What’s the Difference Between “Affect” and “Effect”?
Most of the time, affect is used as a verb that means “to cause a change or make a difference to someone or something.” For example,“The large meal I had right before that game affected how I played.” Effect is mainly used as a noun that means “a result of an action or other cause.” For instance, “Going to sleep late had an effect on my performance the next day.”
“Affect” vs. “Effect”
Technically, affect and effect have different pronunciations. But in everyday speech, these words are said almost identically. You’ll find that reading this article will have an effect on you: it will affect your knowledge of these two words.
How to Properly Use “Affect”
The most common use of affect /əˈfekt/ is as a verb that means “to cause a change or make a difference to someone or something.”
In other words, consistent watering will make a difference to the growth of the plants.
How to Correctly Use “Effect”
Effect /ɪˈfekt/ is often used as a noun that means “a result of an action or other cause.”
In the example above, better self-esteem is the result or outcome of exercising.
Other Meanings of “Affect” and “Effect”
It’s important to note that affect and effect have other (less common) meanings, and that’s usually where the confusion lies.
Affect has another definition when used as a verb, and it’s “to imitate or put on a false appearance.”
As a noun, affect means “experienced emotion or emotional response.”
On the other hand, effect can also be used as a verb that means “to cause or accomplish.”
It’s easy to confuse (to) affect with (to) effect when used as a verb. Remember that an outcome immediately follows the verb effect (in the sentence above, the outcome is positive change).
How to Remember the Difference Between Affect and Effect
To use these two words correctly, remember these two things:
- Affect is usually a verb and effect is usually a noun, therefore:
- Affects cause effects (ACE).
