What Is The Difference Between Affect And Effect? Examples and Sentences.

There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the English words "affect" and "effect." People, even native English speakers, often use them interchangeably, which can lead to misunderstandings. Let’s take a closer look at what they mean.

What is "affect"?

Affect is a verb meaning "to influence" or "to produce a change in something." It is often used to refer to how something impacts a person emotionally, such as how music or art can affect our moods.

For example, a person’s experiences may affect the way they view the world and their beliefs and values.

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What is “effect"?

Effect is a noun that refers to the outcome or consequence of an action or event.

For example, it is important to recognize the effects of our surroundings, as they shape the way we perceive and interact with our environment.

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Affect vs. effect: comparison chart

A method to see if you're using affect and effect appropriately is to substitute the words with another verb in a phrase. If the sentence makes sense, affect is the correct choice; if the sentence does not make sense, effect should be used.

Let’s take the above example, a person’s environment can also affect their behavior and development. Let’s substitute the word affect with a verb. 

A person’s environment can also alter their behavior and development.  The sentence makes sense, so, affect is used correctly here. 

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Let’s take the other example, environmental influences can have a profound effect on our behavior and development. Let’s substitute the word effect with a verb. 

Environmental influences can have a profound alter on our behavior and development. 

The sentence doesn’t make sense, so you know, effect is used correctly here. 

Note: The above-mentioned method may not work in some instances.

Examples of the word "affect"

I) John's words affected the outcome of the meeting. 

II) The painting affected him emotionally. 

III) The humidity has greatly affected my mood.

Examples of the word "effect"

I) The effect of John's words was incredible for the meeting.

II) The painting had an effect on his emotional state.

III) The rainy weather had a devastating effect on my mood.

Synonyms of the word "affect"

Synonyms of the word "effect"

To sum it up, affect is a verb that is used to denote an impact of something on something,  whereas, effect is the result of an action. See it this way, when you affect something, it has an effect on you.

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