what is the difference between affect and effect?

Answer 1

There are four distinct words here. When “affect” is accented on the final syllable (a-FECT), it is a verb meaning “have an influence on”: “The million-dollar donation from the industrialist did not affect my vote against the Clean Air Act.” A much rarer meaning is indicated when the word is accented on the first syllable (AFF-ect), meaning “emotion.” In this case the word is used mostly by psychiatrists and social scientists— people who normally know how to spell it. The real problem arises when people confuse the first spelling with the second: “effect.” This too can be two different words. The more common one is a noun: “When I left the stove on, the effect was that the house filled with smoke.” When you affect a situation, you have an effect on it. The less common is a verb meaning “to create”: “I’m trying to effect a change in the way we purchase widgets.” No wonder people are confused. Note especially that the proper expression is not “take affect” but “take effect”—become effective. Hey, nobody ever said English was logical: just memorize it and get on with your life.

Answer 2

When you affect a situation, you have an effect on it.
When you affect a situation, you have an effect on it. magnify

"Affect," except for the specialists mentioned below, is a verb, meaning to cause change in something. "His headache affected his ability to concentrate." Verbs are words of action. So think "A" — Affect, Action — something is Acting on something else.

"Effect" is usually a noun, a word for a thing, in this case a result of something.

"Aspirin had the desired effect, and he aced the exam." Think "E" for End Product.

So much for the most common situations.

A less common (but useful) form of "effect" is a verb meaning to bring about or cause to happen. "She effected a revolution with her challenge to the grading system."

A nuanced (and useful) form of "affect" is a verb meaning to move, emotionally, as in "The scene affected her greatly" or "It was a profoundly affecting moment."

And in the social sciences, alas, "affect" can be a noun, meaning a feeling or emotion as shown or described by a patient. But we can leave that one to the social scientists.

No wonder people are confused. Note especially that the proper expression is not “take affect” but “take effect”—become effective. Hey, nobody ever said English was logical: just memorize it and get on with your life.

The stuff in your purse? Your personal effects.

Answer 3

According to Precision Proofreading:
Affect is a verb 99% of the time
Effect is a noun 99% of the time

The news will affect everyone.
The news will have an effect on everyone.

From personal experience:
Affect is often used as a noun in Psychology. It is someones emotional body launguage. As in a depressed affect.

Answer 4

Affect is a transitive verb, effect is a noun:
"Many factors can affect the productivity of the assembly line."
"That will have a negative effect on the production."

They also have other uses, but only in specific situations; you are safest just using affect as a verb and effect as a noun.

Answer 5

You mean both as verbs, right?

So "affect" means to have an influence on something, while

"effect" means actually causing a change.

I don't suppose this helped very much (and people get these wrong all the time), but it's about the best I can do.

Answer 6

Affect is what you do to something and effect is the end result

Answer 7

Affect: "The Death of her father Affected her badly"

Effect:"Woha! Those Sound Effects in the movie theatre were cool!"

Answer 8

What might affect you, has no effect on me.

Answer 9

You can be affected by the effect of an explosion.

Answer 10

To affect something is to alter or fake it. To effect something is to cause it to change