Vaikutttaa

Vaikutttaa is not a standard Finnish verb form; it is a nonstandard or misspelled variant of vaikuttaa, which means to influence or to have an effect, and also to seem. In standard Finnish, the infinitive is vaikuttaa, and the verb is used to express influence, impact, or appearance.

Vaikuttaa has several related meanings. It can mean to influence something or have an effect on it, as in Uutiset vaikuttavat mielipiteisiin (The news influence opinions) or Tämä päätös vaikuttaa talouteen (This decision affects the economy). It can also mean to seem or appear, as in Tämä vaikuttaa hyvältä idealta (This seems like a good idea) or Se vaikuttaa siltä, että... (It seems that...). The phrase vaikuttaa siltä, että is a common way to introduce a tentative conclusion.

Morphology and related terms. The root vaik- yields nouns such as vaikutus (effect), vaikutusvalta (influence or clout), and vaikuttaja (influencer or influencer figure). The verb forms include vaikuttaa (to influence), vaikutan, vaikuttaa, vaikutin, and the past tense vaikutti, depending on subject and tense.

Orthography and usage notes. Vaikutttaa is not accepted in standard Finnish orthography. The triple-t form can arise when a stem ending in -t- with the suffix -taa is written together, producing a visually emphatic or elongated spelling. In most contexts, especially in formal writing, it should be avoided. If emphasis or a humorous effect is intended, writers typically use other stylistic devices rather than introducing a nonstandard word.

See also: vaikuttaa, vaikutus, vaikutusvalta, vaikuttaja.