Date Posted : May 5, 2010 
Mechanics
Written by : Jane
Affect vs. Effect
Here is a comparative study of the homonyms—affect and effect.
| AFFECT | EFFECT |
| is a verb | is a noun |
| It means “to influence,” “going to happen,” “to set off a consequence,” etc | It means “a result of,” |
| It must be pronounced with an “a” (as in, “a” for apple, arrow, ate, ant, etc) | It must be pronounced with an “e” (as in “e” for eagle, eat, eager, etc) |
| The trick is to remember “Affect” as something that will happen to bring about an affect. | The trick is to remember “effect” as something that has happened because of the affect of something. |
| Therefore, affect is followed by effect. | Therefore, effect is the consequence of an affect. |
| Examples for “affect:” | Examples for “effect:” |
| The medicine affects the kidney. | The effect of the medicine on the kidney was encouraging. |
| The poison affected the roots of the plant. | In effect, the roots of the plant got burnt. |
| Moonrise affects the waves and tides. | The high waves and tides are the effect of moonrise. |
| The nuclear deal between the two countries affected their otherwise cordial relationship. | The effect of the nuclear deal impacted the relationship between the two countries. |
| What affected her throat?
The water affected her throat. |
What was the effect of the water on her throat?
The effect of the water on her throat was fatal. |
| Can be used in phrases like “after-effect,” “side-effect,” “with effect from,” etc. |
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Posted under : Mechanics