Affect is primarily a verb, meaning to influence or change something. However, affect can also be used as a noun in psychology, referring to an emotional state or mood, but this usage is less common in everyday language.
Key takeaways
Affect is typically a verb, meaning to influence or make a change.
Example: "The loud music affects my concentration."
Effect is usually a noun, referring to the result or outcome of something.
Example: "The new policy had a positive effect on employee morale."
Effect can also be a verb (though less common), meaning "to bring about" or "to create."
Example: "The team worked hard to effect change."
Tip to remember the meaning of them:
Affect = Action (A)
Effect = End result (E)
Part of the series Grammar Debugged—English for Devs
Affect and effect might look like same because they’re both about change, and they even sound alike. But even though they appear similar, they have different roles in a sentence.
Let's say I type a sentence on Google search that sounds correct to me, like: "Long office hours effect health." I might think this is fine, but it’s actually a grammar mistake (Thanks to Google!). Even though it sounds okay, it’s wrong because I used the wrong word.
In this Answer, we will break down each term, provide clear examples, and help you avoid common mistakes.
The word affect is mostly used as a
Let’s explore different examples of affect in various contexts to better understand how it’s used.
Affect can also be used as a noun in psychology, referring to a person’s emotional state or feelings. For example, the patient’s affect was flat, showing no signs of emotion.
The word effect is mostly used as a
Let’s explore different examples of effect in various contexts to better understand how it’s used.
The effect is primarily a noun, but it can also function as a verb sometimes, which is less common. E.g., "The team worked hard to effect change."
Using effect as a verb
Incorrect: "The new policy will effect the economy."
Correct: "The new policy will affect the economy."
Using affect as a noun
Incorrect: "The affect of the new treatment was significant."
Correct: "The effect of the new treatment was significant."
Key differences | Affect | Effect |
Meaning | To influence or change something. | The result or consequence of something. |
Part of speech | Verb | Noun |
When to use | When talking about action or influence. | When talking about a result or outcome. |
Mnemonic tip | Affect = Action (Both start with 'A'). | Effect = End result (Both start with 'E'). |
How to pick the right one:
If you’re talking about the action, use affect (it’s the verb).
If you’re talking about the result, use effect (it’s the noun).
Fill in the blanks with either affect or effect to test your understanding!
Thanos’s snap had a huge __________ on the universe.
effect
The new ruler will __________ the power balance in Westeros.
affect
Social media trends have a strong __________ on buying habits.
The new Star Wars movie will __________ box office numbers.
The Joker’s actions had a profound __________ on Gotham.
Check out our course on Grokking the Technical Writing Process, which will provide insights into technical writing, audience analysis, creating coherent paragraphs, iterative improvement, and mastering parts of speech and punctuation for impactful and well-structured communication.
Haven’t found what you were looking for? Contact Us
To enhance technical writing and minimize common grammar mistakes, continue exploring these topics:
Commonly confused words (homophones & similar-sounding words): These words sound alike but have different meanings and spellings.
Prepositions & usage differences: These words and phrases are often confused due to subtle contextual differences.
Punctuation & formatting: These involve rules for using dashes, abbreviations, and sentence structure.
Grammar & sentence structure: These deal with pronoun choices, verb usage, and comparison.
Free Resources