Affect vs. Effect

Word Wars!!

Today's word war is between affect and effect.
Most people confuse these two a lot!!

So... what's the difference??

Both affect and effect are verbs that mean 'to influence'. They can be confused because they are similarly spelt and pronounced.
Only effect is also used as a noun.
(Please note that affect is also a noun, but it is a technical term used in psychology and psychiatry meaning 'observed emotional response', thus it is not used as a noun in everyday English.)

affect = to act on, to influence, to move (1)
for example: Her speech affected the audience so much that most of them were brought to tears.

affect = to attack, to infect (2)
for example: The medication he took had affected his liver.

And now for effect.

effect = to accomplish, to bring about
for example: Their strong persistence effected radical changes to the system.

And as a noun,
effect = result, consequence, influence
for example: The serious effect of climate change will last for many years.

I hope that clarified the two a bit!!

Use your English!!

:) Have a great day! :)