accept和receive都有收到的意思，receive通常指被动地收到或接到，也可表示接见或接待，而accept则指主动地接受。

1.accept和receive这两个词都含有“收到”的意思。在表示“赞同某一意见或看法”时可互换。

Her husband did not accept〔receive〕 her story.

她的丈夫不相信她的话。

The theory was not received〔accepted〕 as truth by the broad masses of people.

这一理论并未被广大人民群众当成真理。

2.在表示“受到教育〔惩罚,支持〕”和“接待客人”等意时只能用receive,不能用accept; 而在表示“接受某条件”时却只能用accept,而不能用receive。

3.receive只表示“被动地收到”这一事实,而accept则多了一层主观上“某种程度甚至完全赞同”的意味。例如:

I've received an invitation but I don't think I'll accept.

我收到一份邀请,但不准备接受。

Though he has received several offers, he can accept only one of them.

虽然他收到了几处的聘请,但他只能接受其中之一。

4.receive意为“收到”，表示客观的，accept意为“接受”，表示主观的。当accept a gift时，表示接受了礼物，不会再退回，而receive a gift时，只是收到了礼物，可能还会退回。