She agreed to join the book club. | |
| 🎁 He accepted the gift with a smile. | He received the gift willingly. | |
| 📝 They accepted the terms of the agreement. | They agreed to the conditions. | |
| 🎓 I was accepted into my first-choice university. | I was admitted to the university. |
Except
Except is usually a preposition (or sometimes a conjunction) that means to leave out or to exclude something from a group or category.
Examples
| English Sentence | English Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| 🕒 I work every day except Sunday. | I do not work on Sunday. | |
| 🍰 Everyone ate the cake except me. | I was the only one who did not eat the cake. | |
| 🧴 Please pack everything except the extra towel. | Leave out the extra towel. | |
| 🔌 All the lights were on except the kitchen light. | The kitchen light was off. | |
| 🚪 The building is open every day except holidays. | The building is closed on holidays. |
Key Difference
Use accept when talking about agreeing to or receiving something, and use except when indicating something is excluded.
Summary
Remember: accept is about receiving or agreeing, and except is about excluding. Checking whether you mean inclusion or exclusion will guide you to the right word.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025