These ten words come in five pairs that look or sound alike but mean different things. Mixing them up is one of the most common slips in writing, and test makers love to check for it. Learn each pair together, with a trick for telling the twins apart.
Key idea
affect (to influence; a verb) and effect (the result; a noun). imply (the speaker hints) and infer (the listener figures out). elicit (to draw out) and illicit (not allowed). ingenious (clever) and ingenuous (innocent). eminent (famous) and imminent (about to happen).
The ten words
Common mistake
Speakers imply; listeners infer. affect is usually the verb and effect the noun (though effect can be a verb meaning "to bring about"). ingenuous (innocent) and ingenious (clever) differ by one letter.
| twins | the first one | the second one | a trick |
|---|---|---|---|
| affect / effect | affect: to influence (verb) | effect: the result (noun) | Affect is the Action; the Effect is the End result. |
| imply / infer | imply: to hint | infer: to figure out | The speaker implies; the listener infers. |
| elicit / illicit | elicit: to draw out | illicit: not allowed | ILLicit is ILLegal. |
| ingenious / ingenuous | ingenious: clever | ingenuous: innocent, open | A GENIUS is ingenious. |
| eminent / imminent | eminent: famous | imminent: about to happen | IMMINENT: IN A MINute. |
Two exceptions to the affect and effect rule. Effect can be a verb meaning “to bring about”: the new principal effected real change (she made it happen). And affect can be a noun in psychology, for the feelings a person shows. Everywhere else, affect is the verb and effect is the noun: the rain affected the game, and the rain had an effect on the game.