Pronunciation of Except and Accept

Alan   Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:27 am GMT
Are they equally pronounced? I check them up in the dictionary, I found that they're of different phonetic symbols.

I doubt because I can't distinguish them in conversations.
Lo   Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:11 pm GMT
No, they're not equally pronounced.
Except is pronounced /IksEpt/ while accept is pronounced /{ksEpt/
My [{] is accept is really short though almost like a schwa [@] but it's clearly different than [I]
Travis   Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:14 pm GMT
They are commonly merged in at least most North American English dialects outside outside of the most careful speech. For instance, in very careful speech here they are distinguished as [3_+?k"s3_+?pt] for "except" and [E_o?k"s3_+pt], but they are normally merged as [1?k"s3_+?pt], even though just "except" may also be shortened as [1?k"s3_+?p] here (which does not happen to "accept").
Skippy   Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:42 am GMT
I pronounce them the same...
K. T.   Fri Dec 21, 2007 3:31 am GMT
I pronounce them differently.
Guest   Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:24 pm GMT
How do you pronounce a "{" ?????

And WTF is a "schwa"???
Travis   Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:27 pm GMT
[{] is just a sound marked with X-SAMPA, which is a transcription system closely related to IPA which uses ASCII text. For more information on X-SAMPA, which is the primary transcription system used here, go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-SAMPA
Guest   Fri Dec 21, 2007 7:01 pm GMT
I usually pronounce them like this I think.

accept: The initial vowel is indistinct to me. I'm not sure what it is.
except: [EksEspt]

I think my pronunciation of "except" is a spelling pronunciation.
Bolek od Clevelandu   Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:37 pm GMT
These Encarta Dictionary definitions have sound clips. Click the arrow to the right of the "speaker" icon to listen to the pronunciation.

except:

http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/except.html


accept:

http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/accept.html
Milton   Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:24 am GMT
According to Longman pronunciation dictionary (by J C Wells),
the first vowel can be pronounced


1. like @, {, I in the word ACCEPT
2. like I, e, @ in the word EXCEPT

So, they there is a chance of 66 % for ACCEPT - EXCEPT merger. ;)
No difference between (GA) US and UK (RP) English, at least according to J C Wells.

I pronounce them both with @.