Affect, effect
Effect and affect can both be a noun and a verb.
However, the most common uses are probably to have an effect (noun) and to affect (verb).
An effect (as a noun) is one of:
- a particular result, a consequence (probably the most common meaning)
- also in various senses of a phenomenon ('three-dimensional effect', 'Doppler effect'), impression ('just for effect'), and ability to influence ('it had no effect')
- an operative quality ('to bring into effect', 'in effect', 'take effect')
- (mostly in the plural form, effects): something you own, as in "getting one's effects in order," often referring material things
To affect (as a verb) indicates partial influence, alter, change, or such.
For example, 'this may affect your standing', 'the disease affects the nervous system', 'the publicity stunt did not affect the vote'.
People seem to usually think of the sense of
- things affecting other things, for example 'smoking affects your health' and 'cold weather affects your crops',
- things or affecting people 'the music affected him deeply,'
- or sometmimes people affecting people, "I'm so cynical I don't know how to affect genuine emotion anymore"
- ...more than the sense of people effecting things.
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Somewhat less common:
To effect, (as verb) is to cause a thing to happen, or to execute it.
Often used as 'to effect a change'
Affect (as a noun) also exists,
referring to expressed emotion, for example in 'blandness of affect', 'drugged and speaking without affect.'
In archaic or poetic use, affect can also be used in the sense of affection.
Affectation is related, but less direct. Affectation refers more to pretense, a display, perhaps manipulative.
Some things can easily be effected as well as affected, such as change, and savings.