Help with affect and effect

[SmellsLikeAHamsterCage]

How do you know which one to use? I think I usually get it right but not sure I understand why.

The effect of eating too many sweets is that your teeth will rot.

Brushing your teeth every day will positively affect your health.

Pretty sure these are right! But why?

TIA

I wonder this most days!

I’m the same!!

The best way to remember it is that effect is usually a noun and affect is usually a verb. There are exceptions but broadly stick to this and you'll be ok. Your examples are correct.

effect is noun affect is verb
to affect something is to have an effect on it.

I always think that to affect is to cause something and effect is the result of something.

Thanks for the replies. The noun and verb thing confuses me but the cause and result thing helps a little.

Late to the party but if the noun/verb explanation doesn't give total clarity, I usually advise that the noun "effect" usually has some sort of article ("the" or "an") preceding it.
Examples:
It had quite an effect on us.
It affected us.

@weathervane1

I always think that to affect is to cause something and effect is the result of something.

Ooooooh. This is good!! Thank you!

@applesauce1

Late to the party but if the noun/verb explanation doesn't give total clarity, I usually advise that the noun "effect" usually has some sort of article ("the" or "an") preceding it. Examples: It had quite an effect on us. It affected us.

I like this too.

It's a bit worrying if the OP needs help understanding the difference between a noun and a verb.

Verb sounds like it's moving along whereas noun sounds like its staying still, so verb is the 'doing word'.

I realise this probably makes zero sense to anyone else.

Common usage examples for each:
The traffic affected how long the journey took.
The effect of the coloured lights was stunning.

Less common usage examples:
When she heard the bad news, her affect completely changed (affect = mood, loosely)
The new boss effected rapid change.

And then there is the complication of someone being described as affected, meaning that he thinks a lot of himself, the snooty ha'p'orth.