Affect or Effect?
2020-03-28
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1This week we answer a question from Young-Ho in Korea. He writes,
2I really want to know the difference between "affect" and "effect."
3Dear Young-Ho,
4These are commonly confused words.
5Although they are spelled differently, they sound - and look - almost the same: affect and effect.
6But the one-letter difference makes a big difference.
7Let us start with "effect," E-F-F-E-C-T.
8"Effect" can act as a noun or, in rare cases, a verb.
9As a noun, "effect" means "a change that results when something happens."
10For example,
11The movie had a strong effect on my feelings.
12The use of internet sales had a good effect on our business.
13Another form of the word is the adjective "effective."
14It means "producing a result that is wanted."
15Medical experts, for example, tell us:
16Handwashing is very effective in removing germs.
17"Affect," A-F-F-E-C-T, is usually used as a verb.
18"Affect" means "to influence."
19In other words, affect means to act on or change someone or something. For example:
20She has back problems that affect her balance, so she has trouble walking.
21Remember our earlier example about the movie having an effect on one's feelings? We could also say:
22The movie affected me greatly.
23In this case, "affect" means to cause strong emotions.
24If you are still confused, just remember this: effect is usually a noun, and affect is usually a verb.
25I'm Jill Robbins.
1This week we answer a question from Young-Ho in Korea. He writes, 2Question: 3I really want to know the difference between "affect" and "effect." 4Answer: 5Dear Young-Ho, 6These are commonly confused words. Although they are spelled differently, they sound - and look - almost the same: affect and effect. But the one-letter difference makes a big difference. 7Effect 8Let us start with "effect," E-F-F-E-C-T. "Effect" can act as a noun or, in rare cases, a verb. As a noun, "effect" means "a change that results when something happens." For example, 9The movie had a strong effect on my feelings. 10The use of internet sales had a good effect on our business. 11Another form of the word is the adjective "effective." It means "producing a result that is wanted." Medical experts, for example, tell us: 12Handwashing is very effective in removing germs. 13Affect 14"Affect," A-F-F-E-C-T, is usually used as a verb. "Affect" means "to influence." In other words, affect means to act on or change someone or something. For example: 15She has back problems that affect her balance, so she has trouble walking. 16Remember our earlier example about the movie having an effect on one's feelings? We could also say: 17The movie affected me greatly. 18In this case, "affect" means to cause strong emotions. 19If you are still confused, just remember this: effect is usually a noun, and affect is usually a verb. 20I'm Jill Robbins. 21Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. 22________________________________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24confused - adj. difficult to understand 25germ - n. biology: a very small living thing that causes disease 26Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.