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Effect Versus Affect
Episode 20: October 14, 2006

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Grammar Girl here.

Today's topic is when to use affect with an a and when to use effect with an e.

This question is from Eric on the voicemail line.

"I have a question for you regarding the "affect or effect" conundrum. Please shed some light on this for me. I've read style guides but I can never remember, so I'm looking for some kind of mnemonic or something that might help."

This has been by far the most requested grammar topic. In addition to Eric, at least seven people have asked by e-mail, so I have a mnemonic and a matching cartoon to help you remember.

Before we get to the mnemonic though, I want to explain the difference between the two words.

It's actually pretty straightforward. The majority of the time you use affect with an a as a verb and effect with an e as a noun.

Affect with an a means "to influence," as in, "The arrows affected the aardvark," or "The rain affected Amy's hairdo." Affect can also mean, roughly, "to act in a way that you don't feel," as in, "She affected an air of superiority."

Effect with an e has a lot of subtle meanings as a noun, but to me the meaning "a result" seems to be at the core of all the definitions. For example, you can say, "The effect was eye-popping," or "The sound effects were amazing," or "The rain had no effect on Amy's hairdo," or "The trick-or-treaters hid behind the bushes for effect."

So most of the time affect with an a is a verb and effect with an e is a noun. There are rare instances where the roles are switched, but this is "Quick and Dirty" grammar, not comprehensive grammar, and I don't want to confuse you. My impression from your questions is that most people have trouble remembering just the basic rules of when to use these words, so we're going to stick with those, and you'll be right 95% of the time.

So, for our purposes, affect with an a is a verb and effect with an e is a noun; and now we can get to the mnemonics. First, the mnemonic involves a very easy noun to help you remember: aardvark. Yes, if you can remember aardvark -- a very easy noun -- you'll always remember that affect with an a is a verb and effect with an e is a noun. Why? Because the first letters of "a very easy noun" are the same first letters as "affect verb effect noun!" That's a very easy noun. Affect (with an a) verb effect (with an e) noun.

"But why aardvark?" you ask. Because there's an example to help you remember as well. It's, "The arrows affected the aardvark. The effect was eye-popping." It should be easy to remember that affect with an a goes with the a words arrow and aardvark, and that effect with an e goes with the e word eye-popping. If you can visualize the sentences, "The arrows affected the aardvark. The effect was eye-popping," it's pretty easy to see that affect with an a is a verb and effect with an e is a noun.

affect effect cartoon

And you absolutely must go to the transcript at quickanddirtytips.com this time, even if you've never been there before, because I commissioned a cartoon of the example, and it turned out great. It's an aardvark being affected by arrows, and I think that looking at it will help you remember the example sentences; and it's cute. So if you go to quickanddirtytips.com you can print it out and hang it by your desk, or even order a T-shirt or a mousepad if you really want to. (Also, I'll write about the rare opposite uses of affect and effect at the end of the transcript for those of you who are curious.)

So a very easy noun will help you remember that affect with an a is a verb and effect with an e is a noun, and the example will help you see how to use both words in a sentence.

That's all. As always this is Grammar Girl, striving to be your friendly guide in the writing world. Here's a big thank you to the listeners who've taken the audience survey; it's still available for those of you who haven't done it yet. And also, a big thank you to the listeners who made donations using the PayPal button on the website. It was your donations that allowed me to commission the cartoon, and I really appreciate it.

Finally, Andy called me on the voicemail line to let me know that the Schoolhouse Rock videos are available at iTunes. So you can still buy the whole DVD at QuickAndDirtyTips.com, but you can also buy just your favorite episodes at iTunes, which I'm sure some of you will want to do!

Rare Uses of Affect and Effect

Affect can be used as a noun when you are talking about psychology. It means the mood that someone appears to have. For example, "She displayed a happy affect." Psychologists find it useful because they know that you can never really know what someone else is feeling. You can only know how they appear to be feeling. You can find more on psychological affect at Wikipedia. (I'm not an expert in psychology, so please correct me if happy isn't a valid affect.)

Effect can be used as a verb that essentially means "to bring about," or "to accomplish." For example, you could say, "The aardvark hoped to effect change within the burrow." You can find more on effect at Dictionary.com.

Thanks to Len from the Jawbone Radio podcast, the artist who drew the aardvark cartoon, and Randall Munroe from XKCD.com who drew the stickman cartoon.

