Use the verb if you are describing 1) something that is influencing something else, or 2) someone who is pretending to feel a certain way to manipulate their audience. So, there are three situations where you can use the word affect.
Examples of this word include a blunted, constricted, flat, inappropriate, labile, or restricted affect (see The Free Dictionary's definition of "affect"). In psychology, someone can demonstrate a particular affect, or a set of behaviors that can be observed, resulting from that individual's subjective emotions.
It generally has negative connotations and is only rarely used this way (see the Merriam-Webster Dictionary's definitions of affect).Īn even rarer use of the word affect is the noun form. This sense of the word pertains to deceptive human behavior, such as affecting (i.e., pretending) to like someone or affecting disinterest in something. However, affect has another definition (also as a transitive verb): to put on a display or a pretense. This usage of the word affect is pervasive in the English language and is synonymous with to have an effect on. To affect something means that you are exerting an influence on it somehow-that is, you are changing it in some way. It is also a verb that means "to make happen." When to Use AffectĪffect is most commonly used in the transitive verb form (i.e., X affects Y). As a noun, it has a definition specific to the field of psychology (a subjective emotion demonstrated through someone's actions).Įffect: Effect is a noun that means an outcome or result.
EffectĪffect: Affect is a verb that means to influence something or, in relation to human behavior, to put on an act. If you're curious to learn about other commonly confused words, check out Scribendi's Guide to Commonly Confused Words, which lists over 350 of these tricky terms. If you find yourself scratching your head unable to discern the difference between affect and effect in the above sentence, never fear! This article will explain when to use each word and provide examples to help you remember which word to use. Here's a sentence that uses both words correctly: "The cold weather affected the crops the effect of the cold weather was a lower yield." Remembering the difference between affect and effect is especially confusing because both words have very similar pronunciations, in addition to having very similar meanings. Are you unsure about whether to use affect or effect ? Do you find yourself simply guessing which of these words to use in a given sentence? You're not alone.
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