Affect or effect: which is correct?
Correct
affect (verb: to influence) / effect (noun: a result)
Avoid
effect (as the verb "to influence")
Avoid
affect (as the noun "a result")
Summary
Correct: affect (verb: to influence) / effect (noun: a result) — Avoid: effect (as the verb "to influence") / affect (as the noun "a result"). Affect = to influence or change something; effect = the result of a change. As a verb, effect means to bring about ("effect change"), which is rare and formal.
- Part of speech
- verb / noun
- Source
- Merriam-Webster
Why
Merriam-Webster lists affect chiefly as a verb (to influence) and effect chiefly as a noun (a result); the verb effect means to bring about, as in "effect a change", which is why the two are so often swapped.
Examples
- The weather can affect your mood.
- The new policy had an immediate effect on sales.
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- Merriam-Webster · Oxford English Dictionary / Oxford spelling · SCOWL
- Commonly confused and non-standard forms
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