The words “affect” and “effect” are often confused with one another. They are different in meaning, though frequently confused. Affect and Effect are homonyms, in which there is just one difference in their spellings, i.e. in their first letter, but when you go through their meanings, you will find that the difference between them is not slight.
The key thing to remember is that effect is most commonly used as a noun, whereas affect is typically used as a verb. ‘Affect’ means to influence or make an impact on someone or something. ‘Effect’ refers to a change, i.e. a consequence of an action.
The term ‘affect’ is most commonly used as a verb that means “to influence” or “to change”. On the other hand, the word ‘effect’ is primarily used as a noun and means “consequence”, “aftermath”, “result of an action” or “reaction”. While effect represents the ‘result’ or ‘consequence’, affect indicates ‘as a result of’ or ‘consequently’. When used as a verb, affect means merely “to influence”, whereas on using the term effect as a ‘verb’, it means “to bring about something”. The key thing to remember is that effect is most commonly used as a noun, whereas affect is typically used as a verb.
Difference between Affect and Effect
AFFECT
- Affect means to influence or make an impact on someone or something.
- The term ‘affect’ is a Latin origin, and it means to have an influence on someone or something.
- Affect” is usually used as a verb, an action. Example: The earthquake affected many people.
- The word ‘affect’ simply means ‘influence’ or ‘impact’ that can make a difference or change in someone or something. It can be used both as a noun and as a verb, but mainly used as a verb, because it is an action word that tends to cause a change in something.
- Examples: The concert has greatly affected me.
EFFECT
- Effect refers to a change, i.e. a consequence of an action.
- The word ‘effect’ is derived from the Latin language, and used to denote a change occurring out of an action or event.
- “Effect” is usually used as a noun, a thing. Example: One effect of the earthquake was that many people lost their homes.
- The term ‘effect’ is a noun that refers to ‘a change resulting from of an event or an action’, meaning that effect of an event or action, is the change that the former causes to the latter.
- Examples: The concert had a great effect on me.
