In a way, we can think about the effect as the result of the action of affecting something. The noun effect is the result of something changing. The verb affect means to change, influence or impact something. Indeed, effect and affect have different meanings, although a quirk of language means that people usually understand the speaker or writer’s intention even when they have mixed them up. While the words are pronounced differently, English speakers will often mix up affect and effect in speech and writing. Effect (e- fekt) stresses the first ‘e’, such as the one in email or easy. Affect ( a-fekt) has a softer ‘a’, like the one in pizza. While the words are often mixed up in speech and writing, it should be noted that the pronunciation is different. There are some instances when effect can be used as a verb and affect as a noun, which will be discussed later. But something can leave an effect upon us, with the noun form telling us that effect is a thing and not an action. We can affect something, which in its verb form tells us that it is we who are doing the affecting.

In most cases, affect is used as a verb, meaning to impact, and effect is used as a noun for the result of an impact. The difference between affect and effect is one of the most common questions in grammar.

What is the Difference Between Affect and Effect?

Has that effect on people