What is the difference between hanged and hung? The answer might surprise you. Though they both have to do with suspending someone from a height, hanged is used when referring to death by hanging, while hung is used when referring to suspension for other reasons. For example, if you were suspended by your wrists, you would be said to be hung. Let’s explore this difference in more detail.
What is Hanged?
Hanged is the past tense of the verb hang, meaning to fasten or suspend from a fixed point without support from below. It is typically used in reference to the execution of criminals by suspending them from the neck until they die. Hanged is also sometimes used in a more general sense, meaning to kill someone by suspending them from a fixed point. Hanged is considered to be a correct usage, although some people consider hanged to be an incorrect past tense of hang. Hanged is more commonly used in British English, while hanged is more common in American English.
What is Hung?
The past tense of the verb Hung is Hung. This means that something that was Hung in the past is no longer Hung. For example, if you Hung a picture on the wall, it would be Hung in the past tense. If you then took the picture down, it would be Hung in the present tense. The word Hung can also be used as a noun, meaning a person who is Hangs things. For example, if you are Hung, you might be responsible for Hanging pictures on the wall.
Difference between Hanged and Hung
Hanged and Hung both refer to the act of suspending something from above. Hanged is typically used in reference to a person being put to death by means of a rope or noose around the neck, whereas hung can be used more generally to refer to anything suspended in this way, such as a picture on a wall or clothes on a line. While hung is the more common term in general usage, hanged is still used in some contexts, such as news reports about executions. In addition, hanged is sometimes used as a more formal or literary way to say hung.
Conclusion
English has two different words for what is essentially the same act – hanging someone by their neck. The difference between hanged and hung may seem like a small detail, but it can have big implications. To avoid any confusion, it’s important to understand when each word should be used. Hanged specifically refers to putting someone to death by suspending them from a gallows or gibbet, while hung is more general and can refer to any instance of suspending something from above.