Comments (71) for Effect Versus Affect | Subscribe to Comment

Shawna Says:
5/1/2008 11:00:23 AM

I don't remember the definitions, but I just look at what I think is right.

johnboy Says:
4/26/2008 5:48:09 AM

I don't really see the problem here. Where I live people pronounce effect and affect differently (the first vowel only) so you know how to spell the word when you write it.

cheryl-rose Says:
4/24/2008 11:22:50 PM

Brilliant! Thanks for the comic effect :) I hope I used that correctly.

Stacie Says:
4/22/2008 10:18:58 PM

Wow I needed that little lesson :)

Steve Says:
4/22/2008 6:26:09 PM

THANK YOU! :-) This was entirely too helpful! It's not like I don't know how to use proper grammar in most situations, because I do, however...this one always confuses me!!

Robbert Says:
4/8/2008 4:50:34 PM

I thought I should make you aware of Seanan McGuire's song about affect and effect: http://cadhla.livejournal.com/1474345.html Cheers, Robbert

Hanna Says:
3/22/2008 11:49:08 AM

I always teach my kids that because verbs are the "action" of a sentence, then Affect (with the "a") is the ACTION or the verb. A for Action (verb)

Susan Says:
3/11/2008 4:46:15 PM

Thank you so much. This is the first time I have heard affect vs. effect explained in a way that I clearly understand and will remember the difference and proper usage.

Bea Says:
2/29/2008 8:12:20 PM

I am confused on affect and effect. Is it The Affects of Culture on Education or is it The Effects of Cukture on education?

jessica Says:
2/29/2008 4:54:07 PM

I have a question. In the sentence, "I am sorry that this had to affect all of you." Did I use affect correctly?

MARC Says:
2/29/2008 9:27:20 AM

GREAT NOTES ON AFFECT VS EFFECT...THANKS... NOW, TRY TO PUNCTUATE AND MAKE SENSE OF THIS....... WHERE TOM HAD HAD BOB HAD HAD HAD HAD HAD HAD HAD THE TEACHERS' APROVAL MARC

Susan Jett Says:
2/14/2008 12:20:38 PM

I love your explanations! I remember the "affect vs effect" thing by remembering that "affect" is a verb and verbs show action. They both start with an a.

Donna Says:
2/9/2008 7:05:13 PM

Okay. I have read your directions and am still confused (sorry, it takes me awhile to absorb some things). Just tell me which is correct in this sentence: The student will note the affect (or effect?) of health education, assessment, and care on the individuals and groups involved.

Janet Says:
2/4/2008 9:52:32 AM

Great tip! but a little involved. Using your 95% rule I always remembered the difference between "affect" and "effect" by thinking you need an affect before you get an effect. "A" comes before "E". This is easier for me as I was never very good at picking out nouns, verbs, adverbs and so on.

Janet Says:
2/4/2008 9:51:48 AM

Kimberly Says:
1/30/2008 10:56:30 PM

I'm a court reporting student and was struggling with "affect and effect" but you really helped. I'm going to share your site with my 30 classmates. Thanks so much!

Leo Says:
1/25/2008 2:11:07 AM

Kathy Newkirk Says: "My family call me the Grammar Nazi." They do, huh? I wonder why.

Leo Says:
1/25/2008 2:08:56 AM

Kathy Newkirk Says: 1/22/2007 7:09:01 PM My family call me the Grammar Nazi.

Will Says:
1/23/2008 1:35:43 PM

Hey Grammar Girl :) I love what you're doing with this site! I always come here for the down and dirty, or was it "quick and dirty" grammar tricks, haha :) Anyways, I'm a psychology major (which by no means means I'm an expert), but thought I'd share that what you mean by "happy affect" is most likely "positive affect." Usually in my psychology classes we distinguish the different "affects" with either "positive" or "negative." Just thought I'd share :) Thanks again for everything!

bibalitsa Says:
1/8/2008 6:00:36 PM

N-E-V-A use the incorrect spelling again! Noun = Effect Verb = Affect

Perry Donaldson Says:
12/17/2007 10:59:57 AM

Bless you, grammar girl! You are my new heroine.

P Miranne Says:
12/12/2007 8:53:05 AM

Or...you could just use the word "impact" when in doubt. Just kidding. Don't do this! Unfortunately, it has become a sad practice these days for people who don't know when to use affect and effect.

Rhea Says:
12/8/2007 3:06:52 AM

please tell me the difference beteween lose and loose

christina parish Says:
12/2/2007 9:27:36 PM

Thank you for this website! You are so sweet, like a lifesaver!

