# except vs expect

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

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

### expect
*verb · IPA /ɪkˈspɛkt/ · frequency rank #1,050*
To predict or believe that something will happen

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