Accept vs except

The editing experts at Editly have become masters of commonly confused words over the course of their careers as editors, proofreaders, and humanizers. In Editly Etymology, they tap into their own experience to offer a closer look into the horrifying beauty of the English language. This installment investigates a classic of mass confusion: accept vs except. 

Accept Definition

Accept is a verb that means to receive (something) willingly.

Except Definition

As a verb, except means to exclude or deny access to.

Did you catch that? Just to make sure, let’s ask AI to help us generate a visual representation of each of the words.

Accept = to receive willingly.

The group has accepted him so fully that their hands have melded to his.

Except = to exclude.

Accept Root

Late Middle English, from Latin.

Except Root

Late Middle English, from Latin.

Who is to Blame for this Confusion?

Hmm. Given the suspiciously similar history here, I guess we don’t have a choice but to blame the inhabitants of the Latium region of central Italy—or Latini, as they preferred to be called back in the day.

AI Text on Accept

The word "accept" has its roots in the Latin word "acceptare," which is a frequentative form of "accipere." "Accipere" itself is composed of "ad-" meaning "to" or "towards" and "capere" meaning "to take." Therefore, the original Latin meaning of "acceptare" essentially translates to "take something towards oneself," implying a willingness or agreement to receive what is offered.

The transition of "accept" into Middle English occurred through Old French, specifically from the word "accepter." The meaning in English has remained quite consistent over time, with the word signifying the action of receiving something willingly or consenting to receive. By the late Middle English period, "accept" was firmly established in the language, used in various contexts where receiving or consenting to something was implied.

This term captures not just the physical act of taking something but also conveys a mental readiness to acknowledge or agree to a particular situation, offer, or condition. Over time, "accept" has broadened to encompass a wide range of nuances, including acceptance in a social or emotional context, not just physical receipt.

The history of "accept" is a testament to the way English has absorbed and adapted Latin through the conduit of Old French, preserving the core meaning while expanding its usage to fit the contours of modern discourse. This adaptability underscores the dynamic nature of language, reflecting changes in culture, society, and communication practices over centuries. (229 words)

Humanization of AI Text on Accept

"Accept" stems from the Latin word "acceptare," a frequentative form of "accipere,” which itself is composed of "ad-" (meaning "to" or "towards") and "capere" (meaning "to take"). Therefore, the original Latin meaning of "acceptare" essentially translates to "take something towards oneself," implying a willingness to receive something offered.

"Accept" entered Middle English through the Old French word "accepter." By the late Middle English period, "accept" was firmly established in various contexts in which receiving or consenting to something was implied.

This term captures not just the physical act of taking something, but also conveys a mental readiness to acknowledge or agree to a particular situation, offer, or condition. Over time, "accept" has broadened to encompass a wide range of nuances, including acceptance in a social or emotional context.

The history of "accept" exemplifies the way English has adapted Latin through the conduit of Old French, preserving the core meaning while expanding its usage to fit modern discourse. (157 words)

The Humanized AI Text

The humanized text has preserved the meaning of the original text, while making it more readable, more focused, and more dynamic. It has done so, in large part, by eliminating repetition. This effect can be seen in the word count, which has been reduced from 229 words to 157 words—or more than 31%.

AI Text on Except

The word "except" comes from the Latin word "exceptus," the past participle of "excipere," which means "to take out," "to withdraw," or "to exclude." "Excipere" itself is formed from the prefix "ex-" (meaning "out of") and "capere" (meaning "to take"). Therefore, the original Latin connotation involves the action of taking something out or excluding it from a larger group or context.

Introduced into English in the Middle Ages, the term retained the sense of exclusion or the act of excluding something from a given set or condition. Over time, "except" evolved to function as a preposition, conjunction, and verb in English, with its usage expanding to indicate the exclusion of something from a statement or the condition under which a statement does not apply.

The history of "except" as a linguistic marker of exclusion or limitation highlights its critical role in structuring logical and conditional relationships in language. It allows speakers and writers to specify conditions that alter or refine the applicability of statements, contributing to the precision and nuance of communication. 

This evolution from a term of physical or concrete exclusion to one of abstract or conditional limitation illustrates the dynamic way in which language adapts to the cognitive and communicative needs of its users. (206 words)

Humanization of AI Text on Except

"Except" comes from the Latin word "exceptus," past participle of "excipere," meaning "to take out," "to withdraw," or "to exclude." "Excipere" combines the prefix "ex-" (meaning "out of") and "capere" (meaning "to take"). Therefore, the original Latin connotation involves the action of taking something out or excluding it from a majority.

When introduced into English in the Middle Ages, the term retained this sense. Over time, however, "except" evolved to function as a preposition, conjunction, and verb. Moreover, its usage expanded to indicate the exclusion of something from a statement or the condition under which a statement does not apply.

Thus, it became critical in structuring logical and conditional relationships, allowing speakers and writers to specify conditions that alter or refine the applicability of statements, thereby contributing to the precision and nuance of communication. This evolution from a term of concrete exclusion to one of abstract o limitation illustrates the adaptation of language to cognitive and communicative needs. (158 words)

Effect of Humanizing the AI Text

Humanization of the AI text has made it more concise through the elimination of repetition and the use of more precise phrasing. Indeed, our efforts to humanize the text have reduced the word count from 206 words to 158 words—or more than 23 percent.

Whether it’s for accept or except, the best AI humanizer does, in fact, turn out to be a human. So, if you need any help to humanize your AI text, don’t wait to get started on Editly.