Roger Hoskin Says:
11/27/2007 5:21:44 PM

Try substituting "shape, alter, or change" for affect. All have an A for affect. If the substitution makes sense, likely you need to use "affect." If it makes no sense, you likely need to use effect.

PamFrey Says:
11/27/2007 10:05:38 AM

Is the comma necessary? Our long-standing commitments, such as express service and low rates, ensure that you will be satisfied with your decision.

Paul Says:
11/20/2007 11:07:24 PM

Wow. This is amazing. I promise I really will try to remember the aardvark... but if not I'm glad this shows up really early in google searches. Thanks, you're a gem! A GEM!

Christine Says:
11/20/2007 4:39:03 PM

Thanks for the help with this. It is always messing me up.

Mel Says:
11/17/2007 1:59:07 PM

A very good hint to help remember how to use affect & effect. I hope I can now remember aardvark ! LOL

kathylynn Says:
11/5/2007 2:01:38 PM

This is great info. I can not tell yu how often I am asking the a or th e question. Thanks!

Shannon Says:
10/20/2007 10:15:59 PM

My social studies teacher recently gave out a list of directions for an essay and on them I found this sentence: "In your opinion, which do you think was more effective - Patrick Henry or Thomas Paine?" First of all, shouldn't "which" be "who"? And second, is "effective" correct, because I thought that effect was a noun. Or is this one of the rare times when it changes? Please respond soon! Thanks! :)

Hila Says:
10/8/2007 5:08:50 AM

I know it's been a while since the episode, but this is worth posting here because it's relevant: http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/effect_an_effect.png

kaylea Says:
9/11/2007 5:00:48 PM

Nice job Grammer Girl!!!

Stephen Allums Says:
8/22/2007 1:22:04 AM

I rate this as a 2 on a scale of 1 to 5 because it only covers something that I already know.

Sobe Says:
7/15/2007 5:46:45 AM

Thank you for your assistance.

Julie Says:
6/25/2007 8:13:41 PM

Grammar Girl - I love your podcasts and will be ordering your audio book soon. Plus I plan to add your books to my collection. I have been teasingly called 'Grammar Girl' for some time now, so I jumped for joy when I found others that care as much about grammar as I do. Thank you for the hard work you do and for providing this information in such an entertaining way!

Katie Says:
6/25/2007 8:07:57 PM

It is also important to note that the word "affect," used in the psychological sense, is pronounced differently than normal. The accent is on the first syllable rather than the second. The "a" is pronounced as a short "a" as well, like in the word "apple."

Marisa Says:
6/25/2007 9:54:10 AM

Awesome explanation for affect versus effect. Invaluable.

Grammar Girl Says:
5/16/2007 4:25:40 AM

Your "personal effects" are nouns, so "effect" is the right word. One of the dictionary definitions of "effects" is "movable belongings."

Raele Says:
5/16/2007 3:05:31 AM

Yes, yes!! I want to know this, too! What exactly does that mean? Is it that you Affect (verb) the things you own, therefore, they have become an Effect (noun) of your ownership? Or, that, being yours, they somehow personify you and hence, are your Personal Effects? Hmmm...

eVA Says:
4/23/2007 9:17:31 AM

Dear grammar girl,
I learnt about your website when I saw you on Oprah! I love this site, and as a non-native speaker I'm sure it will help me! Thank you (all the way from the Netherlands).
Take Care
Eva

Kevin Says:
4/11/2007 5:07:37 AM

Although you can find "towards" with an "s" in the dictionary now, I was always taught it wasn't really a word. As the word's origin is from Middle English and lacks the "s", I'd leave it off, and it seems likely that inclusion of "towards" is simply from common usage. "Towards" is generally listed as a "variant of toward".

Kathy Says:
4/4/2007 10:29:12 PM

So, just when I think I have affect and effect my co-worker threw me a curve ball. What about Effected/Affected as an adjective?

For example: “The effected stream was filled with dirt.” Or would it be “The affected stream was filled with dirt.” I would argue it is attached to the noun so it should be Effected but she maintains the “dictionaries” say otherwise. Please advise.

Anonymous Says:
3/30/2007 3:04:07 PM

Is it: As we transition towards the future OR As we transition toward the future?

