affect vs effect

commonly confused words

The Quick Rule

Affect is usually a verb meaning "to influence."
Effect is usually a noun meaning "a result."

"The new policy will affect (verb) thousands of workers, but its full effect (noun) won't be felt for years."

To have an influence on; to produce a change in something.

"The cold weather affected the harvest."

The result or outcome of a cause; a consequence.

"The cold weather had a serious effect on the harvest."

Both words have a less common second use that catches people out:

Effect can also be a verb meaning "to bring about" or "to cause to happen."

"The new manager hopes to effect real change in the department."

Affect can also be a noun (mostly in psychology) referring to observable emotion or feeling.

"The patient displayed a flat affect during the interview."

For everyday writing, the verb-affect / noun-effect rule will get you through 95% of cases.

Remember RAVEN: Remember, Affect is a Verb, Effect is a Noun. It works for almost every sentence you'll write.