Accept or except: which is correct?
Correct
accept (to receive or agree to) / except (not including)
Avoid
except (for "agree to")
Avoid
accept (for "not including")
Summary
Correct: accept (to receive or agree to) / except (not including) — Avoid: except (for "agree to") / accept (for "not including"). Accept = to receive, admit or agree to; except = apart from, not including (preposition), or to leave out (verb).
- Part of speech
- verb / preposition
- Source
- Merriam-Webster
Why
Merriam-Webster: accept means to receive willingly; except means with the exclusion of. They differ only by their first syllable, and in rapid speech the two can sound similar.
Examples
- We accept all major credit cards.
- Everyone came to the meeting except Tom.
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- Merriam-Webster · Oxford English Dictionary / Oxford spelling · SCOWL
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