What Is the Difference Between Affect and Effect?

Affect and effect are examples of homophones – two words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. People frequently confuse the two words because we often use affect and effect in similar contexts. 

This blog post will explore the difference between affect and effect and help you know which one to use – whether you’re editing, proofreading, or writing.

What’s the Difference Between Affect and Effect?

To put it simply, affect is usually a verb that means “to impact or change.” On the other hand, we normally use effect as a noun, and it means “the result or consequence of a change.”

Consider a simple scenario: You go for a walk in the rain and get wet. The rain affects you. The effect of the rain is that you get wet.

When to Use Affect

If the word you’re using is a verb, it’s most likely affect:

Everyone has the power to affect people around them.

We use affects as the present tense form of the verb:

It’s a problem that affects the elderly.

We use affected as the past tense form:

Her inspiring speech affected my mood positively.

And we use affecting as the present continuous form of the verb:

The hot sun is affecting the temperature of the lake.

When to Use Effect

If the word you need is a noun, effect is the right choice:

Her inspiring speech had the intended effect.

We can use effects as the plural form of the noun: 

They studied the treatment’s effects on the elderly.

The film and theater industries also commonly use effects:

That movie had some great special effects.

Exceptions to the Rules

Nothing is as simple as it seems, and the difference between affect and effect is an example of this. Sometimes, the noun–verb distinction between effect and affect doesn’t apply. 

We sometimes use affect as a noun to refer to an emotional state or response. It can mean the appearance of emotion through body language, which is common in psychology:

A facial affect can be a smile, a frown, a scrunched nose, or furrowed eyebrows.

The plural form of the noun affect is affects, and a good example is given by Shakespeare:

For every man with his affects is born.

We can use affected as an adjective meaning artificial or not genuine:

He spoke in an affected manner.

The word’s adjective form, affecting, means something that evokes a strong emotional response:

It was a very affecting play.

To further complicate matters, we use effect occasionally as a verb that means to make [something] happen:

We can effect positive social change.

As a verb in the present tense form, we can use effects:

We will see if the new law effects change.

Effected is the past tense of the verb:

Their previous actions effected change.

Finally, we use effecting as the present continuous form:

They will be remembered for their work in effecting change.

How to Remember the Difference Between Affect and Effect

Try not to get confused by the exceptions to the rules! Most of the time, all you need to do is check whether you’re using the word as a noun or as a verb. 

The word raven is a handy acronym to help you remember the difference between affect and effect:

R = Remember,

A = Affect is a

V = Verb, and

E = Effect is a

N = Noun

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The Bad Big Wolf? A Proofreader’s Guide to Adjective Order When to Use “I” and “Me” in a Sentence What Is the Difference Between an Acronym and an Initialism? How to Use Semicolons (With Examples)