One of the most common mistakes in writing is mixing up the words affect and effect. They sound very similar and can be used as both verbs and nouns.
To avoid these errors, you should always run your content through grammar checkers like Grammarly. They catch many homophones, such as affect/effect, that spell-checkers miss.
Definitions
The words affect and effect sound very similar, and they have a close meaning. However, they are two different types of words and they are pronounced differently. This difference, combined with their spelling, makes them very easy to confuse.
Affect is usually a verb, while effect is usually a noun. When you are deciding whether to use effect or affect, it is important to look at the context of the sentence. It is also helpful to remember that effect begins with the article the, while affect starts with a.
Affect can also be used as a noun to describe the way in which something influences or changes someone or something else. For example, the weather might negatively affect your mood or winning a medal might positively affect your self-esteem. However, this usage is not as common as using affect as a noun to refer to the impact of an event. This is why it is important to keep the RAVEN (Remember Affect is a Verb — Effect is a Noun) memory trick in mind.
Context
It’s easy to confuse the words effect and affect because they sound alike, have similar meanings, and are often used in the same context. The best way to keep them straight is to remember that affect is a verb, while effect is a noun.
In general, you should use the word effect when talking about a result or consequence of an action. For example, the effect of missing school is a lower grade. On the other hand, you would use the word affect when describing someone’s mood or emotional response to something. For example, Jason’s nervousness had a negative effect on his performance.
However, it wouldn’t be English if there weren’t exceptions to the rule. The noun effect can also be a verb, particularly in fixed expressions such as “to effect change.” He affected change at the company with a series of policy updates. This caused a lot of discomfort to the employees. The loud noises had a calming effect on the child.
Exceptions
In English, there are a few exceptions to every rule. For example, affect can be a noun in a specific sense of the word that refers to an observable emotional response—but this is incredibly rare and unlikely in modern usage. It’s best to stick with the RAVEN (Remember Affect is a Verb — Effect is a Noun) trick, and you’ll be fine.
The majority of the time, you will use affect as a verb and effect as a noun in closely related scenarios. If X affects Y, Y will experience the result of that action. For example, Paula could push Graham into the water, which would have the effect of soaking him. This is similar to the way that the acne medication had a nasty effect on Leroy’s face. It caused a red rash that had an unpleasant effect on his skin. He didn’t like it at all! The same goes for a new discovery that has an effect on scientific theories.
Examples
It’s a common mistake that even the most experienced writers make. Fortunately, Grammarly’s software recognizes these types of homophone errors and can help you correct them with just one click.
You can also use our Realtime Report to see how these words are used in your writing and get suggestions for improving them. It’s a good idea to run this report before you send any important documents, since Grammarly will catch many errors that traditional spell-checkers miss.
Affect is mostly a verb, but it can be a noun as well. A simple way to remember the difference is that affect usually contains a common ’A’ and relates to change or impression. Affect as a noun usually indicates an overall disposition, mood, or state of being, such as her flat affect in the courtroom or his aloof affect at dinner. It can also indicate the effect of something on a person, such as his betrayal of Ne’Rin having a negative affect on her emotions and feelings.