The actual effect of an utterance on the listener, such as persuading, is the:

1. Speech acts can be analysed on several levels. 2. A locutionary act is the actual utterance and its apparent meaning. 3. An illocutionary act is what the speaker does in saying it, such as requesting or promising. 4. A perlocutionary act is the actual effect on the listener, such as persuading, scaring or inspiring. 5. A metalocutionary act refers to the form and function of the discourse itself. 6. So the effect on the listener is the perlocutionary act. **Why the other options fail:** - The locutionary act is the utterance itself. - The illocutionary act is the speaker's intended act. - The metalocutionary act concerns the discourse itself. _Source: Wikipedia, "Speech act", section "Perlocutionary acts" (revision 1377995517)_