accept

/əkˈsɛpt/

//əkˈsɛpt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"accept" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“accept” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,473. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,473
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - To receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval.

Corpus desk

Index EN-accept · accept · English

accept · rank #1,473 · 7 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,473
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH walking

Nearest frequency peer: walking (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “accept”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “accept” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

accept vs acct
67% similar
accept vs adept
67% similar
accept vs access
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for accept
PropertyValue
Headwordaccept
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əkˈsɛpt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,473
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “accept” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). accept lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around accept (IPA /əkˈsɛpt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #1,473 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for accept, with forms such as "acceppt", "acceptt", and "accetp". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "acct", "adept", "access", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested about 1380. From Middle English accepten, borrowed from Old French accepter, or directly from Latin acceptō, acceptāre (“receive”), frequentative of accipiō, formed from ad- + capiō (“to take”). Displaced native Old English onfōn. The correct English form is accept, spelled A-C-C-E-P-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval.
  2. 2
    To admit to a place or a group.
  3. 3
    To regard as proper, usual, true, or to believe in.
  4. 4
    To receive as adequate or satisfactory.
  5. 5
    To receive or admit to; to agree to; to assent to; to submit to.
  6. 6
    To endure patiently.
  7. 7
    To acknowledge patiently without opposition or resistance.
  8. 8
    To agree to pay.
  9. 9
    To receive officially.
  10. 10
    To receive something willingly.
  11. 11
    To do a service done by an establishment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how accept appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice.
  2. The Chinese say, that a little time afterwards she accepted of a treat in one of the neighbouring hills to which Shalum had invited her.

Etymology

First attested about 1380. From Middle English accepten, borrowed from Old French accepter, or directly from Latin acceptō, acceptāre (“receive”), frequentative of accipiō, formed from ad- + capiō (“to take”). Displaced native Old English onfōn.

Antonyms

rejectdecline

This word in other languages

aceptar(Español)accepter(Français)annehmen(Deutsch)aceitar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acceppt
  • acceptt
  • accetp
  • accpet
  • acecpt
  • acept
  • cacept

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of accept - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

acceppt1acceptt1accetp2accpet2acecpt2acept1cacept2
Edit distance from "accept"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "accept"?
"accept" is spelled A-C-C-E-P-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əkˈsɛpt/.
What does "accept" mean?
As a verb, "accept" means: To receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval.
What words are commonly confused with "accept"?
"accept" is commonly confused with "acct", "adept", "access". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "accept"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "accept" is /əkˈsɛpt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "accept"?
First attested about 1380. From Middle English accepten, borrowed from Old French accepter, or directly from Latin acceptō, acceptāre (“receive”), frequentative of accipiō, formed from ad- + capiō (“to take”). Displaced native Old English onfōn. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "accept", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

actual#1,474appear#1,475showed#1,468eating#1,480

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

broke7 variantsprior7 variantsroyal7 variantsserve7 variants
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list