Anna Nash-Friedman Says:
3/27/2007 6:15:51 PM

Affect vs. Effect
I have been an English teacher for thirty-six years. I tell my students that AFFECT begins with the letter A as does the word Action. When action is needed by the word, use Affect. Action

Laura Says:
3/27/2007 12:08:52 AM

I just saw grammer girl on Oprah's show. I'm glad that affect and effect was covered. I had just recently discovered how to tell the difference. Anyway, I think there is an easier way to remember them. Affect and action are both 'a' words and verb's are action words. Then effect must be a noun. I don't know if that helps anyone else, but I think it might be a little easier to remember.

Nancy Says:
3/26/2007 11:34:54 PM

I agree that affect is a verb and effect is a noun, but effect is also a verb and it is not unusual to see affect used when effect should be used. Any rule for this?

Emily Bitzarakis Says:
3/26/2007 9:28:13 PM

Hi Grammar Girl. I was thrilled to see you on Oprah today, especially so because I was aware of all the rules you shared on air. I just wanted to share with you a trick that I use to remember affect versus effect. I remember affect with an a is a verb because I say to myself, (emphasizing the long A and long E) "Affect is to act on; Effect is result." Affect with an a and act both begin with a. For effect with an e, I think of "cause and effect," which is the cause and result of a something. I hope this helps someone.

Suzanne Says:
3/20/2007 7:15:48 PM

Hi Grammar Girl:

I'm trying to determine the appropriate order of the proper noun and pronoun in the following sentence:

Registration packets for Kay and you will be mailed on April 17th.

Registration packets for you and Kay will be mailed on April 17th.

Based on the rule where the pronoun, I, is placed after the proper noun I would assume the former example is the one to use. Is this correct?

Thanks,
Suzanne

Anonymous Says:
3/15/2007 12:50:20 AM

Not sure if this fits or if I'm completely right, but the term "affective" can be used as a descriptor of a kind of learning or task. I've seen this used in the field of instructional design. For example, there are intellectual tasks, psychomotor tasks and affective tasks. The affective tasks are those which relate to emotion or opinions. Creating instruction which relates to affect can be most difficult and usually is hidden within a context like "my students will gain a greater appreciation of art".

Grammar Girl Says:
2/17/2007 8:49:01 PM

This is from the transcript: "Affect can be used as a noun when you are talking about psychology. It means the mood that someone appears to have. For example, "She displayed a happy affect." Psychologists find it useful because they know that you can never really know what someone else is feeling. You can only know how they appear to be feeling."

forrestRain Says:
2/14/2007 3:07:35 PM

What do you all think about this:

"Affect is used as a noun to mean emotional expression." ?

So "affect" is both verb and noun ?

Grammar Girl Says:
2/4/2007 7:12:20 PM

A listener just wrote in with this helpful tip:

My 8th Grade English teacher Ms. Toth gave me a great way to remember when to use "affect" and "effect" that I use to this day: if you can use "the" in front of it, you should use "effect". You can remember it because the "e" in "the" goes next to the "e" in "effect". If you can't put "the" in front of it, it's probably a verb and you should use the other one ("affect").

Thomas Norris Says:
1/30/2007 11:48:57 PM

Just a lay observation; I am glad you did a segment on this conflict, it is something I have argued with others about for a number of years; even to the point where I was told it did’t make any difference if “Affect” was used since “Effect” in all situations was the correct word. You stated, which is a good way to remember “Affect” is proactive, “Effect” is reactive. Cause (Affect) and effect….Keep up the great work!!!!

Roger Little Says:
1/24/2007 1:40:45 AM

I just love your podcasts. I am so bad at english and grammer if I mess up here I am sorry. Keep them coming. I wish you had time to do them everyday.
I love learning and your podcast is my favorite. Thank you for helping me do better in my writing.

Ted Carter Says:
1/23/2007 8:32:58 PM

The most common mistake I hear on TV is the misuse of as and like and of was and were. "Like I said ---- If I was you."

Annie Says:
1/22/2007 10:53:48 PM

Love the podcast, thank you! I enjoyed the affect/effect episode. What about the phrase often used when a person is being fired from a job, "Please collect your personal effects and someone will escort you out of the building?" Is it, indeed, effects and not affects?

