“Hanged” vs. “Hung”: What’s the Difference?

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The difference between “hanged” and “hung”

  • The main difference between "hanged" and "hung" is that "hanged" specifically refers to death by hanging, while "hung" is a more general term for suspending something in the air.
  • Another difference is that "hanged" is used in the past tense to describe a completed action, while "hung" can be used in both past and present tenses.
  • Finally, "hanged" is a more formal and specific term, while "hung" is more commonly used in everyday language.
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What is the definition of “hanged” and “hung”?

Hanged
  • "Hanged" refers specifically to death by suspension from a rope around the neck.
  • This term is also used to describe the act of executing someone by hanging.
  • In legal terminology, it is often used in the past tense to describe someone who has been sentenced and put to death by hanging.
Hung
  • "Hung" is the past tense of the verb "hang", and refers to the act of suspending something or someone in the air.
  • This term can be applied to a wide range of situations, from hanging up clothes to suspending a piece of art on a wall.
  • Unlike "hanged", "hung" does not have any specific context of death or execution associated with it.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“Hung” is the more popular variant on the web.
Hanged
36,800,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. The criminal was hanged for his heinous crimes.
  2. The picture frame was hanged perfectly straight on the wall.
  3. The ghost of the hanged man is said to haunt the old courthouse.
More popular
Hung
378,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. My mom hung the laundry out to dry.
  2. The chandelier is hung with crystal prisms.
  3. The artwork is hung on the gallery wall for the exhibit.
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