# excel vs except

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### excel
*verb · IPA /ɪkˈsɛl/ · frequency rank #10,691*
To surpass someone or something; to be better or do better than someone or something.

### except
*verb · IPA /ɪkˈsɛpt/ · frequency rank #1,017*
To exclude; to specify as being an exception.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/excel-vs-except