affect

> affect and effect
affect and effect are often confused. Affect is a verb meaning "to have an effect on", "to influence or change in some way", as in "His health was affected by his poor working conditions", "Their decision was affected by personal prejudice". It is often confused with effect, a noun meaning "result or consequence" or "influence", as in "Their terrible experiences will have an effect on the children". Effect is also a verb used mostly in formal contexts and means "to bring about", as in "The company plans to effect major changes". Affect can also mean "to pretend or feign" as in "She affected an appearance of poverty although she was very wealthy".