Affect vs. effect
Choosing wordsRule 5 of 7
The rule
"Affect" is usually the verb, meaning one thing changes another: "the delay affects the launch". "Effect" is usually the noun, the result: "the delay had an effect on the launch". After "an", "the", or "no", you almost always want "effect".
Wrong and right
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Wrong The new policy will effect our team.
Right The new policy will affect our team.
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Wrong The medicine had no affect on me.
Right The medicine had no effect on me.
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Wrong Bad sleep effects my focus at work.
Right Bad sleep affects my focus at work.
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Wrong What was the affect of the price change?
Right What was the effect of the price change?
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Wrong The outage didn't effect our customers.
Right The outage didn't affect our customers.