verb B1 Intermediate Common

affect

uh-FEHKT

Affect (verb) means to influence or make a difference to something. Example: “The weather can affect your mood.”

verb

To influence or make a difference to something.

"The weather can affect your mood."

"Lack of sleep can affect your concentration."

To pretend to have or feel a quality; to put on.

"He affected an air of confidence he didn't really feel."

"She affected surprise, even though she already knew the news."

How to use affect

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo have an influence on something, or change it in some way.

Common mistake

Affect is usually the VERB (to influence): "the storm affected the harvest." Effect is usually the NOUN (the result): "the storm had an effect on the harvest."

Easily confused with

effect → impact →

Word forms

affected past tense, affected past tense, affect plural, affected plural, affects plural, affects singular, affect singular, affected singular, affectest singular, affectedst singular, affecteth singular, affects singular

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Test yourself on “affect” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The weather can _____ your mood.

Etymology

From Latin afficere, "to act upon, influence."

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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influence impact alter change shape sway touch

Related words

state change power form hit bit effect figure

Frequently asked questions

What does “affect” mean?

The word “affect” means to influence or make a difference to something. In plain terms, to have an influence on something, or change it in some way.

How do you pronounce “affect”?

“Affect” is pronounced uh-FEHKT (/əˈfɛkt/ in IPA).

How do you use “affect” in a sentence?

Here is “affect” used in a sentence: “The weather can affect your mood.”

What part of speech is “affect”?

“Affect” is a verb.

Where does the word “affect” come from?

The word “affect” comes from Latin. From Latin afficere, "to act upon, influence.".

Is “affect” a common word?

“Affect” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

How many meanings does “affect” have?

“Affect” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to influence or make a difference to something.

What is the difference between affect and effect?

'Affect' is normally a verb meaning to influence or change something: 'The weather affected our plans.' 'Effect' is normally a noun meaning the result of that influence: 'The weather had an effect on our plans.' If you can put 'the' or 'an' in front of the word, you almost certainly want 'effect'.

What is a trick to remember affect versus effect?

A popular memory aid is RAVEN: Affect is a Verb, Effect is a Noun. Another is that Affect means Action — both begin with A. So if the word is doing something to a subject, use 'affect'; if it names the outcome, use 'effect'.

Can 'affect' be a noun?

Rarely, and mainly in psychology, where 'affect' (stressed on the first syllable) means a person's visible emotion or mood — a doctor might note a 'flat affect'. Outside that specialist use, treat 'affect' as a verb and 'effect' as the noun, which covers almost all everyday writing.

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state change power form hit bit effect figure