# Arg, help me distinguish between 'effect' and 'affect'.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arg-help-me-distinguish-between-effect-and-affect/236779>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 27, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arg-help-me-distinguish-between-effect-and-affect/236779 "2004-03-27T18:47:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arg-help-me-distinguish-between-effect-and-affect/236779/1 "2004-03-27T18:47:24Z")

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I always mix up these words, and even after looking both words up in the dictionary, I’m still confused. Is there an easy way to know when to use each of these? Anything like a rhyme or stupid word association that can help me out? Thanks a bunch.

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arg-help-me-distinguish-between-effect-and-affect/236779/2 "2004-03-27T19:02:40Z")

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This is similar enough to a recent question that I’ll close this thread and direct further comment to the earlier one: [Eng. Majors: Adj form of “effect” or “affect”?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=247082)

bibliophage  
moderator GQ