Commonly Confused Words

Accept is a verb meaning to receive, agree to, or believe something. Except usually means excluding or but not. Maya accepted the invitation. Everyone except Maya attended the event. The simplest memory rule is: accept = agree or receive; except = exclude. If similar-sounding word pairs cause trouble, our guide to affect vs. effect explains … Read more

Affect is usually a verb meaning to influence or cause a change. Effect is usually a noun meaning the result of a change. The cold weather affected our travel plans. The cold weather had an effect on our travel plans. That verb–noun distinction will give you the correct answer in most everyday sentences. There are … Read more