Affect vs Effect | Examples, Definition & Quiz
“Affect” and “effect” are related words that sound the same (homonyms) but have different grammatical roles.
- Affect (verb) refers to the act of influencing someone or something and causing it to change.
- Effect (noun) describes the result of the influence or change itself.
| Difference | Rule |
|---|---|
| The sudden change in weather affected my outdoor plans for the weekend. | The new tax policy will take effect at the beginning of the fiscal year. |
| The medicine may affect your ability to concentrate. | The director used special effects to create stunning visuals in the movie. |
| Climate change can severely affect the ecosystems of fragile environments like coral reefs. | The music’s soothing effect helped her relax and fall asleep. |
Sometimes, “effect” is used as a verb and “affect” is used as a noun, but this is much less common than the usage described above.
Affect as a verb (most common)
Affect is a transitive verb, which means it’s always used with an object (i.e., the person or thing that’s being affected by the action).
- His immune system was affected by his new medication.
- You shouldn’t let his behavior affect you so much.
- The weather can affect your mood.
If the sentence still makes sense, “affect” is correct.
If the sentence no longer makes sense, you probably want to use “effect.”
Affect to mean pretend
“Affect” can also be used as a verb to refer to someone behaving in an insincere, unnatural, or fake way.
- Though Carol wasn’t interested in her coworker’s story, she affected concern.
- Keanu affected an American accent for his movie audition.
Affect as a noun (less common)
Although it’s less common, “affect” is sometimes used as a noun to describe a visible emotional response to something. When used as a noun, “affect” is pronounced [aff-ect], with the stress on the first syllable.
Effect as a noun (most common)
“Effect” is usually used as a noun that describes the consequence or result of an action. It’s typically used with an adjective (e.g., “common,” “positive,” “major”) or used as part of a proper noun.
- We expect a positive effect on our conversion rate.
- The side effects of the new treatment are still unknown.
- The Pygmalion effect is also known as the Rosenthal effect.
“Effect” is also used in some common expressions (such as “in effect”) and is related to the adjective “effective.”
If the sentence still makes sense, “effect” is the correct option.
If the sentence no longer makes sense, you probably want to use “affect.”
Effect as a verb (less common)
“Effect” can also be used as a verb, often followed by the word “change.” In this case, it means “to initiate something or cause something to occur.”
Effect vs affect quiz
Test your understanding of the difference between “effect” and “affect” by filling in a version of “affect” or “effect” in each sentence.
Frequently asked questions about affect vs effect
- Is it side effect or affect?
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The correct version is “side effect.” In this instance, “effect” is part of a compound noun and cannot be replaced with another word.
However, in other instances, you can determine whether you should use affect or effect by replacing “effect” with a similar noun (such as “outcome”).
- If the sentence still makes sense, “effect” is correct.
- If it doesn’t, you probably mean “affect.”
When in doubt, use QuillBot’s free grammar checker to prevent mistakes!
- Is it something to that effect or affect?
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The correct version is “something to that effect.” In this instance, “effect” is part of an expression and can’t be replaced without changing the meaning of the expression.
However, in other instances, you can determine whether you should use affect or effect by replacing “effect” with a similar noun (such as “outcome”).
- If the sentence still makes sense, “effect” is correct.
- If it doesn’t, you probably mean “affect.”
When in doubt, use QuillBot’s free grammar checker to prevent mistakes!
- What is the affect vs effect trick (to remember the difference)?
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Affect and effect are related words, but they are most commonly used as different parts of speech.
You can remember the difference between affect (verb meaning “change”) and effect (noun meaning “outcome”) using the following mnemonic.
- “Affect” and “action” both begin with “a”
- Effect” and “end result” both begin with “e”
When in doubt, use QuillBot’s free grammar checker to prevent mistakes!
