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Commonly Misused Word Pair: Affect & Effect

In today's competitive business climate, it's more important than ever to write clearly, concisely, and correctly. Affect and effect — a commonly confused word pair — are often misused in business writing. Do you know how to use each correctly?

Typically, use affect as a verb; use effect as a noun.

Examples:

The lack of food affected his ability to concentrate.
The effect of good nutrition is clear.

Occasionally, effect is used as a verb meaning to bring about.

Examples:

The nutritionist effected a change in his diet.