How to spell effective

hear itef·fec·tive/ɪ'fɛktɪv/adjectiveSilent and tricky

What it means: Producing or capable of producing an intended result.

In a sentence: Washing your hands is an effective way to stay healthy.

The part people get wrong

Watch for double f. Often misspelled as effictive or efective.

Same family: effect, effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, efficient. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Effective” comes from Latin *effectivus*, from *effectus* meaning “accomplishment” or “performance.” It’s closely related to the noun “effect” and entered English through Middle French in the late Middle Ages.

Try spelling it

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Words like this

expensive · creative

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