9. Hanged and Hung
The difference between hanged and hung can be deadly.
Hung is the past of the verb to hang, most of the time.
- I hung the painting on the wall and I hung my clothes on the clothes line.
Hanged is the deadly exception, as it’s the past tense of hang in one very particular situation. Hang can also mean to execute a criminal by hanging them with a rope. In that case, the past tense of hang is hanged.
- The judge sentenced the murderer to be hanged.
- The criminal was hanged in the prison.
