Confusing Words: Affect (noun/verb) and Effect (noun/verb)
Meaning:
Affect (have an effect on; make a difference to.)
Effect (a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.)
Affect vs Effect Clarification: Affect and effect are two opposite words and you should remember their functions in sentences.
Affect vs Effect – What is the Difference, Definition & Meanings?
The first and foremost difference, you first encounter, is the spellings. You can see that there is only one-letter difference between affect and effect.
So, the pronunciations of both of these words could be different.
The pronunciation of affect is so obvious. It starts with a sound –a like in ‘alike’. The pronunciation of effect, on the other side, is same as affect. But according to Oxford Dictionaries, effect is pronounced with a sound –i or –ee. Other dictionaries such as Merriam Webster Dictionary, shows /ee-fect/ as well as /a-fect/ in their lists.
It means that you can pronounce effect in both of these ways i.e. /ee-fect/ and /a-fect/. But /a-fect/ can be seen in various places. Most of the people think that both of these words are interchangeable. They are wrong!
Affect and effect are two separate words with different meanings and different usage in sentences.
‘Affect and effect are used differently’.
To erase all the confusions, continue reading. I will come up with the definitions, functions and some examples of affect and effect.
Definition and Examples of Affect and Effect
As I said above that affect and effect are two opposite words with different meanings. The pronunciation of both of the words is same at most of the places but according to Oxford Dictionaries, effect is pronounced as /ee-fect/. So, my research says that we are having two pronunciations of effect: one is /a-fect/ and the other one is /ee-fect/.
Affect
Affect can be used as a noun or a verb. In most of the sentences or almost every sentence, you have seen affect used as a verb. It is defined as ‘to influence or to have an effect’.
1. I hope that this article will affect your learning in a positive way.
2. The dampness began to affect my health. Reference –(Oxford Dictionaries)
3. My friend was affected by this horrible accident.
As, I have mentioned above that affect can be used as a noun but linguists say that it must be avoided as it creates great confusion. It is used as a noun only in the language of psychology. For example,
‘The patient is showing his affect as flat.’
Effect
Unlike affect, effect is mostly used as a noun and rarely as a verb. You should be familiar with both cases. Effect is defined as ‘a change, result or an outcome of a cause or an effort.’
1. Drugs have a dangerous effect on your health.
2. The effect of the lopsided vote was a loss of confidence in the chairman. Reference –(dailywritingtips.com)
3. I finally found an excellent effect for my room.
Effect as a verb is rarely used. According to Oxford Dictionaries, it means ‘to bring something about as a result or an outcome.’
1. The principal effected many changes in school’s principles.
2. A government unable to effect any change is a government that will produce no surprises. Reference –(vocabulary.com)
Check Out: The Difference Between Affective and Effective.
What Did You Learn?
Affect and effect are two opposite words and you should remember their functions in sentences. Affect is used as a verb and effect as a noun. Affect as a noun should be avoided and effect as a verb is rarely used in sentences.