Janet Sanford Says:
1/22/2007 10:18:11 PM

So - effect affect. I still have problems saying verb or noun. For example, in my line of work - we have system changes to the databases and they have a table heading "Affected Systems" - would that not be "Effected Systems"? because the change to the system effected it?

thanks,

Kathy Newkirk Says:
1/22/2007 7:09:01 PM

My family call me the Grammar Nazi. A semi-retired Eng. teacher, I applaud you! I'm wondering why public people are using the long A sound for the article so often now. Are they trying to sound like GWB? Even some of the speakers I respect sometimes do this, but not consistently. I think it makes the sentence sound awkward, stilted, and somehow "uneducated" sounding. It detracts from the following noun which is being stressed, and interfers with the flow of the sentence. I have noticed that the inconsistency makes no sense to me. What do you think? Was there a pronouncement from the Great Grammar Guru in the Sky about this, that I missed?
I especially appreciate the comments on apostrophes and their misuse with ordinary plurals. I used to have a lesson (9th graders & college workshops) on The Attack of the Killer Apostrophes! My son-in-law just sent me the CNN article of yours, and I'm with you! Thanks! I haven't searched your site yet, but have you addressed the I/me confusion? Who told kids that I is so much "more better" than me? Anyway, thanks, and I'm sure I'll keep in touch. You are a great service to good communicators.

Cari Says:
1/22/2007 4:45:51 PM

Hi Grammar Girl. I recently discovered your podcasts and think they're great. I came to this site to look at the rare uses of “effect” as a verb. I maintain a technical doc at my job, and this word is frequently used in that context (as in, "Did you effect change to the production server?"). Your clarification and example were immensely helpful.

Mark Says:
1/22/2007 4:23:13 PM

Disappearing participles?
I've found myself reacting viscerally to hand-scrawled signs selling "bottle water" for a while now, but I recently saw a commercially-produced package of "Mash Potatoes" in my grocer's freezer case. Am I being too pedantic, or am I justified in going a little crazy when people mangle constructions like "bottled water" and "mashed potatoes"?

delta Says:
1/22/2007 4:21:48 PM

Living in the south, one often sees signs for "ICE TEA." :(

Grammar Girl Says:
1/17/2007 6:47:51 PM

Hi John,

It's a style issue. Some people use the serial comma (also called the Oxford comma) and some people don't. I prefer to use it because I think it adds clarity. The topic is in the episode queue.

diana Says:
12/27/2006 11:55:11 PM

very nice. the material presented is very well understood.

Bakker Says:
11/23/2006 12:26:55 AM

Master Chief,

The use of the second comma is always, most definitely, and under all circumstances used to avoid any ambiguity.
V/R
M Bakker

John Says:
11/15/2006 1:19:18 AM

Serial commas.
I listened to your podcast covering the use of commas, however I am still confused on it's use in serial. (e.g. Matt, Joe and Bob ran fast...or Matt, Joe, and Bob ran fast.)

I found conflicting information on the web.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
V/R
Master Chief John Woolbright
US Navy

Cheryl Says:
10/24/2006 2:25:58 PM

Hi Grammar Girl,
My daughter and I listen to you here in Longmont, Colorado. We love your podcast because it is very informative although it is brief. Amazing! Thank you.

Todd Says:
10/23/2006 8:36:18 AM

Great podcast! Psychologists characterize 'affect' in an attempt to describe the appropriateness of the mood a patient is projecting. Since certain psychiatric illnesses can interfere with one's ability to accurately communicate mood (which is done through body language and other visual cues), the choice of 'affect' instead of 'effect' suggests it is the communication process being analyzed, not the result.

A patient having a happy affect when talking about the death of a loved one would be described as having an inappropriate affect. Schizophrenics often have a flat affect; they may not show emotion despite discussing the birth of a child or the winning of a lottery.

I would be said to have an appropriate affect when I excitedly tell my grammar gifted geeky coworker of your podcsst!

Grammar Girl Says:
10/19/2006 2:51:50 AM

Good one! I like it; I bet it will help people remember.

Altissima Says:
10/18/2006 2:11:17 AM

Hi Grammar Girl - I'm listening to your podcast from Melbourne, Australia. Very useful and entertaining.

I love the aarvark cartoon! I have always used the word RAVEN to remember the most likely uses of affect and effect. Like your aardvark mnemonic, A & V close together link _A_ffect & _V_erb, and E & N link _E_ffect and _N_oun.

Lisa Says:
10/16/2006 7:21:49 PM

Thanks, Grammar Girl. I'm new to this podcast and I'm amazed at the quick quality of it all. I'm a wordsmith myself, but I picked up a lot of great reminders. I plan on becoming an avid listener. Thanks, again. - Lisa